My elective abroad was a clinical rotation in urology that took place in Stockholm, Sweden at the Karolinska Institutet during April 2012. I was a graduating 4th year student and had already been through the Match, and I wanted to finish medical school with an exciting educational experience. I had traveled internationally once as a young child, but this was my first opportunity to go abroad during my adult life, so I did not know quite what to expect! I chose to go to Sweden because as many Minnesotans, I have a heavy Swedish ancestry and I realized that sadly, most of my knowledge of the Swedish people and their culture had been obtained during affordable furniture acquisitions at IKEA during college and medical school. Also, I had become friends with two Swedish medical students from the KI who had been on rotations with me during their exchange studies at the U of M, so I thought it would be a wonderful experience to reconnect with them on their home turf. Additionally, I wanted to get more of a sense of how Sweden’s “socialized” medical system compares to the system in the U.S. and what lessons I could learn from it as a soon-to-be American health care provider who may very well be playing a role in helping to shape our country’s future health care policies.
I had begun planning for this trip about one year ahead of time. As soon as I learned about the opportunity for U of M medical students to rotate in Stockholm, I got in contact with Shannon Benson in the IMER office. She is a superb resource and helped keep me on track for successfully applying to study abroad. The KI has an online application for exchange studies on which the applicant ranks in order of preference the clinical rotations available during the planned time period in Sweden. I learned a few months after applying that I had been accepted at the KI for a clinical rotation in the Department of Urology. Once accepted, it is important to stay in contact with Magdalena Palmqvist, the student coordinator at the KI, and to fill out and return any forms in a timely manner.
On a separate note, as with any journey to a foreign country, I would recommend buying a Stockholm travel guide and skimming through it to map out your list of must-see attractions in the city before arriving. Stockholm is loaded with rich history, which is reflected by its copious museum population. As far as packing goes, you should leave at home your white coat, scrubs, and normal work dress attire. Swedish doctors never come to work in dress pants and button-up shirts! The Swedish hospitals are very concerned about keeping infection from outside sources at bay, so all hospital staff is required to wear hospital-issued scrubs at all times. This rule applies whether working in clinic or in the O.R. They are very strict about their protocol with the scrubs, especially in the way that it is forbidden to take the scrubs outside of the hospital. I did not need to bring any books or medical equipment for my urology rotation, but this may be different from rotations in the other specialties. Do remember to pack your laptop and an electrical outlet adapter, and waterproof shoes and a coat if in Sweden during the sometimes slushy spring. Lastly, I have a few thoughts on the Swedish language. It is a beautiful and unique language, with a paucity of English cognates, so it is a bit difficult to learn. Upon arrival, it very much became apparent to me that although a majority of Swedes can speak perfect English when necessary, all of the conversations (including during patient encounters), signs, menus, and recorded messages on public transportation are in Swedish which can make getting around a bit daunting. Therefore, I would recommend studying a little of the language prior to arriving. Of course, it is helpful to know or at least be able to visually recognize a few basic words and phrases. However, most Swedes are quite approachable and willing to translate if asked.