The Road To Work As A Foreign Doctor In Sweden

The information on this page applies if you are a doctor of medicine trained in another country than the EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Basic conditions

In Sweden, doctors of medicine have an exclusive right to practise their profession and the professional title is protected. This means that only a person who holds a licence to practise or a locum appointment is allowed to use the title and exercise the profession.

If you are a doctor of medicine trained in another country than the EU/EEA countries, the first thing you need is good knowledge of the Swedish language. If you are a foreign specialist or if you have considerable medical experience you will thereafter be accepted for six months of probationary service in a hospital department or in primary health care. Otherwise you will have to pass a written and oral medical exam in basic clinical subjects to be entitled to an internship. After that you have to pass a course on Swedish medical legislation before you can apply for a Swedish licence to practise.

Read Here: Doctors Salary In Sweden

Applies to all:

Step 1. Start by applying for an assessment of foreign training

Send your application to The National Board of Health and Welfare with the documents listed below. The National Board of Health and Welfare will make an assessment of whether your training meets the knowledge requirements for a Swedish licence to practise. You will receive an answer as soon as your case has been handled.

Send the following documents to The National Board of Health and Welfare:

1. Completed application form

2. Extract from the Swedish population register (personbevis)

• - The extract must not be older than three months.
• - If you are not registered in Sweden for population purposes, enclose a certified copy of a valid passport instead. The passport does not need to be translated.
• - If you have changed your name, enclose a certified copy of a certificate showing the name change.
• - The same certification rules apply as for the diploma, please see below.

3. Certified copy of your diploma

• - A certified copy means that a person certifies that the copy corresponds to the original. The person has to write his or her signature, a clarification of signature and address or phone number directly on the copy.
• - The document has to be translated into Swedish or English by anauthorized translator.

4. Certified copy of a document where the length and content of your training is stated

• - The same certification and translation rules apply as for the diploma.

5. Certified copy of certificate of service, if any

• - The same translation and certification rules apply as for the diploma.

6. Certified copy of evidence of specialist qualification (if applicable)

• - The same translation and certification rules apply as for the diploma.

Step 2. Show certified knowledge of the Swedish language

Sufficient knowledge of the Swedish, Norwegian or Danish language is a condition for a licence to practise if you were trained outside of the EU/EEA area. The following examples of certified knowledge of the Swedish language are approved:

• - A certified copy of a document showing that you passed Swedish course 3 or Swedish as a second language course 3 at an upper secondary adult education, with at least the grade ”Pass” (Godkänd).
• - A certified copy of a document showing that you passed an education in Swedish for foreign students, arranged by a university or college.
• - A certified copy of a document showing that you passed the test in Swedish for university studies, Tisus.
• - A certified copy of a confirmation of equivalent knowledge issued by a provider of Swedish language training.

If you have already got a decision from us, the language requirement stated in that decision will be approved.

Applies to doctors of medicine without considerable medical experience:

Step 3a. Pass a medical knowledge test

The purpose of the test is to ensure that you have basic medical knowledge equivalent to a person with a Swedish doctor of medicine degree. The test consists of a theoretical and a practical part.

Step 3b. Pass internship

The internship consists of at least 18 months of internship divided between different fields of practice. It concludes with a knowledge test.

Applies to doctors of medicine with considerable medical experience:

Step 3. Pass probationary service

The probationary service consists of six consecutive months within the relevant field of practice. The objective is to assess your medical knowledge in relation to the knowledge needed to receive a Swedish licence to practise, your judgement, your way of relating to patients and your general aptitude as a doctor of medicine.

Applies to all

Step 4. Pass a course on Swedish medical legislation

The objective of the course is to make sure that doctors of medicine in Sweden have the necessary basic knowledge of the framework of Swedish society and of current legislation that applies to the profession.

Step 5. You can submit a formal application for a licence to practice, only after points 1-4 above have been fulfilled.

If you are still interested in more details , these links may be helpful for you:

1- http://www.lansstyrelsen.se/stockho...orjning/Lakare-tredje-land-for-lakare-eng.pdf

2- http://sskkii.gu.se/jens/publications/bfiles/B73.pdf

3- http://sh.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:541360/FULLTEXT01.pdf

4- http://immi.se/intercultural/nr8/berbyuk.htm

Read Also:

How to work as a doctor in Netherlands

How to work as a doctor in Germany

How to work as a doctor in Denmark

How to work as a doctor in New Zealand

How to work as a doctor in Finland



Source

 

Interesting. I am set to begin my medical studies at Cambridge (UK) this october but am considering moving to the states in the future. Perhaps you might consider an article regarding the process of applying to practice as a foreign doctor in the States? I would be most interested to know...

 

Hi , I graduated from Mansourah University medical school and practiced medicine initially in Jerusalem before I moved to Sweden. I have gone through the steps that you described . Multiple tests in language part 1 and part 2 and a general medical knowledge test and then I did the 18 month internship again for the second time( the first time was in Egypt). Then was the post-internship medical examination to obtain the Medical Licence and a special registration number which you obtain. It took sometime but it gave me a stable and sound experience in general medicine and surgery before proceeding for another five years in Psychiatry . A long but good journey!

 

Very long procedure

 

Hi im a malaysian but studied in romania which is one of the eu countries could u share with us wat are the procedure for a eu graduate with a asian naionality to work in Sweden plz tq ...

 

I'm interested in the road to work as a foreign doctor in the USA

Please and thank you for the info

Congrats for the forum.

 

The most difficult obstacle for working in Sweden is obtaining the permission to stay and work in Sweden . This is th most crucial obstacle. You simply can not work regardless of your qualifications if you do not have a permit to live ,stay and WORK . In certain cases they issue temporary permits to live but not to work. Cases like refugees from war-zones were the ministry of immigration plan for right to return to one´s home country . The latest three years we have wittnessed a flux of greek doctors looking for work in Sweden and they do come in relatively big numbers.
It is much easier for a greek or an italien national to obtain work in Sweden compared with the people outside of europe .

 

Good Morning Sir- MR.Maher
I am so sorry for disturbance you
my name is mohammed kashef iam from egypt i had master degree in pediatric i had 5 years experience in the field of neonatology now iam working in dubai(UAE) and i am plainning to move to Sweden

1- what is your advice ?
2- my clarification i sent my paper to socialstyrelsen, is there is any hope to accept my paper as (doctors of medicine with considerable medical experience and a certificate of specialist qualification )
3- what is your advice about learning language specially we don't have official organization in egypt or UAE to learn swedish language?

thank you

 

Hello Doctorneonate20
Thank you for your question. I will try to answer your questions
1) Sweden is a good and safe country to live in. The winter is very cold and rough with lots of snow and long dark evenings in winter time. The people are civilized and generous. There is a minority of xenophobics. I met much less racism in Sweden compared to what I saw in Egypt ,Jordan and Israel.
2) All non-european doctors who are specialist muts undergo a 6 months service at a specialist clinic and be evaluated by other specialists concerning their competence. English is not recognised as a usable langauge when dealing with patients and communicating with families , nurses and fellow collgues. Mastery of swedish is a prerequiste to get an employment .
3) It is good to prepare with language before coming. Achieving mastery requires active stay in swedish environment and intensive usage of the language.
wish you good luck
Maher

 

thank you Mr.Maher for your precious replay

 

Thanks

 

GOOD MORNING dr.Maher
i want to clarify is it easy to get training post in Sweden in pediatric and what is the way to search to theses posts
thank you

 

Egyptian Doctor, where are you? Kindly respond to some of the questions above.

 

I do not know how easy it is to obtain training in Pediatrics.I know for sure that there are lots of vacancies in Family Medicine / Primary Care , Anasethesia / Pathology and Radiology. Neurology and Oncoclogy complain also of shortage but not as much as the earlier described. It is difficult to obtain posts of training in Surgery and Internal Medicine because they are very popular. The true difficulties are obtaining a residency visa and mastering the swedish Language. No Fluency in Swedish language=No jobb oppurtunity! You can not use english working as a doctor in Sweden! You must speak swedish and speak/write/comprehend it fluently if you want to obtain a jobb and stay working. Patients have very strong rights in the system and they complain of foreign doctors who speak and write bad swedish! patients consider doctors who speak bad swedish as incomptent . Patients expect Doctors to be masters of their discipline and unconsciously also masters of the swedish language (even if that is not fair)!

 

Hello sir..!!! I'm a Medical Graduate from India..I have not done my D.M(DOCTOR OF MEDICINE) yet... What are my chances of practicing in Sweden?
Please help me.. Thanking you...!!!

 

I m studied in ukraine. I am an indian..i wish to join..