Sweden is a county located in the Scandinavian sub-region of Northern Europe. It borders its fellow Nordic nations of Norway, Denmark, and Finland. It is the fifth-largest country in Europe, and the population is heavily urbanized, with the majority living in the central and southern parts of the country.
Sweden is one of the most developed countries in the world and ranks highly in terms of income per capita, social liberties, equality, education, and other metrics. It also attracts a large number of immigrants, skilled workers, and students, who want to either improve their life situation by moving there or explore the amazing career and education opportunities that Sweden offers. In this article, we will talk about the best medical schools in Sweden that international medical students can apply to.
Can Foreigners Study in Medical Schools in Sweden?
Yes. As a member of the EU, Sweden not only accepts but also encourages foreign medical students to come study in the country. However, while Swedish and foreign students from the EU don’t have to pay tuition fees, the fees for other international students can be quite high, especially for medical programs.
Most medical schools also offer quite a few programs in English, which is ideal for international students. However, it is also worth noting that undergraduate studies are strictly carried out in Swedish, while you can choose to study in English at the Master’s and Ph.D. levels. To get a better understanding of how everything might look, here is a link that tells you everything you need to know as an international applicant.
What is the most prestigious medical school in Sweden?
Sweden’s most prestigious medical school is the Karolinska Institute. It was founded in 1810, making it the third-oldest such institute in the country. Since then, it has produced thousands of the best medical care professionals that Sweden has to offer, who have gone to achieve great things both domestically and internationally. Five of the institute’s alumni are Nobel prize winners in Physiology. The institute has the widest range of available study programs out of any other medical school in Sweden.
Best Medical Schools in Sweden
1. Karolinska Institute
As one of the oldest and most prestigious medical schools in Sweden, Karolinska Institute plays a major role in educating the medical professionals of the future. Many international students attend the school, in the hopes of bringing their knowledge and expertise back to their home country or develop a successful career overseas.
As mentioned earlier, all of the undergraduate programs are taught in Swedish, except for the Bachelor of Biomedicine program, which is taught in English, in addition to all of the Master’s and Ph.D. programs. The undergraduate programs last for a period of 5 and a half years, unlike the usual 6 years that are required in most other EU countries.
2. Lund University – Faculty of Medicine
Based in the city of Lund in Southern Sweden, Lund University was established in 1666, which makes its Faculty of Medicine one of the oldest in the continent. This top medical school in Sweden consists of many departments that each play a role in helping the students gain the necessary assistance and knowledge during their studies to enable them to have long and successful careers.
Like all other undergraduate medical schools in Sweden, it lasts for 11 semesters and utilizes various techniques for learning including regular lectures, clinical work, group exercises, case studies, and more. The final semester mainly focuses on clinical placements and practical courses, which are carried out in clinics in Lund, Malmo, and a few other nearby towns.
3. Gothenburg University – Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is one of the largest departments within Gothenburg University, one of the largest universities in Sweden with nearly 40,000 enrolled students. The institute is one of the major contributors when it comes to research in the medical fields in Sweden, and they look to transfer the gained knowledge to their students in the best way possible.
The curriculum at this top medical school in Sweden is split into two phases. The first phase deals with studying the human body, which includes studying anatomy, physiology, and similar subjects. The second phase focuses on studying diseases, their causes, and treatments. Here, students will get more familiar with internal medicine, neurology, surgery, and other subjects.
4. Uppsala University – Faculty of Medicine
Uppsala University, one of the best medical schools in sweden, is the country’s oldest university. It was founded in 1477, and over 5 centuries later, it still ranks as one of the world’s 100 best universities in many fields. Medicine is a particularly important subject for the university, as it has been present ever since the university was founded.
In the first two years of studies, the students get a general introduction to different medical subjects, which will serve as a foundation for what they will be doing in the following two and a half years, which will mainly be focused on gaining practical experience. In the final term, students are deployed in Uppsala Hospital, where they will be dealing with real-life cases.
5. Orebro University – Faculty of Medicine and Health
Orebro University is one of the youngest higher education institutions in Sweden. The Faculty of Medicine and Health was made part of the university in 2011. The faculty is split into two bodies: the School of Medicine and the School of Health Sciences. The first two years of the studies are mainly carried out at Uppsala Biomedical Centre, while the clinical years of the studies take place at the Uppsala Academic Hospital or other nearby hospitals.
There are four phases to the education program at this top medical school in Sweden. The first phase is an introduction to common clinical problems. The second phases mainly focus on diseases and last from semester 3 through 6. The third phase is focused on diagnosis and therapy, while the fourth and final phase includes medical research and clinical work.
I hope that this article on the best medical school in Sweden was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Medical School Category!
