Finland

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Finland

FiMSIC

Location

Participating cities (LC's)

Helsinki, Kuopio, Oulu, Tampere, Turku

Languages

Finnish, Swedish and English is the official language of the exchanges

Currency (how much is a Bigmac?)

Euros

Time zone

+2 GMT

Number of Doctors and beds per 1000 people

3.3

Member of IFMSA since...

1951

Number of incoming students per year

approx. 100

Who are our NEO's

Elina Kerkelä and Kaisa Kyllönen

Our official website / Forum / Facebook group

http://www.fimsic.org/en/

*Come for exchange!*

Welcome Note

Overview

Finland is situated in Northern Europe and shares borders with Sweden, Russia, Norway and the Baltic Sea. Although its surface area is the 8th largest in Europe, there are only around 5.3 million inhabitants. Finland is well known from its pure nature and tranquility combined with modern technology. Large proportion of the area of Finland is covered with forests and over 188 000 inland lakes. Majority of Finns (93 %) speak Finnish as their mother tongue and there are smaller minorities of Swedish speaking population (6 %) and Sami people. Culture

Culture

Finnish culture is a combination of traditions, such as sauna and winter sports, and the mainstream modern Nordic and European influence. Due to its history, and geography between Sweden and Russia, Finland has been seen as an area mixing Eastern and Western European traditions.

Finns have typically attributed themselves as straightforward and stubborn. The idea of achieving by being persistent and not giving up is still commonly expressed with the concept of sisu (”Finnish guts”). In Finland it is polite to be on time and being late is considered as rude, please take this into account during your exchange. You can discover your own definition for a “Finnish mentality” during your exchange!

Climate

Finland is geographically situated in the North; the Arctic Circle actually passes through Lapland. Nevertheless, the climate is rather mild and the temperature rarely reaches extremes. The weather varies a lot depending on the time of year and it also changes somewhat on the basis of the location within Finland. The four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter) each have their own typical weather.

In the Southern Finland the climate is an average of 22 °C in the summertime (may rise up to 30 °C or sink as low as 10 °C) and -7 °C in the wintertime (ranging between -25 °C and +10 °C). In Northern parts of the country the average temperature during the summer months is around 19 °C (ranging between -3 °C and +30 °C) and the winter temperature average is -15 °C (ranging between -40 °C and +6 °C). As the weather can be somewhat unpredictable, please be prepared for all kinds of temperatures, rain and sunshine, while packing for your exchange. Living expenses

Compared to other European countries, Finland is in the mid-range when it comes to living expenses. Here are some examples of price level: Train ticket (depending on journey) 25-50 € Local bus ticket 2-3 € Beer (in a bar) 3-6 € Pizza 4-7 € Dinner in a restaurant 10-25 € Night in a hostel 20-30 €

Getting here

There are frequent flight connections from all over the world. Most flights arrive to the main airport in Helsinki, but there are also airports in Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Vaasa and Rovaniemi. If your flight terminates at Helsinki but you are due in some other city you have two options: train or bus. The prices are very similar so you can pick the one you prefer. Generally train connections are faster than buses. In addition, you can catch a ferry from Sweden, Estonia and Germany.

More information on getting around in Finland can be found on the pages of each local committee. Finland is one of the Schengen countries, and the policy on entry to Finland follows those rules. You can find information on visa requirements on the web pages of our Foreign Ministry. If you need assistance and documents in order to get the visa for you exchange, please contact your local/national officers.

Our health care system

The Finnish health care system is mainly public, with a historic aim and ideal of providing everybody good health care regardless of how wealthy they are and where they live. However, the role of the private sector is growing stronger all the time. The costs of using the public health care in Finland are higher than in most other European countries. Yet, health care is one of the biggest expenditures in the budjets of the government and of the municipalities.

The basis of the healt care system is healt care centres where primary care is offered. In addition to this, primary care organized by employers is a significant part of the health care services available to the population of working age.

The Finnish healt care system has its several faults, but in comparison to many other countries our system has at least been deemed efficient in many surveys.

The hospitals

General things about working at the hospital/ research project

In Finland it is always very important to be everywhere in time. Finnish doctors speak good English, and most of the patients speak English at least sufficiently. You do not have to speak any Finnish in order to come here as an IFMSA exchange student but you need to be extremely fluent in English as the clerkship and the social program will be organized in English. Make sure that you are familiar with basic medical terms in English.

Good hand hygiene is extremely important in Finnish hospitals. Rasta hair or heavy piercings are generally frowned upon if not downright prohibited. The longer your hair, the more recommendable it is to tie it down. Miniskirts and shorts are not acceptable hospital wear.

At the end of your exchange, you will get a certificate of your exchange, if you have been present at the clinic at least 80% of time and filled in your logbook. At your home country you may need the certificate eg. in order to get credits from your exchange.

It is possible to borrow a white coat from the hospital and in some places even trousers and t-shirts, but it is important to bring indoor shoes. Finnish doctors typically prefear health sandals.

Clinical clerkship

On your first day at the clinic, your personal contact person will bring you to the hospital and you will meet your tutor. Depending on your clinical experience and the clinic, you will be able to follow the rounds, examine patients, perform small procedures (iv lines, arterial blood samples etc.) or at the surgical clinic follow and perhaps assist in the surgeries. Please always strictly follow the instruction given by your supervising doctor.

Research exchange

Before your exchange, the professor usually sends you some preliminary reading information about your research topic. On your first day, your personal contact person will bring you to the project. You will meet your tutor, who will give you instructions about your research work. Please always follow the instructions given. Depending on the project, your tasks will vary from performing laboratory analysis to examining patients.

What to bring with you?

You should bring a stethoscope and hospital shoes. White coats and scrubs are provided by the hospital. Don’t forget the insurance certificate and the MRSA (Methisillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) negativity certificate. See also http://www.ifmsa.net/public/ecscope.php?id=27

Our medical education

There are five universities in Finland with a medical faculty: Helsinki, Kuopio, Oulu, Tampere and Turku. The medical curriculum is 5,5 or six years, depending on the faculty. In Helsinki it is possible to study in Swedish or in Finnish, but all the other faculties only have a Finnish programme.

There are some slight differences in how the curriculum is built in different faculties and what kind of methods are emphasized. In all of the towns, however, the studies begin with two years of preclinical studies, after which the students get to start working their way through all the clinical fields.

After six years a student graduates and is academically a doctor, but to be fully leagalized they still have to work for some time under supervision. Specializing in one of the fields takes five to six years.

Compared to some other countries there is a lot of practical training in the Finnish medical curriculum. All the students have to examine a certain amount of patiens during the courses. The students also have to do four months of clerkships in different clinics before they graduate.

There's also a compulsory thesis to write, so all the students have to do a bit of research.

Cultural differences

Finland has a history of its own, but its culture shares some common features with other Nordic countries and countries such as Germany and the Netherlands. Our mentality and way of being is something closer to theirs than to that of Southern Europeans.

Working very hard, being really honest and modest and not complaining are some traditional Finnish virtues, that still show in our culture, even though we now are creating more and more place for softer and more easy going values.

Finns may seem somewhat shy or reserved especially with people they don't know, but this is of course a stereotype and not the case with each and every one. Underneath their shy surface most of them are really curious about foreigners, eager to get to know them and happy to help.

In Finland punctuality is valued and expected and following the rules is important. At least from a Finnish perspective, though, this is not the worst country with too many rules that are there rather for the rules themselves than making things work better. In Finland rules generally aim at making things go smoother rather than making them more difficult.

Even though it is important to respect people and their personal space, in Finland teachers, professors or heads of departments are not adressed formally with titels like mr, doctor or professor. It is customary to hold a certain polite distance to everybody one doesn't know well yet, which is concidered respectful, but respect is not implied by ranks or hierarchy.

Accommodation & Boarding

FiMSIC arranges the accommodation. Usually the lodging is in apartments rented from Finnish students. Probably you will be sharing the apartment with other exchange students of the same gender. Board is provided at least once a day, usually in the hospital canteen.

Social program

During summer months (June-August) social program will be arranged by the local officers and contact persons. It includes various parties, e.g. welcome party, national food party, hanging out at the parks or on the beach, bar nights etc.

In addition, exchange students’ weekend are arranged in July and August in one city at the time. Every FiMSIC exchange student is invited to the weekend. The program is from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon and it includes for example a sauna night and local sightseeing. You should pay small participation fee and the travelling costs by train.

Local & National transportation

In Finland public transport is good and reliable, but somewhat expencive compared to many countries with a lower cost of living.

In Helsinki you are sure to become well acquainted with the public transport system, but in many other towns getting around on foot is the best and a sufficient option for most of the distances.

Trains and busses are a good way of transport between towns. For more details, see the home page of VR for trains and the home page of Matkahuolto for busses.

Exchange conditions

Our exchange conditions can be viewed in the IFMSA database.

We appreciate it if the applicants have read them well.

Please note that we cannot place everybody in Helsinki, even though that is where most of the applicants would prefear to be placed. The other towns are quite recommendable, too.

When coming outside the summer months (June-August) there are not so many other exchange students and we only arrange official social programme in July and August, so it's good to be prepared to be rather indipendent or to come with a friend.