According to the Finnish Medical Association, an increasing number of young Finns are opting to study medicine abroad. The number of Finns studying medicine in other countries has increased substantially in the past few years and continues to grow every year.
"The situation has actually exploded in recent years," Hannu Halila, Deputy CEO of the Finnish Medical Association (FMA) said. According to the association, 1,120 medical students completed their degrees abroad in the 2018-19 academic year.
In comparison, this number was around 350 in 2012-13. The FMA's data is based on information about student grants from the Social Insurance Institution (Kela).
According to Halila, there are several reasons to study abroad. The field of medicine is very similar everywhere, making it fairly easy to study in another country. Additionally, globalisation and interest in foreign countries is increasing. Students also resort to studying abroad as a backup plan when they don't get into Finnish schools.
Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Romania popular destinations for students
Nearly a third of Finnish medical students who studied abroad did so in neighbouring Sweden, while every fifth student studied in Latvia and every tenth student in Estonia.
Romania has become an increasingly popular destination for Finnish medical students in the past few years, with over 10 percent of students that studied abroad completing their degree there.
"I've realised that Romania would be cheaper than many other countries. It might also be easier to get in there," Halila said.
According to the figures, Ukraine has also become a more attractive destination for students. Around 50 Finnish students studied to become doctors in Ukraine in the last academic year. In contrast, the number of students studying in Russia and Hungary dropped in the last couple of years.
The popularity of Sweden as an academic destination remains constant; the country has been the most favoured location for Finnish medical students since the 2014-15 academic year.
Latvia's popularity has grown over the last few years, while that of Estonia has remained stable. About 100 Finns are currently studying medicine in Estonia.
Quality of education basically the same across the EU
Halila stated that education across the EU meets the union’s minimum quality requirements.
"For example, there are quite a few inquiries about Romania. It's a fairly new phenomenon, and since no Finnish students have graduated there yet, we do not have information about the standard of education. In Sweden, on the other hand, the education is very similar to here," he said.
At the end of August, there were a total of 30,900 people registered as doctors with the right to practice at the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira).
Of these, 5,200 received their degrees abroad. However, it is unclear how many of these are Finns who studied abroad and how many are immigrants who came to Finland after graduating elsewhere.
Doctors who studied abroad more likely to lack credentials
Kirsi Liukkonen, head of the unit for healthcare supervision at Valvira, said that the organisation has only had to intervene in the practice of foreign-trained doctors in a few isolated incidents.
"There are a few instances, not even 10 a year. For example, this year so far, there have been two doctors who lacked the necessary medical credentials. Last year there were three and the year before last, five," she said.
Every year, Valvira intervenes in the medical practice of around 30 doctors. Statistically, doctors who have studied abroad are slightly more likely to fall in this category.
"The number is small, but in cases where the person's lack of medical knowledge is called into question, foreign degrees turn up a little more often," Liukkonen said. Valvira is usually notified about professional inadequacy by employers with concerns about staff members' professional abilities.