As a medical exchange student taking part in clinical education in Norway, screening for MRSA – Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus – is mandatory.
Please familiarize yourself with our MRSA requirements and return an email to Anne Westheim as explained.
When you do your screening in Oslo at SiO Health & Counselling located at Blindern campus, UiO, please note that you should test at the latest Wednesday prior to the beginning of classes. Present yourself at the reception, preferably in the afternoon and no later than 2 p.m. Mon-Thurs, or Fridays in the morning before 12. Bring your admission letter. The screening is free of charge as long as you give proof of your exchange. Please do remember to pick up your test results after one week.
A negative test result is required in order to go through with medical exchange studies in Oslo. Please present your test results to Anne Westheim on Wednesday 21 August at MED-studieinfo, Domus Medica: from 9:30 to 11:15 for those starting their teaching at 11:30, and from 12:30 to 15:00 for those finishing their teaching at 12:15. If you still did not manage to collect your Oslo test, I will check your home test and we will agree on when to meet again for the last test result.
You will most likely be obliged to interrupt your medical semester in Oslo, should your SiO-screening come back positive. We might be able to help you find non-medical classes, should this be of interest to you.
You will follow Module 6, MED5600 (a few students may have different arrangements).
Anne Westheim has signed you up for the teaching and the exams. Should you wish to follow a Norwegian class, but are unable to sign up for it yourself, please write to MED-studieinfo. Your personal schedule will be available in Mine Studier / My Studies approximately 7-10 days prior to the start of the module, and your groups will then be visible on StudentWeb clicking MED5600 from My Active Courses. Before then, plenary sessions and group sessions are available from the semester page for autumn 2024. We expect you to stay for the entire duration of the course and sit your exams here in December 2024.
There will be two exams, an OSCE in paediatrics, gynaecology/obstetrics and pathology, and a digital exam, covering all subjects taught. The exam dates are 17 and 19 December 2024.
If you have regular presence and assiduity throughout the semester, you should be able to succeed both exams at the first attempt. You can therefore book a return ticket from Friday 20 December 2024, if you need to leave as soon as possible.
Please familiarize yourself with the information given under Teaching (specifying attendance requirements), and Examination. We ask you to familiarize yourself with the regulations concerning photography and audio/video recording of tuition. Please also remember that you are bound by the duty of secrecy during your stay, and that it might have other implications in Norway than in your home country. If uncertain, please ask what applies here.
Signing up for courses – International Coordinator Anne Westheim is taking care of this. You are signed up for teaching and exams in Module 6, MED5600, so all you have to do is check that this is ok, and register for the semester on the StudentWeb once you have your UiO user account (FEIDE) up and running. The deadline for registering is 1 September in autumn and 1 February in spring, but it is recommended to register well before the teaching starts.
Your medical course is quite demanding and time-consuming. Even if the amount of teaching might seem low, please note that you are meant to do a significant amount of self-initiated activity, like spending extra time on the wards. The medical teaching takes place between 8.30 and 16.00 in general, except for the week on the Labour Ward, when you are encouraged to stay as much as you possibly can.
The first lecture in medicine will take place on Monday 19 August at 9 a.m. at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Grønt auditorium. There are three auditoriums next to each other in the basement. Rød/rødt, grønn/grønt, blå/blått is Norwegian for red, green and blue.
Your teaching will take place on four different locations:
- UiO, Gaustad Campus, Domus Medica
At Domus Medica, the MED Student Info is also located - Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet is located next to Domus Medica.
The auditoriums are close to the entrance called Personalinngang, right across from the tram stop. - Oslo University Hospital Ullevål
- Ahus University Hospital
A guide to living in Norway.
Wondering about the weather in Oslo? During these times of climate change, it is fairly complicated to give good advice, but here is a try:
In August, the temperature range is likely to be between +12 and +25 (nights can be cold), so hopefully, you will get a bit of summer before autumn arrives. Maybe you can even take a swim! Daylight will be diminishing as we move through autumn, and by December, we have fairly short days, and temperatures are likely to be between +5 and -10. It can snow one day and rain the next, melt during day and freeze at night, so icy roads must be expected. And fog. And some sunshine! You will experience a time of big transitions both in nature and yourselves.
Watch out for icy and slippery roads during winter-time! It gets particularly treacherous when the temperatures are switching from above 0 degrees celsius to below.
You can follow the weather from the app Yr.
Clothing-wise, you will need a pair of nice and warm winter shoes, as well as a warm jacket/parkas/coat, some mittens/gloves, a scarf and a beanie. Depending on the weather conditions, and your activities, you might also need woolen underwear / sports underwear (longsleeved shirt / singlet + longjohns / shorts).
Please note that these items can be found at a reasonable cost in Norway.
In order to fully benefit from your stay in Norway, it is considered an advantage to have some Norwegian language skills.
A course in basic Norwegian Medical Language.
General Norwegian Course.
Before the start of MED5600. Anne Westheim will hold an information meeting along with Ellen Rosenberg, Module Coordinator. You will receive an email stating the time and place. Anne's office is located at our faculty administration located in the building Sogn Arena, Klaus Torgårds vei 3, 2nd floor. Please make an appointment in advance.
The welcome week for international students to UiO takes place from 12 to 16 August 2024. The faculty will be offering buddy activities for you at a later stage, around the starting date of MED5600.
We wish you a warm welcome to the Faculty of Medicine and the University of Oslo!