Profile of recruitment in Sweden

Sweden enjoys a good doctor and specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist to population ratio. The medical education for 5•5 years is state funded. The specialist training period is flexible but 5 years is a minimum. The head of department takes the responsibility of assessing and certifying the physician based on completion of the training objectives. There is a voluntary examination by Swedish Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The university hospitals accept those who combine specialist training with research. The research programme has to be approved by the faculty and should lead to a doctoral degree by a thesis. Those who are trained in a non-university hospital are virtually guaranteed continued employment while those from the university hospitals have to apply for a position. There are many applicants to each post and they are judged by an internal and external panel based on the attributes of research, teaching and administrative skills.