Finland

PART ONE Professional recognition in your country

1.1. Which organisation recognises doctors eligible to practice in your country?
In case your country has more then one organisation which can provide professional recognition, please attach to this survey a simple list of names and websites where we can acquire more information.

Name:

VALVIRA, National supervisory authority for welfare and health

Type of organisation (professional, government, etc.):

Trade union and professional organisation
Govermental organisation

Address:

Postal address:
P.O. Box 210, FI-00281 Helsinki

Street address:
Mannerheimintie 103b, 00280 Helsinki

Phone number:

+358 295 209 111

Fax:

+358 295 209 700

Contact person:

-

E-mail:

-

Website(s):

http://www.valvira.fi/web/en/valvira/contact_information

 

All the information for foreign doctors wishing to work in finland:

http://www.valvira.fi/web/en/healthcare/professional_practice_rights/...

https://www.laakariliitto.fi/en/health-care-in-finland

1.2. What requirements/documents are necessary for a foreign doctor to practice medicine?
i.e. language skills, medical degree, insurance, immigration status.

Licensing when you have completed a qualification in a country that is not an EU/EEA Member State and an EU/EEA Member State other than Finland has recognised your qualification and licensed you to practice your profession
Licensing is subject to the condition that you have practiced as a medical doctor or specialist for at least three years in the EU/EEA Member State in which you were licenced to practice as a medical doctor or specialist. If you have less than three years’ experience, please see above under ‘Conditions for legalisation’ for additional information.

Doctors who have qualified outside the EU/EEA
In order to work as a medical doctor in Finland, you must have an authorisation (licence to practice a profession) from Valvira. You may be granted a licence to practice your profession as a medical doctor upon application and will also be entered in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals (known as Terhikki) upon application.
In order to be eligible for licensing, you must complete an internship and sit a three-part licensure examination as mandated by Valvira to ensure that your qualification is equivalent to medical training in Finland.
The applicant shall not complete the employment, the supplementary studies, the internship or three-part examination required by Valvira, before Valvira has inspected and approved applicant’s degree and education.
Practicing as a medical doctor without a licence in Finland is a criminal offence punishable by a fine or imprisonment.

1.3. Are there any application deadlines (if so, when)?
Furthermore, how long does the professional recognition procedure usually take?

No

1.4. Are there any sort of examinations/interviews to apply for Medical Professional Recognition?

For outside EU/EEA there is a written and clinical examination. From EU-EEA just language test with accreditation protocol similar to Finnish doctors.

1.5.1. What kind of professional medical degrees are there in your country?

There are 55 medical specialties.

1.5.2. How do you access each degree?

MD studies lasts 6 years in university. Specialty training takes 5-6 years.

PART TWO Training in your country

2.1. Which organisation is responsible for medical training in your country?
In case your country has more than one organisation with this function, please attach to this survey a simple list of names and websites where we can acquire more information.

NAME:   MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH  

ADDRESS POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 33, FI-00023 Government, Finland
Visiting address: Meritullinkatu 8, 00170 Helsinki

TYPE OF ORGANISATION (PROFESSIONAL, GOVERNMENT, ETC.): GOVERMENTAL
PHONE NUMBER:  +358 295 16001
       
 
FAX:  +358 9 698 0709        

CONTACT PERSON:        

E-MAIL:         

WEBSITE:    WWW.STM.FI

 

In addition to the ministry the universities are responsible for PGT, and thus

 

University of Eastern Finland

https://www.uef.fi/en/web/laake/postspec

University of Helsinki

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/faculty-of-medicine/postgraduate-professional...

University of Oulu

https://www.oulu.fi/medicine/

University of Tampere

http://www2.uta.fi/opiskelunopas/opintojen-aikana/ammatillinen-jatkokoul...

University of Turku

https://www.utu.fi/fi/yliopisto/laaketieteellinen-tiedekunta/ammatilline...

 

2.2. Besides professional recognition, is there any other requirement for a doctor to start his training/begin to work (i.e. examination, clerkship, internship)? Namely, which documents/examinations are necessary when applying for training/job?

Graduation certificate and accreditation by VALVIRA.

“Specialising in medicine in Finland
Specialist training in Finland is in the form of postgraduate professional education at a university. Specialist training is provided by the faculties of medicine at the universities of Helsinki, Eastern Finland, Oulu, Tampere and Turku. Training is subject to the strict requirement that the medical doctor is licensed by Valvira to practice the profession of medical doctor in Finland.
Each Faculty of Medicine decides on admissions of foreign medical doctors as post-graduate students and on how your training completed abroad will be recognised in specialist medical training in Finland. The medical specialist degree programme lasts 5–6 years and principally involves practical work in the specialist field in question.
A foreign medical doctor can also complete a post-graduate Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree at the universities listed above. If you only intend to engage in scientific research, it is not necessary for you to be licenced to practice medicine.“

2.2.1. Where are training positions advertised?

No standard procedure.

2.3. Are there any application deadlines (if so, which)?

Since the beginning of 2019 there is a new admission protocol to PGT in Finland. There a two admission deadlines a year (spring and autumn) and applicants are chosen for interview based on their prior working experience and academic achievements. One can apply to five different training programs at a time.

More information can be found in university webpages and in "Opintopolku"-webpage, which is where one fills the application form:

https://studyinfo.fi/app/#!/haku/erikoislääkäri?page=1&facetFilters=teachingLangCode_ffm:FI&tab=los

2.4. How do applicants choose what and where they would like to train?

There is an ongoing reform in PGT in Finland. For now it is unclear how the application to training positions after acquiring the right to train will be dealt in the future. For now one can approach the hospitals directly to ask for free positions.

2.5. Is there a fee/tuition for attending a training programme?

No

2.6. Do trainees receive a salary during training?

Yes

2.6.1. Moreover, what is the current salary and is overtime paid?

For fully qualified trainees around 3200 € , those not yet qualified around 2000€. Overtime is paid, but usually other arrangements are preferred: to take leave etc.

2.6.2. What type of contracts are there? How long are the working and on-calls times?

Contract types vary greatly depending on specialty. Usually doctors work in 8 hours shifts day time and on-call from 8 to 24 hours.

2.6.3. Are sick leave, vacation days, maternity leave, voluntary work allowed and do they entail a reduction of salary?

Yes they are allowed. In the beginning of maternity of sick leave full pay is granted. With longer periods of illness (over two months a year) and on parental leave there will eventually be reductions. Further information can be found in www.kela.fi

2.7. In general terms, how is the training assessment done?
i.e. exams, evaluations, interviews, appraisal

Written exam in the end of training.

PART THREE Other details about training/working in your country

3.1. Is mobility possible inside and outside the country during your training?

Yes

3.2. How many trainees are there in your country?
Divided, if possible, by in each speciality.

There is no clear figure available, between 6000 – 8000 I believe.
                        
Where else can we find more information? Finnish Medical Association and Universities have some information and there is an intension to keep better record on the number in the near future.

3.3. What are the success, training drop-out and post-training employment rates?

Where else can we find more information? No definitive figures available. Employment is an issue only in specific , popular specialties. Over all unemployment isn’t an issue in Finalnd.

3.4. Is there an accreditation procedure for training centres (and do they include visitations)?

No accreditation yet, though universities are responsible to overview the training.

3.5. Is there any national recertification/revalidation scheme to practice?

No

3.6. Are there any differences in the application procedure according to the country of origin of a trainee?

No, after accreditation to practice has been managed.

3.7.1. Are there any restrictions for a foreign doctor who is undergoing training in your country to work there afterwards?

No, the same accreditation has to be done for residency as practicing after.

3.7.2. Moreover, is it possible for a trainee undergoing training in another EU/EEA country to do part of his training in your country? If so, what are the necessary requirements/documents?

Yes, it is possible, but same procedure to practice (accreditation) has to be managed.

3.8. Please summarise the general timeline between the time where a doctor has just graduated until he has attained a final senior post as an independent medical doctor.
In other words, please describe, in general terms, the training of a junior doctor in your country.

5-6 years. 9 months in general practice for each specialty, 2 years 3months in community hospital and 3 years in a university hospital. Training includes clinical work, weekly seminars at the workplace and uo to 10 training days a year outside the working place. There is also a written exam at the end.

3.9. Is it compulsory to have malpractice (or any other) insurance?

Yes, it is compulsory to have insurance. For most insurance is provided by Finnish Medical Association.

3.10. What is the general perspective/position on immigration of medical trainees to your country?

Generally welcoming, there is still lack of workforce in the rural areas of Finland.

3.11. What is the general perspective/position on emigration of medical trainees to foreign countries?

No restrictions.

3.13. Which organisation(s) specialise in assisting doctors in legal and work matters?
i.e. trade unions, medical chambers, other organizations.

Finnish Medical Association