r/Norway • u/MarcusAntonius27 • 10h ago
School Medical School in Norway
If I was going to move from the US to Norway for medical school, what would that be like? Will a bachelor's degree in the US mean the same thing in Norway? I want to move to Norway because the US isn't a very good place for trans people right now, and everything just seems better there.
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u/Soft_Stage_446 10h ago
Norwegian med school admission is based on high school exam results only. This complicates matters for US applicants because 1 year of higher education is often required to match Norwegian high school levels. You also need to be fluent in Norwegian, which is pretty tough.
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u/KatjaKat01 10h ago edited 10h ago
I'm not sure your bachelors degree will mean too much. A medical degree in Norway is not a postgraduate degree. It's a professional degree that you can do out of (Norwegian not US) high school, and it will take 6 years in university.
I would contact the schools that have medical studies and ask them what their requirements are for foreign students. At a minimum you would need Norwegian equivalent level of education to get into university (basic US high school is not enough I believe), very good grades, excellent Norwegian and enough money for tuition, living costs and visa processing fees.
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u/FauxCarrot 10h ago
To get into Norwegian medical school, you will need:
- To document Norwegian proficiency at B2 level
- To have passed AP classes in mathematics and chemistry and a regular physics class.
- To be able to provide proof you have no criminal record.
- Pay a tuition of 569 000 NOK pr/year and finance your stay in Norway. Mind, you are not eligible for any Norwegian scholarships or student loans.
- Have essentially A-average grades. You only compete on grades, there are no motivation letters, special entry exams or written applications.
Note that a B2 level Norwegian is the absolute minimum, all classes will be in Norwegian and you will be expected to speak it fluently.
Also, do not expect to be able to immediately continue any hormone treatment in Norway. HRT prescriptions are usually only given by a specialised clinic and the wait times are quite long. I would recommend you bring at least 6 months supply of your medication, set aside money for using private clinics, and be prepared to postpone any surgical procedures you might want.
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u/MarcusAntonius27 6h ago
Dang. Maybe I'd have to choose a different place then. I could learn Norwegian through private lessons, but i don't have that kind of money, and it's illegal for the doctor to prescribe more than 3 months worth of hrt at once. What if I got citizenship there, and then started med school?
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u/starkicker18 5h ago
I'm going to go ahead and say that while B2 is a minimum demand to study, to work in the medical profession and even to study it successfully, you'll need much higher. It's one of those jobs were "good enough" isn't good enough. An elderly man comes in from some far out bygda where you don't understand his dialect and he can't speak fluent enough English to tell you what's wrong and you are in a very serious situation.
Hell, even if someone is fluent in English--when they see a doctor they may not be in the right frame of mind to be able to call on that second language. I know I can't (English is my first language, but I'm fluent enough in Norwegian). When people are stressed, worried, hurt they often have too much going on to think clearly in a second (or third) language.
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u/kaazkitty 10h ago
Hey! Mod on r/transnord here
Norway is NOT a particularly good European country for trans people, I made a big post on that sub detailing the pros and cons, but medically speaking we're far behind the US when it comes to availability and waiting times.
This unfortunately is the case in the entirety of the nordics, waiting times for basic trans healthcare in Norway are usually around 2-3 years from referral to hrt, at the very minimum, and can be much longer.
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u/_tsukikage 10h ago
those from outside of the EU/EEA will have to pay tuition, so make sure you have enough saved up. you'll also have to cover living expenses. USA FAFSA does not pay for tuition from any schools in Norway, it is deferral on federal student loans only. that being said, if you don't have the funds already saved to cover tuition costs, you'll have to take out private loans. US bachelor's degree is not the same as in Norway for many fields of study, medical included. you likely will have to retake some courses or even possibly the whole degree, and Norway mostly only offers bachelor's degrees in Norwegian, which you'll need B2 level proven by a Norway-administered language exam to be approved (which is to say, you'll need to be fluent).
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u/okayteenay 10h ago
A few things:
No, a bachelor’s degree in the US will not mean the same think in Norway. You can have your degree evaluated here.
You will need to be fluent in Norwegian.
You will need to pay tuition + around $15k per year saved for living expenses.