Marek Kos, 55-year-old surgeon and PSL Deputy Minister of Health, is controversial due to the fast attainment of a habilitated doctor. His technological career, which gained momentum after taking office in the Ministry of Health, became the subject of a broad discussion. How could he have published more articles in just a fewer months than in 22 years of earlier activity? And are his achievements full credible?
From the Surgeon to the Vice Minister: The Career of Mark Kos
Marek Kos has served as Deputy Minister of wellness since January 2024. As “Gazeta Wyborcza” reports, he enjoys the peculiar trust of the head of the ministry, Isabella Leschina. Prior to taking office in the government, Kos worked as a surgeon at a infirmary in Sandomierz and at the Medical University of Lublin, where he had been employed as a technological and method specialist since 2015, and since 2019 as an assistant at the Department of Public Health. After his appointment as Deputy Minister, he resigned from working at the hospital, and at the university decided to leave free of charge.
Sudden turn in a technological career: Immunology at the centre of interest
After taking his position in the Ministry of Health, Marek Kos began intensively publishing technological papers. In just 8 months (April to November 2023) he published 9 articles on PubMed base. It's more than 22 years of early career! The subject substance of his publication varies from the effects of telemedicine on the quality of life of patients with chronic heart failure to haematological diseases. However, there are 4 immunology articles that have become the basis for applying for a habilitated doctor.
All these publications were published in magazines belonging to the MDPI release from Basel, founded by Chinese Shu-Kun Lina. As “Gazeta Wyborcza” emphasizes, this publication is known for its alleged “papershop”, i.e. publishing articles after payment by authors, regardless of the quality of the review. The Medical University of Lublin paid for the publication of Kosa texts, which cost about 2.5-3 1000 Swiss francs per article.
Expressing the degree of habilitated doctor
The day after the publication of the last of the articles on Toll-like receptors, Marek Kos applied for a degree of habilitated doctor in the field of medical sciences and wellness sciences. In this document, he argued that his technological accomplishment was based on a series of 4 thematically related articles, with a common title: “Immunopathy of tummy cancer with peculiar emphasis on the function of Toll-like receptors – clinical and therapeutic implications”.
Habilitation procedure went at an express rate. A period after the application was submitted, the Medical discipline Board of the Medical University of Lublin established a habilitation committee. Kosa's work reviews were drawn up in just a month. 1 of the reviewers was Prof. Marcin Pasiarski, a haematologist from the University of Jan Kochanowski, who worked with Prof. Ewelina Grywalska, head of the Department of Experimental Immunology. According to “Electoral”, the award for prof. Grywalska's engagement in technological improvement Kosa was to appoint her to the position of provincial consultant in the field of clinical immunology.
Horizon Europe Project: Engagement or Appearances?
Marek Kos is besides presented as the main contractor of the task on monitoring and mitigation of dementia, financed by Horizon Europe. However, as stated by ‘Gazeta Wyborcza’, Kos has not been active in this task since the beginning. Prof. Konrad Rejdak, a neurologist at the UM in Lublin who directs the project, pointed out Kos as the main contractor only on August 28, 2024, which is little than 3 months before his application for habilitation. This suggests that Kos' engagement in the task could only be faked to strengthen his technological achievements.
Controversy around the Vice Minister's technological career
The fast pace at which Marek Kos obtained a habilitation degree raises doubts about the quality and reliability of his technological achievements. Publications in MDPI journals, which are known for their commercial approach to publishing articles, and express habilitation procedures, may undermine assurance in its achievements. In addition, the commitment to Horizon Europe seems to be a specified formality aimed at strengthening Kos' technological position.
Did the Deputy Minister of wellness gain his degree? Is his technological career an example of efficient management of time and resources, or alternatively the effect of utilizing controversial practices? These questions stay open and the substance of Mark Kos will surely inactive be discussed in the technological and political environment.
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Express habilitation of the Deputy Minister of Health: How did Marek Kos gain his degree at a evidence rate?
