Sunday, May 20, 2012

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Turnus


If you are Norwegian, I refer you to my “Norske sider“.

For my turnus click the menu above (under Life as a Doc)

After earning the medical degree from Hungary (after 6 years) anyone that wants to practice medicine in Norway has to complete 18 months of Turnus.
This is an internship, but with a turnus doctor license and decent financial compensation.

The turnus itself is divided into two parts:

  • 12 months at a turnus approved hospital. Always the first 12 months.
  • 6 months as a family doctor working outside a hospital at a smaller medical station or doctor’s office (this can be within a city or even in really rural areas or on an island; amazing chance to see the beautiful Norwegian nature!)

The hospital part (the first 12 months)

The classical model is 6 months in Internal Medicine and 6 months in General Surgery (you will spend half the time in Orthopedics/trauma and half the time in General surgery).
There is also a second model called “3-delt” (3 parts). This is 4 months of Internal Medicine, 4 months of General Surgery and 4 months in a different speciality (Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Anesthesiology or Obstetrics/Gynecology).

This is a map that my friend Martin made. It shows all the hospitals in Norway that have turnus. As you can see they are spread out all over the country:

The last 6 months

Norway is divided into 19 “fylker” (counties)

The 6 months of “municipal health service” is based on these 19 counties.
Each spot/hospital has a county attached to it.
Example:

National Hospital in Oslo + Municipal county Nordland (see the map its number 19)
This means you will spend 12 months at the National Hospital in Oslo and then 6 months somewhere in Nordland county (decided after you start the 12 month practice)!

Here is a map of the different counties:

How to apply for turnus

This is simple.
There are two start dates for the turnus: February 15th and August 15th yearly.

Who gets to do turnus where is decided by a lottery.
Read more about it in the article I wrote just before my own turnus drawing:

You apply to the lottery by sending your papers to the Turnus team at the University of Oslo: Turnusvalg (only in Norwegian)

You need to pass the Bergentest, which is a proof of sufficient Norwegian language skills to practice medicine in Norway.
Link to the tests: http://www.fu.no/default.asp?avd=231&nyh=5697

Other helpful sites

SAFH pages in English: http://www.safh.no/english/index.html

Information from SAFH: http://www.safh.no/english/legislation/regulations/pract_train_mp.rtf

Any questions? Use my contact form