– It gives me a little more hope that things can go my way, says Leah Kahn Barstad. The 26-year-old completed his education at the University of Pecs in Hungary in June. When she finished – she wanted to apply for a rotation position (LIS1), so that she could specialise. The LIS1 scheme LIS stands for “doctor in specialisation” and LIS1 is the first part of the specialist course for people with a medical official qualification. LIS1 corresponds to what was previously called shift service. The LIS1 positions are standardized at 1.5 years. One year in hospital service and half a year in the municipal health services. The LIS1 positions are advertised in the job portal of the Norwegian Directorate of Health by the health organizations in collaboration with the municipalities. There are two application rounds each year, in spring and autumn. Without LIS1, you can be employed on a temporary basis, but you cannot progress in the specialist course without LIS1. Source: The Directorate of Health and the Norwegian Medical Encyclopedia She didn’t get a place. And she is not alone in that. In the autumn of 2022, there were several hundred applicants who did not get a place, according to figures from the Directorate of Health. Barstad works as a doctor’s assistant in a hospital and has a part-time position at a clinic in Oslo, but is delayed in the specialist course. NOT SPECIALIZING: Leah Kahn Barstad cannot specialize as she did not get a place. Photo: Private – What I do as a temporary worker does not count towards specialisation, which means that I just go and wait for continuing education to start which will potentially take me to the specialization I want. Although she has qualified well enough, it has been frustrating that there are not enough places. – You can’t avoid feeling that it’s a bit personal not to be chosen, even if you’ve worked hard and everyone is equally qualified, the system has made it completely impossible to choose candidates. Figures from the Norwegian Directorate of Health show that there is competition to get a position: Reaction to medical education Last year, the government cut 31 rotational positions in the state budget for 2023, and there has been an uproar. On Monday, Research and Higher Education Minister Sandra Borch announced that there will be a new medical education at NTNU in Gjøvik. The training is part of the Center Party’s policy to get more doctors out into the districts. The leader of the Norwegian Medical Student Association, Erlend Sæther, told news on Monday that more study places did not help much if it did not come with more rotation positions. REACTED: Leader of the Norwegian Medical Student Association, Erlend Sæther, said on Monday that more study places without LIS1 positions helped little. Photo: Ole Wanvik Haugen Wants to provide more positions But now the government states that it wants to provide 33.3 million to 66 more rotation positions. – These are fresh funds in the state budget, and an important priority for the government. There are far more applicants for LIS1 than there are positions. Now we will also train more doctors. LIS1 has become a bottleneck, which we are now doing something about, as we have promised, says Minister of Health and Care, Ingvild Kjerkol (Ap) in an e-mail to news. IMPORTANT: Health and Care Minister Ingvild Kjerkol says it is an important priority for the government to provide money for more LIS1 positions. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news Erlend Sæther says it is the right way to get more doctors into the GP scheme and other types of medical specialists. – It is this medicine that we have been asking about for many years now and it is gratifying that the government is taking action and increasing the number of LIS1 positions. Cut 31 positions last year Kjerkol states that there will be 66 new positions from autumn 2024. It is not yet clear where these positions will end up. Tone Wilhelmsen Trøen, parliamentary representative in the Conservative Party, says there is extreme unpredictability in the government’s health policy. UNPREDICTABLE: Tone Wilhelmsen Trøen, parliamentary representative in the Conservative Party, believes that it is right for the government to give money to LIS1 positions, but that health policy is unpredictable. Photo: Martin Fønnebø / news – Last year the government cut 31 already planned LIS1 positions. Hospitals had to call doctors they had already hired and say they no longer had a job. Not to mention that hospitals had to reschedule the rotations. Strictly speaking, this is a strengthening of 35 positions, not 66 as the government portrays it, says Trøen. – Why did you cut positions first and choose to increase them now, Kjerkol? – A year ago, the situation in Norway and Europe was different with the outbreak of war and the need for austerity measures as a result of price increases and inflation. That is why we then prioritized measures that had an immediate effect on recruitment to the GP scheme, says Kjerkol. Over 216,000 Norwegians are without a GP, according to figures from the Directorate of Health. Such a LIS1 position is necessary to become a GP. MANY WITHOUT: Over 216,000 people are without a GP today. Photo: Colutbox.com In total, the government proposes to spend NOK 53.3 million. Because in addition, the government wants to cut costs for medical students abroad who want to work in Norway. On 1 March, the fee costs for applying for authorization increased. – We have listened to concerns that the fees are high and therefore want to reduce these, says Kjerkol. The government will spend 20 million to cut costs. Sounds like a path towards a solution – It sounds like a path towards a solution to the problem, says Barstad. She says it is questionable where the positions are created and distributed, but it is nevertheless positive that there are greater opportunities with more places to apply. – If they continue to increase study places in the future and do not continue to increase LIS1 places, the problem will continue. But if they continue to increase LIS1 places as is proposed now, then I see it as only positive to increase the number of study places. POSITIVE: Leah Karstad Barstad says there may be a solution to the problem. Photo: Private
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Leah (26) did not get a place – The government provides 66 rotation positions (LIS1) in the state budget – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
