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Postgraduate Medical Education (PME) Project

Finland

The information listed for Finland was provided by individuals knowledgeable about PME in Finland. If you note errors or omissions or would like to provide additional information, please click here.

Duration of studies

General Training – “Lääketieteen tohtori” (doctor’s degree): 3-4 years
Specialist Training – “Erikoislääkäri” (specialist’s degree): 6-8 years

Trainee selection process

General Training: There is open access, but this is dependent on the trainee finding a professor to supervise the studies.
Specialist Training: The candidate must be able to practice as a doctor in Finland. The program includes practical training, theoretical education, and a national examination in the chosen field of specialization.

Specialty curriculum authority

General Training: The specialty curriculum authority is the university.
Specialist Training: The specialty curriculum authority is the university. The Ministry of Education, after having consulted the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, decides which degree programs can be offered at each university.

Licensing authority

The right to practice the profession of doctor in Finland is granted by the National Board of Medicolegal Affairs.

Terveydenhollon oikeusturvak
National Board of Medicolegal Affairs
P.O. Box 265
SF - 00531 HELSINKI
tel: +358-9-772.920
fax: +358-9-7729.2138

Areas of specialization

General training – Lääketieteen tohtori (doctor’s degree): 3-4 years
Specialist training – Erikoislääkäri (specialist’s degrees): 6 years:
- Anaesthetics
- Biological Chemistry
- Child Neurology
- Child Psychiatry
- Clinical Neurophysiology
- Clinical Physiology
- Community Medicine
- Dermato-venereology
- Diagnostic Radiology
- Forensic Medicine
- General Internal Medicine
- General Medicine (Practice)
- General Surgery
- Geriatrics
- Maxillo-facial Surgery
- Medical Genetics
- Microbiology
- Neurological Surgery
- Neurology
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Occupational Medicine
- Oncology and Radiotherapy
- Ophthalmology
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Pathological Anatomy
- Pediatrics
- Pharmacology
- Physiotherapy
- Respiratory Medicine
- Sports Medicine
Specialist training – Erikoislääkäri (specialist’s degrees): 8 years:
- Adolescent Psychiatry in Child Psychiatry
- Adolescent Psychiatry in Psychiatry
- Allergology in Dermato-venereology
- Allergology in General (Internal) Medicine
- Allergology in Otorhinolaryngology
- Allergology in Respiratory Medicine
- Audiology in Otorhinolaryngology
- Bacteriology in Microbiology
- Biological Haematology
- Cardiology
- Child Allergology
- Child Cardiology
- Child Physiology
- Communicable Diseases
- Drugs in Biological Chemistry
- Endocrinology
- Endocrinology in Biological Chemistry
- Environmental Health in Community Medicine
- Environmental Health in General Medicine
- Environmental Health in Occupational Medicine
- Forensic Psychiatry
- Gastroenterological Surgery
- Gastroenterology
- General Haematology
- Geriatric Endoscopy (Urology)
- Geriatric Oncology
- Geriatrics in General (Internal) Medicine
- Geriatrics in Neurology
- Geriatrics in Psychiatry
- Gynecologic Endocrinology
- Hand Surgery
- Immunology in Clinical Microbiology
- Neonatology
- Neuro-ophthalmology
- Neuropathology
- Neuro-radiology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Occupational Dermatology
- Occupational Medicine
- Orthopaedics
- Paediatric Gastroenterology
- Paediatric Haematology
- Paediatric Infectious Diseases
- Paediatric Nephrology
- Paediatric Pathology
- Paediatric Radiology
- Paediatric Surgery
- Perinatology in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Plastic Surgery
- Rheumatology
- Thoracic Surgery
- Urology
- Virology

Legal references

Decree Concerning the Specialist’s Degree in Medicine (691/85)
Laki terveydenhuollon ammattihenkilöistä (559/94) 28/6/94
Asetus terveydenhuollon ammattihenkilöistä (564/94) 28/6/94
“Lääketieteen tohtori”: Decree 762/95
“Erikoislääkäri”: Decree 1436/93