Seventeen medical students from Uppsala are heading to Bodø, Norway, for summer healthcare work. Higher pay and better benefits draw them, according to the students. It has become more common for Swedish students to seek opportunities there.
The students will work for two months. Moa Hane, who is in her third term on the medical programme, says pay is better and benefits are stronger in Norway. She notes that it has become a trend. Older classmates have previously gone there for summer jobs. Clara Spalensky describes the stay as an adventure. In Sweden options are limited for students early in their training. Often at least five terms are required to get jobs at hospitals such as Akademiska in Uppsala. Anna-Karin Wikström, research and development director at Akademiska sjukhuset, states in an email that she has not heard of recruitment difficulties. She mentions fewer open positions and stricter rules on who may perform care tasks.