Interesting, thanks! That's more in line with what I'd expect coming from Poland - medical degree is 6yrs (& is equivalent to Master's, I don't believe you get a Bachelor's degree during those), specialization then takes additional 5-6 years. For context, "normal" degrees are 3y (BSc) + 2y (MSc), which is also 1 year shorter than comparable education in the US. OTOH, I believe there's no such thing as "associate degree", and colleges are more focused from the get-go - you pick your major when applying for college (& the admission criteria are different based on that).