Medicine Schools and Programs in Sweden

Medicine Studies in Sweden

The country of Sweden is renowned for the quality of its education system, including its high-performing universities that consistently rank among the world’s finest institutions of higher learning.  One of the degree programs in which Swedish students regularly excel is medicine, a circumstance that can be largely attributed to the country’s renowned instructors and the cutting-edge research facilities of its universities.
 
Sweden, or in official circles, the Kingdom Sweden, is a Scandinavian country located in northern Europe.  The other Norse countries that surround Sweden include Norway and Finland, while Denmark is connected to Sweden by a bridge tunnel across the Orestund.  Sweden encompasses 173,860 square miles (450,295 sq, km) of land, making it the third-largest country in the European Union by total area.  This area is shared by a mere 9.6 million permanent residents, giving the country a very low population density of about 54 people per square mile (21 per sq. km).  Approximately 85 percent of the population lives in the country’s urban areas, including Stockholm, the capital and largest city in Sweden.
 
Sweden is a wealthy and highly-developed country with a great reputation for education, particularly higher education.  Swedish graduates have gone on to become leaders in their respective fields, including medicine, and the country is home to more original patents each year per capita than any other country in the world.
 
Medical Education in Sweden
 
Medical education in Sweden is highly touted for its excellence.  Students seeking to gain admission to the country’s medical schools must have at least the equivalent of a Bachelor degree, typically in a science related field, and must take and pass the national medical entrance examination prior to being considered for admission.
 
Medical education in Sweden begins with a five-and-a-half-year undergraduate university program leading to the degree "Master of Science in Medicine" (Swedish: Läkarexamen). Following this, the National Board of Health and Welfare requires a minimum of 18 months of clinical internship (Swedish: Allmäntjänstgöring) before granting a medical license to be fully qualified as Doctor of Medicine (MD).
The internship required of Swedish medical students consists of surgery (3–6 months), internal medicine (3–6 months), psychiatry (three months) and family medicine (six months). Upon receiving a license to practice, a physician is able to apply for a post to start specialist training. There are currently 52 recognized medical specialties in Sweden. Some of these specialties include:

• Orthopedics
• Urology&rsquo ;
• Gynecology
• Oncology
• Ophthalmology
• Hematology
• Pat hology
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Pediatric Surgery
• Neurology
• Psychiatry
• And many more…

The specialist training has a minimum duration of five years, which upon completion grants formal qualification as a specialist.

Why Study Abroad in Sweden
 
While the quality and excellence of Sweden’s medical education programs cannot be denied, there are also several other qualities with regard to Sweden that make the country such an attractive place to study and live abroad.  Sweden is one of the safest countries in the world, with friendly people and a warm, inviting culture.  Students studying here can pick up valuable language skills that can later benefit them professionally and make contacts and friends they will cherish for a lifetime.  There are also a bevy of interesting and entertaining things to do and see in the country, including:

The Beaches

During their summer break, students can take advantage of Sweden’s hundreds of miles of beaches, particularly on the west coast, as well as its 96,000 lakes. If swimming and relaxing in the sun is not enough to test their adventurous spirits, visitors can always make their way to one of the numerous waterskiing and windsurfing centers scattered throughout the country.

Canal cruises

For a great two to three-day break from their studies, students can take a cruise on the MS Ceres along the historic Göta Canal. Constructed in the early 19th century, the canal’s 382 miles (614 km) stretch from Gothenburg in the west to Söderköping on the Baltic Sea. Tours start in Stockholm and Gothenburg.

Father Christmas

While Finland may be the official home of St Nick, Sweden, which also possesses a large chunk of Lapland, has an ultra cool take on Christmas of its own. During winter break students can make their way to the town of Mora, situated in the heart of the Swedish Lakeland region, where they can meet Father Christmas at the Santaworld theme park.

Djurgården Island

For a truly one-of-a-kind excursion, students can take a ferry to Stockholm's Djurgården Island area to see the Nordic Museum, Liljevalchs Konsthall art gallery and Waldemarsudde House, which until 1947 was the home of the royal artist Prince Eugene.