I arrived a month later than many other exchange students and since there was only one information day, I did not receive any extra information. I had some troubles finding my way to my accomodation and I wished I had known about the sl.se website before I arrived in Sweden so I could have looked up directions ahead of time as well as options on which travel card to buy.
The contact with the student health centre was good and I received an appointment to go in for my MRSA testing very quickly.

I was under the impression that it was difficult to get a spot in the university accomodation as we were warned to apply early. I applied to the UAC months in advance and had not heard anything back from them for many many months. Nearer to my departure date, I was still on a waitlist and very worried about what my other options would be as I did not know anyone in Sweden or how to find private housing. Eventually I got a spot.
The cost of the student housing was very reasonable in furnished single room with a shared kitchen and bathroom and it suited me well for one month. It was very close to my hospital placement so that was convenient.

I did not hear about any social programs or activites.I did not make any Swedish friends as all the students in my accomodation were exchange students. I would have really liked to have participated in a social program or gotten to know some Swedish medical students. I think I would have liked to be paired with Swedish medical students or invited to their lectures as an opportunity to get to know them.

Most students at my medical school chose to spend their 8 week elective period overseas. I chose KI as the destination for my elective as I wanted to be a part of an internationally renowned university (that selects the Nobel Prize in Medicine and physiology!) where I knew I could be privy to excellent teaching and use my time well to deepen my clinical knowledge and prepare for my final year of medical school in Sydney and my future career as a doctor. I also wanted to learn more about the Swedish healthcare system, that's hailed as one of the best in the world (where healthcare is univerally accessible to everyone in the population and MRSA rates are low) and also to experience a new culture and climate.
My university, Sydney Medical School in Sydney, Australia, fortunately, offers a yearly scholarship to 2 students to come to KI and I was fortunate enough to land a spot.
KI provided good information about the program before I arrived.
Coming from Australia, where there are stringent vaccination requirements, I did not need to have any new vaccinations or bring certificates. I only had to have an MRSA test upon my arrival in Sweden.

I had a good experience at KI. Academically, I benefited a lot. The doctors were really accommodating, involved us in their patient contact, gave us opportunities to see patients on our own, answer our questions and even conducted meetings in English so we could be included. I was really impressed by how keen they were for medical students to learn. Our supervisor even went through our exam paper with us so we could learn from our mistakes, something that is not done for us in Sydney and that i find extremely useful.
I do wish that I had been able to meet some Swedish medical students.

I did not participate in any Swedish language programme.

I spent 4 weeks on a clinical rotation in the Emergency department. The doctors were keen to have me around, and tried to make me feel more involved by having their meetings in English so I could understand. They gave me many opportunities to interact with the patients and see patients on my own. They were also keen for me to present my findings to them and give me some useful feedback.
I found that the doctors at Sodersjukhuset were more interested in teaching and my learning than many doctors at my clinical school in Sydney.
We also were given teaching sessions and the doctors were happy to answer any questions I had and took the time to explain things to me well.