UNIVERSITY SAVOIR-VIVRE
1. How to title lecturers
Instructors should be titled by their highest academic or professional title (ideally, before class,
check it on the university’s website), unless the instructor himself communicates that it is
sufficient to address him/her as Mr./Ms. – most often requested by masters and doctoral
students:
– prof., dr hab., prof. PSW – Professor
– dr, dr n. med.
– Doctor – mgr
– Sir / Madam
People in leadership positions we address using the proper form, e.g. we address the rector or
pro-rectors by saying „Rector”. To people in other managerial positions respectively:
„Director”, „Manager”, „Chancellor”, etc.
2. How to Introduce Yourself
Wanting to handle any matter by email or phone, at the dean’s office or with a lecturer, you need to introduce yourself properly. Lecturers and university workers interact with hundreds of students on a daily basis, so they need to know exactly who they are talking to.
Specify: Name, course, year, degree and form of study e.g.
John Smith, Nursing, 2nd year Full-time studies, 1st degree
or
Jane Smith, Nursing, 1st year, part-time studies
3. How to formulate emails
Always contact via the official university email address given to every student at our university (psw-studia.pl).
Start with:
Dear Doctor,/Dear Professor, etc.
I make a kind request to…
Choose one of the endings:
– Best regards,
– Yours sincerely,
– Respectfully
Sign with your first name, last name, major, year and form of study, and possibly the group
number, if the case concerns specific classes.
4. Leaving the classroom
You don’t have to ask the lecturer if you can go to the restroom. Leave and return as unobtrusively as possible so as not to disturb the lecturer and listening student. If you need to leave early from a lecture, it is good practice to notify the instructor before class begins. In the case of exercises, be sure to ask if you can leave and somehow make up for the missed part of the class. With food, wait until the break.
5. Talking about patients
During clinical exercises and internships, you will have contact with real patients. You will certainly feel like exchanging experiences with other colleagues of the year. This is allowed, but under certain conditions:
– don’t do it in public places, e.g. on the bus, in the corridor of the hospital,
– don’t give names,
– remember that the patient should be respected, so be cultured when talking about them,
– talk about patients only with colleagues from the university who can learn something from it, not with all your friends and family members.
6. Humor
In the medical profession, a common way to deal with stress is through humor, often „dark” humor. Remember that the way you joke around with other medics may seem outrageous to outsiders. Avoid such jokes above all in the presence of patients and their families.