– The Norwegian state would like us young people to study abroad, and then it is difficult for us to come back to Norway. I think that the Danish education is as good as the Norwegian one, so why shouldn’t we be treated equally with the Norwegian students, says Helene Gyland, medical student in Odense in Denmark. Gyland has one year left of his studies, and will go through a year’s practice at a Danish hospital. But like all Norwegian medical students who study abroad, the practice abroad is not approved by Norwegian authorities. When she is fully approved as a doctor in Denmark, she must apply to take the medical examination in Norway. This means that many months are spent queuing for a rotation place before she can complete over a year’s rotation test at a Norwegian hospital. Only then will she and other foreign students receive authorization as a doctor in Norway. SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS: There is a major shortage of doctors both in hospitals and in the municipalities. At the same time, several hundred fully qualified doctors are queuing to get Norwegian authorization Photo: Fredrik Hagen / NTB This is how the rules have been since 2019, when the introduction of a new specialist education meant that students had to do practical training in the country of education to get authorization and then take the LIS1 rotation test in Norway . – There is a doctor crisis in Norway, and there is a need for us who have been educated abroad, and for us to quickly use our expertise in Norway, says Gyland. There are not enough GPs or doctors at hospitals in the country. There are not enough study places in Norway to cover the need for doctors. Around 40 per cent of newly graduated doctors receive their education abroad. Hundreds of doctors who have finished their education must spend over a year on a new training course in Norway. This applies to students from Denmark, Great Britain, Sweden, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Malta, among others. Must change the rules Both AUF and ANSA react to the discrimination. They believe that there must be an end to Norwegian health authorities not approving the last part of medical training, i.e. the practical year, from our neighboring countries and other EEA countries. They are asking the government to change the rules for authorisation. – The government must find a solution that quickly ensures that these are approved in Norway. The graduates must of course be qualified for authorisation, even if this means that they have to go through some extra courses. This way we can get even more hands into Health-Norway, says leader of AUF Astrid Hoem. WASTE: Double practice is a waste of both the state’s resources and the students’ time, says AUF head Astrid Hoem. Photo: Une Solheim / news Waste This is a waste of the state’s resources and of the students’ time, according to AUF and ANSA. – We think it’s a shame. We know there is a large and ongoing shortage of doctors. And here we have good qualified candidates who are ready to work as doctors in Norway, but due to the bureaucratic system, it takes a long time before they can contribute as medical personnel. With this shortage, we as a society do not have time to wait and let the bureaucracy stick sticks in the wheels for the students, says ANSA president Anna Handal Hellesnes. BUREAUCRACY: ANSA president Anna Handal Hellesnes believes that students are hindered by unnecessary bureaucracy Photo: ANSA In the Ministry of Health and Care, State Secretary Ole Henrik Krat Bjørkholt answers this in an e-mail: – The different EEA countries have different systems and requirements for how the education course is laid out for the individual health personnel groups. It varies whether the individual countries have a practice period after the theoretical education before authorization and the right to work independently is granted. Norway is bound by the EEA regulations, and it is not in accordance with the EEA regulations to treat countries differently, he says. The State Secretary nevertheless emphasizes that the government will assess the arrangement with the medical students from Denmark during the year. The medical students hope that there will be a change for students from several countries. – It is incredibly frustrating that we are stuck and are not allowed to continue our education. The governing authorities must approve the foreign practices that are as good as the Norwegian one, so that we can continue to work on our specialisation, says medical student Gyland. Also read: The Minister of Health receives criticism for many selections
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– Put sticks in the wheel for the students – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
