Exchange report - incoming students
Home university: University of Eastern Finland
Study programme: Medicine
Exchange programme: Erasmus
Semester: Autumn semester 2012/2013
Name: Eerika Holma
Email address: oholma@student.uef.fi

Arrival and registration

The arrival arrangements went very well. There was a student meeting me at the railwaystation and he took me to the place where I lived. And he also spoke Finnish which was just a funny coincidence. The introduction days were informative but there were also a little bit too much extra material which I did not find so important. I feel the introduction days could be a little shorter and should include only the necessary information.

The contact with the student health centre worked well altough we needed to queue quite a long time to get the MRSA test.

Acommendation

I applied for housing through UAC and it went very well but you firm the application as soon as possible because it is quite hard to get an apartment. The situation of the apartment where I lived was very good but otherwise I nee to say that it was quite horrible. The room was very small, just a few square meters and we needed to share the toilets, kitchen and showers. It was very dirty there and the building was very old. In the last weeks there was also a renovation in the toilets and showers so there was not really enough toilets and showers for everybody. I feel the rent was also too high for tat kind of accomodation.

Leisure time and social activities

I took part in quite a many social activities and there were very many of them. It was a good way to get to know aother exchange students but it was difficult to get to know Swedish students. I made only on eSwdish friend during my 3 months stay.

Pre-departure

I am doing my last year of studies in medicine. I wanted to get an experience of studying medicine abroad before I graduate because I have been thinking of working abroad some day later in my life. I thought exchange could be an excellent way to get an idea of living abroad for a little longer time. I wanted to get to know new cultures and get contacts abroad as well.

I choose KI because it has a good reputation and it is close to Finland geographically and culturally. I thought it would be useful for my studies and work in Finland to spend my exchange months in Sweden. I also wanted to improve my skills in Swedish.

The information given from KI and my own university was very good. If I even had any questions I got the answers very easily.

I dont think I was required to be vaccinated but all we needed to give MRSA test in Sweden before getting to clinical practice.

Courses during the exchange period

D10X01 : Clinical medicine-emphasis on reproduction and development
Theroetical seminars in smaal groups were very good. There should be more time for the student to examine the patient especially in poluclinical work.

Summary

I am very pleased with my exchange period in KI. The only thing I could complain was the accommodation. I knew it would not be that good but I thought it could a bit better in Stockholm snd for those prices. 

Language and Culture

I participated in a short Swedish language course in the beginning but it was of course too easy for Finnish students beacuse we study Swedish at school in Finland so much. But it was a good way to get to konow the other exchange students. It could be good to have a Swedish course for students who already have studied Swedish before. Especially a course including a lot of medical vocabulary would be excellent because we need Swedish in clinic although the theory woulde be taught in English.

Studies in general

The studying system is very similar in Sweden compared to Finland. The relationship between the student and the teachers was very kind and it was easy to ask questions. I feel the teachers and doctors were very interested in teaching and supervising the students. In Seden you need to be maybe more active by yourself in clinic if you really want to learn to do things there. In Finland the clinical studies are more organized and the teachers make sure you really learn the clinical skills to be needed. For me this was not a problem in KI because I had already those courses in Finland so I could just repeat and deepen what I had learned before. In KI the studying groups in clinical practice were a bit smaller than in my own university which was of course excellent.