[Paths to Swedish medical license for international medical graduates].

Abstract

There are four paths to a Swedish medical license. A shared agreement exists for those converting from a European license to recognize qualifications granted in the respective countries mutually. Swedish medical graduates and International Medical Graduates (IMGs) trained outside the EU/EES/Schweiz are assessed against the professional qualifications specified in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). This paper discusses the different pathways to a Swedish Medical License, how they are interrelated and changing, and the number of licenses granted via the specific pathways in 2023 and the previous 7 years. In 2023, 2,318 Swedish medical licenses were awarded. The largest group (1,407/2,318) were graduates from a Swedish medical school (with a minimum of 18 months of internship (AT)). The second largest group (704/2,318) were licensed physicians from a country within the EU/EEA. The smallest group (207/2,318) were international medical graduates (IMGs) who had passed the proficiency test (with a 6-month internship) or a complementary medical education (KUL) at one of the Swedish universities (with a minimum of 18 months of internship (AT)). During 2016-2023, 826 IMGs passed the proficiency test, and 533 IMGs completed KUL. During the same period, 10,958 students graduated from Swedish medical programmes, and 6,844 medical licenses were approved based on education in the EU/EEC. The pathway for IMGs starts with applying to the National Board of Health and Welfare to be approved for the tests. The theoretical test is a 180-item exam with single-best answers covering the medical field with basic and clinical sciences. After passing the theoretical test, the practical skills are tested with an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) with fourteen 6-minute and four 14-minute stations. After passing the practical test, the IMG is assessed during a 6-month internship and must take an online Swedish law course. When successfully passing these steps, the IMG applies for a Swedish medical license with a certificate of passing a language test in Swedish at the C1 level. The educational pathway consists of a 1- to 2-year-long complementary programme for international medical graduates (KUL) offered at five Swedish universities. The regular Swedish medical programmes are in transition from preparing for an internship to preparing to qualify directly for a medical license without an intermediate internship. Consequently, KUL also needs to develop new curricula, preparing for direct qualification for a medical license, from which the first students will most likely graduate in spring 2027.