Medical residency programs

Swedish HealthCare in partnership with Swedish university hospital clinics administers postgraduate residency training programs in medicine for foreign doctors. The residency training is carried out under excellent academic and clinical guidance and complies with Swedish standards in terms of content and quality. Learning Swedish is a requirement to undergo residency training in Sweden.

The residency training period is normally five years, but first you complete a Preparatory Program – learning Swedish/Medical Swedish and pass a language test (Level C1) as well as taking part in clinical auscultation. The Preparatory Program takes approximately 15 -18 months.

Detailed information about Medical Residency programs

Application Requirements

To apply for medical residency training, you need to fulfill the following requirements:

a professional degree from a recognized medical school
to be registered as a medical practitioner in your home country
at least 24 months internship/working experience as medical practitioner in hospital in his/her home country
qualification for scholarship to cover cost of residency training and living expenses

Personal interviews for admission will be conducted and are required.

Swedish Language Requirement

Full proficiency in the Swedish language is a requirement (C1-level) to take part in clinical training in Sweden. This is necessary for a number of reasons:

Patient safety requires the ability to communicate effectively with patients in Swedish
Swedish language skills are needed to maximize the learning process in the clinical program

Time Plan

The process of completing the Preparatory Program takes approximately 15 -18 months (depending on the skills and effort of the candidate).
Residency training is approximately 60 months (5 years).

Residency Program Education Plan

The content of the postgraduate medical training is equivalent to the Swedish specialist education authorized by the National Board of Health and Welfare. The training is arranged in the same way as for Swedish specialists, involving five years of clinical work (about four years in the specialty concerned and 6-18 months in adjacent specialties).

A limited number of one-week theoretical courses are included. During the education, the doctor will under supervision assist in medical care within the specialist areas covered by the educational plans, in accordance with applicable Swedish laws and regulations. This means that the doctor gradually and in accordance with his/her actual competence will be assigned special tasks. A special supervisor will be appointed. The training program will be designed with regard to the individual needs of the doctor, which may vary according to specialty and the requirements of his home country.

Medical Residency Programs