Faculty of Medicine

The University of Banja Luka started the initiative to establish the Faculty of Medicine as early as 1976, with a view to educating university degree experts holding the professional title of doctor of medicine. Preparations lasted almost two years, and the Faculty of Medicine was established on 17 March 1978 by Decision No 01-012-33/78 of Banja Luka Municipal Assembly. By its Decision UP-I-03-612/36 of 21 November 1978 the Republic Secretariat for Education, Science, Culture and Physical Education of the SR BH gave its consent for the beginning of work of the Faculty of Medicine. The Faculty started operating in the building of the Self-Governing Employment Communities of Interest (current building of the Republic of Srpska Employment Bureau), where space was provided to accommodate the dean’s office and a lecture hall with 130 seats, while practice was carried out at the Faculty of Technology. The dean’s office, the lecture hall, the student administration office and some staff offices are still on the same location, which was recently expanded after merging with the premises within the same building that was once used by the Urban Institute of the Republic of Srpska. There were 152 students in the first generation, and the first lecture was given on 15 November 1978. The Faculty of Medicine achieved a strong reputation already in the first decade, which is supported by the fact that at the end of the 1990s there were more than 240 foreigners among a total of 1 216 students. Those were Syrians, Jordanians, but also Swedes, Greeks and Nigerians.

In 1979, the prefabricated buildings of the Children’s Hospital were adapted for other purposes and thereafter the lecture hall in the then Hygienic Institute (today’s Public Health Institute of the Republic of Srpska) was adapted and equipped, as well as the premises within the Clinical Hospital Centre in Banja Luka on the old location, where until recently surgical clinics were located. An agreement was then made on the use of the lecture hall in the newly built Medical Centre at Paprikovac, i.e., in the complex of the current University Clinical Centre of the Republic of Srpska. Since 1989, classes at postgraduate and doctoral studies have been successfully taught in the basics of scientific research and occupational medicine, with constant cooperation with institutes and clinics from the city. Even then, the research was closely related to the research of other members of the University, but also the giants of the pre-war industry, such as Rudi Čajavec, with its Medical Electronics. Up until 1989-90, undergraduate studies lasted for 5 years, while as of 1990-91 they were extended to six years.

As the Medicine Study Programme and the Dentistry Study Programme, established in 1994, proved to be very successful, in 1995 the Faculty of Medicine initiated the establishment of the Pharmacy Study Programme. At the proposal of the University of Banja Luka, this study programme was established at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Banja Luka on 17 July 1995 by Decision No UP-02-07/95 of the Republic of Srpska Ministry of Education, Science and Culture for the profile of Master of Pharmacy, and classes at this study programme started in the academic year 1995-96. Postgraduate studies titled Biomedical Research were initiated in 1996. In 2007, the Faculty of Medicine initiated the establishment of the Health Care and Nursing Study Programme by the Decision of the Republic of Srpska Ministry of Education and Culture (operating license no 07.23/602-3900/09) to educate students for the profile of Bachelor of Health Care and Nursing. Classes at this study programme started in the academic year 2007-08. As part of its activities, the Faculty of Medicine organises and delivers training and performs scientific research in order to educate and provide professional development to graduates and postgraduates in medical sciences for acquiring the professional title of medical specialist and academic degree of doctor of medical sciences. It organises and performs scientific research for acquiring the professional title of medical specialist, and academic degree of doctor of medical sciences.

The Faculty of Medicine perfects and develops the methods of scientific research, organises systemic monitoring of professional and scientific achievements and prepares the staff for independent work in their respective professions and scientific research. The Faculty organises and provides continuing professional development for healthcare staff to keep abreast of modern developments in the field and in particular it is engaged in raising and professional development of young scientists and teachers, in line with the Higher Education Reform. It also takes part in research projects in all medical disciplines. It participates in the project of reforming faculties of medicine in BH in line with the Bologna Declaration and the European Higher Education Reform. 
Since its establishment, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Banja Luka has been developing rapidly and has launched new study programmes. Namely, in addition to Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Health Care and Nursing, new study programmes were licensed: Midwifery, Physiotherapy, Radiological Technology, Nursing, Sanitary Engineering, Medical Laboratory Diagnostics, Master of Health Studies and a new course of the Master of Health Studies – Child and Youth Mental Health. Thus, the Faculty of Medicine has all three cycles of studies: integrated studies of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy; undergraduate studies of the Health Care and Nursing Study Programme - Nursing, the second cycle of studies - Master of Health Studies, as well as the third cycle of studies - Biomedical Sciences. A significant number of lecturers invited and visiting professors from the country and abroad are included in this type of postgraduate education, thus the conditions have been created for students to get introduced with the novelties and contemporary trends in medicine. In the last few years, the Faculty has paid significant attention to the expansion of space, technical equipment and staff training, in order to enable the provision of contemporary expertise.

In addition, significant funds have been invested in equipping laboratories and cabinets in the study programmes of Medicine and Pharmacy. The modernly equipped “Dental Clinic”, a specialist centre which, in addition to providing an overall range of different clinical dental services, provides students and residents with modern clinical practice, has also been opened.

On 1 April 2019, the Medical Specialist Centre of the Medical Faculty of the University of Banja Luka started operating. The Centre is an organisational unit of the Faculty of Medicine, in which services are provided by professors of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Banja Luka and specialists employed in the teaching bases of the Faculty of Medicine. The primary goal of the Centre is the treatment of patients, as well as the education of students.

Thanks to the reconstruction and equipping of the University Clinical Centre of the Republic of Srpska, the Faculty of Medicine enables its professors, teaching assistants and students to study and practice in the most modern conditions.

With the support of the Government of the Republic of Srpska and a donation from the European Investment Bank, a new medical campus at Paprikovac is planned. Apart from the central building of the Faculty of Medicine, the plan is that the building of the Biomedical Research Centre, Medical School in Banja Luka and the building of Health Studies be in this campus. This merging into one space will provide better conditions for studying and scientific research.

Phone	+387 51 234 100, 215 454
Fax	+387 51 215 454
Website	www.med.unibl.org
E-mail	info@med.unibl.org
Address	Save Mrkalja 14, 78000 Banja Luka
Dean	Dr. Ranko Škrbić, Full Professor
Vice-Dean for Teaching	Dr. Nenad Ponorac, Full Professor
Vice-Dean for Research	Dr. Miloš Stojiljković, Full Professor
Vice-Dean for International Cooperation	Dr. Lana Nježić, Associate Professor