As I did not arrive at the beginning of the semester I was not there for the introduction day. So I arranged a meeting with Magdalena Palmqvist, the International Student Coordinator, in which I was given the necessary details for my clinical rotations, as well as a briefing about the public transport, and some other useful facts for my stay – also a complementary KI bag pack.

Although I was not required to get any specific vaccination, on my arrival I had to take an MRSA screening at the KI student healthcare centre. The contact with the student health centre was satisfactory. 

I applied for accommodation at KI housing as soon as I got my letter of acceptance to make sure I got a place to stay. I stayed at Vårbergsvägen 63 in Skärholmen, in southern Stockholm. It is a nice place to live, perhaps a bit far from the city centre, but in a lovely green area.

As I arrived at KI in June there weren’t many activities organized by the students union. But I was able to meet a lot of new people at the accommodation and have several gatherings with them. Furthermore I could participate in many Swedish traditions such as Midsommar and National Flag Day. I was able to make many friends from different countries.

Last year I was given the opportunity to do a clinical rotation at a university hospital abroad. Among the options I had, I chose to apply to the Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset because I was interested in experiencing the day to day life at a Swedish hospital, and I wanted to learn more about the Swedish healthcare system as well as Stockholm life.

When I started doing some research about Karolinska Institutet I found complete and direct information at their webpage about the rotations as well as other useful tips including Swedish lifestyle and accommodation details. I was truly satisfied with the study-abroad-information given by KI, which made it quite simple to make the arrangements necessary to travel to and staying at Stockholm.

Overall, my experience at KI and Stockholm was positive and enriching, acquiring valuable experience not only in the academic point of view but for day to day life.

It was great to meet new people and visiting a lovely city as Stockholm. I highly recommend doing a clinical rotation at KI.

Due to my short stay I wasn’t able to attend any Swedish course, but with more time I would highly recommend it, to get some basic Swedish knowledge.

I got an excellent impression from the Swedish study environment, with the correct proportion between working and leisure time, and a close relationship between student and teacher.

The theory and clinical education during the rotation developed at the same time, and, in my opinion, that facilitated the learning process. 

The rotation system at KI and my home university (Universidad Austral) is quite similar, with the student exercising the medical knowledge learnt in previous years with the close supervision of a doctor.