Working as a health care student
Health care sector students can practise temporarily in the duties of a licenced health care professional under certain conditions. The prerequisites are different depending on the profession which the student is studying or whether the student is completing their degree in Finland or abroad. A person can only practice as a student when they are registered as present at an educational institution. The right to practice as a student will continue for a maximum of 30 days after graduation.
The Finnish Supervisory Agency registers all students of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy
The following students are entered in Terhikki the Central Register of Health Care Professionals:
- A student of medicine who has completed four years of studies
- A student of medicine who has completed five years of studies
- A student of dentistry
- A student of pharmacy
Students of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy studying at a Finnish university are registered directly in the professional register on the basis of notifications submitted by the university. Those studying in these fields abroad must apply for student registration from the Finnish Supervisory Agency in order to be able to work temporarily as a licensed health care professional in Finland.
The student’s name and personal data as well as the start date and completion date of their studies are entered in the register. At the time their data is entered in the register, students are given a registration number, in addition to which, students of medicine and dentistry are given an identification code (former health insurance number). A person’s identification code remains the same after graduation. The use of electronic prescriptions requires that the student is entered in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals.
If a person is studying in Finland, they can, in principle, begin work before the registration has been completed. However, the Finnish Supervisory Agency does not recommend starting work before registration, as the student cannot be given a health and social services professional’s ID or personal identification number before the registration is complete. In addition, the employer has an emphasised duty of care to ensure that the student has completed the necessary studies and is currently registered as present at the university. In some cases, the reason why the student’s data cannot be found in JulkiTerhikki may also be that their right to practice temporarily as a medical doctor has been cancelled.
Students may work temporarily in the duties of a licensed health care professional in the profession they are studying. This means that, for example, a student of dentistry cannot work in the position of a dental hygienist under the current legislation because they are not studying in a degree programme for the profession in question.
The right to practise as a student ends for all students 30 days after their graduation. After this period, the person cannot work under the right to practise as a student in any circumstances. Continuing in this work after the deadline is only possible if the person has received the licencing or other right to practice required for the position in question.
The Finnish Supervisory Agency asks that employers in particular take into account that the right to practise as a student may be incorrectly displayed in JulkiTerhikki after this 30-day period for persons who have completed their studies abroad. The Finnish Supervisory Agency does not receive information on the graduation of persons who have completed their studies abroad.
Notes
- The right to practise as a student can only be granted after a student has successfully completed the necessary studies and practical training. For example, a fourth-year student of medicine cannot apply for student registration to complete practical training required in Finland during the first four years of studies. Student registration can only be granted to a fourth-year student after all studies and practical training that are part of the first four years of studies have been successfully completed.
- The rights granted in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals to a medical student who has completed four years of studies automatically end when the student is granted the right to practise as a student for medical students who have completed five years of studies.
- The right to practise as a student in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals ends automatically when a graduate is granted licencing as a doctor, dentist, or pharmacist.
- The right to practise as a student of a student completing a degree programme abroad is entered in the register as temporary the basis of their estimated graduation date. If the work continues after this date, an application must be submitted for the extension of registration.
- The entry on the right to practise as a student in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals will be deleted automatically when ten years have passed since the start of studies or if the student loses their rights as a result of supervision.
- An operating unit must appoint an instructor in writing for each student. The instructor must work in the same operating unit as the student. The instructor must be a licensed professional who has the right to independently practise the profession the student being guided is studying. For example, the instructor for an oral hygienist student must be a licensed oral hygienist, and the instructor for a nursing student must be a licensed nurse. The instructor must have sufficient practical experience in their profession. They must monitor, guide, and supervise the student's activities and intervene immediately in any shortcomings that may arise in these, and interrupt the activities if patient or client safety may be compromised.
- Use of professional titles: Students working as in temporary duties as a licensed professional should not use the title of a licensed professional. The patient and the client should always be informed that they are being treated by a student or their case is being handled by a student and not by a licensed professional.
A medical student studying in Finland or abroad who has successfully completed at least the studies and practical training intended for the first four years of studies can work as a medical doctor under the direction and supervision of a licensed medical doctor in a specialised medical care unit or in a health centre inpatient ward. In addition, the student must have completed the specialty courses included in the basic medical education in which they intend to work. A student studying medicine abroad must apply for registration as a student in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals before they can temporarily work as a medical doctor.
The employer must ensure that, based on the studies they have completed, the medical student has sufficient prerequisites for performing the practising in the task in question, sufficient language skills and the right to practise as a student in the central register of health care professionals for those studying abroad. Even if a student is recruited through a temporary agency, the operating unit must verify the aforementioned matters. The student must also be appointed a medical doctor as their instructor in writing.
If a student who has completed four-year studies works as a physician in a specialised medical care unit or in a health centre inpatient ward also works in related on-call physician duties, they must act under the direct direction and supervision of a licensed doctor , meaning by their side. A student of medicine, who has completed four years of studies, may work alongside a licensed doctor in a 24-hour joint emergency department if it is possible in practice to limit their duties to, for example, surgery or internal diseases in accordance with completed basic studies in a specialty.
Students of medicine and dentistry may only prescribe medicines to patients who they have treated in the scope of their duties. Read more about prescribing medicines on our website.
A medical student studying in Finland or abroad who has successfully completed at least the studies and practical training intended for the first five years of studies can practise temporarily as a medical doctor, in either a specialised medical care unit or a basic health care operating unit. A student studying medicine abroad must apply for registration as a student in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals before they can temporarily work as a medical doctor.
The employer must ensure that, based on the studies they have completed, the medical student has sufficient prerequisites for performing the practising in the task in question, sufficient language skills and is registered with the right to practise as a student in the central register of health care professionals for those studying abroad. Even if a student is recruited through a temporary agency, the operating unit must verify the aforementioned matters. The student must also be appointed a medical doctor as their instructor in writing.
If a student who has studied for five years works on-call, they must have a back-up on-call doctor appointed for them. The emergency unit must also have a licensed medical doctor in charge of the activities around the clock.
Students of medicine and dentistry may only prescribe medicines to patients who they have treated in the scope of their duties. Read more about prescribing medicines on our website..
A student of dentistry studying in Finland or abroad may temporarily work as a dentist under the direction and supervision of a licensed dentist in a health care unit after completing at least the studies and practical training required during the first four years of dentistry studies. A student studying dentistry abroad must apply for registration as a student in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals before they can temporarily work as a dentist.
The employer must ensure that, based on the studies they have completed, the student of dentistry has sufficient prerequisites for performing the practising in the task in question, sufficient language skills and is registered with the right to practise as a student in the central register of health care professionals for those studying abroad. Even if a student is recruited through a temporary agency, the operating unit must verify the aforementioned matters. The student must also be appointed a dentist as their instructor in writing.
Students of medicine and dentistry may only prescribe medicines to patients who they have treated in the scope of their duties. Read more about prescribing medicines on our website. .
A person completing a master’s or bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in Finland or studying for a similar profession abroad may work under the direction and supervision of a pharmacist (Bach. or Mast. in Pharmacy) in a pharmacy, in a hospital pharmacy or in a pharmaceutical centre when completing practical training as part of their studies or after they have has already completed practical training. Working in the position requires that the student has successfully completed studies in the field of pharmacy in question, such as basic and subject studies, which must have been completed before starting their first practical training. A student completing bachelor’s or master’s studies in pharmacy abroad must apply for registration as a student in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals before they can temporarily work in the field of pharmacy.
The employer must ensure that, based on the studies they have completed, the student of pharmacy has sufficient prerequisites for performing the practising in the task in question, sufficient language skills and is registered with the right to practise as a student in the central register of health care professionals for those studying abroad. Even if a student is recruited through a temporary agency, the operating unit must verify the aforementioned matters. The student must also be appointed an instructor in writing.
A degree student studying for a profession other than that of a medical doctor, dentist, a bachelor’s in pharmacy or a master’s in pharmacy in Finland or abroad may temporarily practise as a licenced health care professional in the profession which they are studying when they have successfully completed two thirds of the studies in the degree programme in question. A student must have completed at required courses and have received marks for these, and the student must be registered as present at an educational institution. The Finnish Supervisory Agency does not supervise that students have sufficient study attainments in these professional groups. Instead, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that the necessary studies have been completed.
Students always work under the direction and supervision of a licensed professional. Students may only work in the duties of a licensed health care professional in a health care unit or in a social welfare unit providing institutional care.
The right to practise as a student ends for all students 30 days after their graduation. After this period, the person cannot work under the right to practise as a student in any circumstances. Continuing in this work after the deadline is only possible if the person has received the required licencing or other right to practice.
An operating unit must appoint an instructor in writing for each student. The instructor must work in the same operating unit as the student. The instructor must be a licensed professional who has the right to independently practise the profession the student being guided is studying. For example, the instructor for an oral hygienist student must be a licensed oral hygienist, and the instructor for a nursing student must be a licensed nurse. The instructor must have sufficient practical experience in their profession. They must monitor, guide, and supervise the student's activities and intervene immediately in any shortcomings that may arise in these, and interrupt the activities if patient or client safety may be compromised.
Persons other than those studying for the profession in question can also work as health care professionals with protected occupational titles. Health care professionals with protected occupational titles include practical nurses, trained masseurs, and psychotherapists. When an employer hires a person for a position with a protected occupational title, they are responsible for ensuring that the selected person has the prerequisites to work in this position.
Contact information
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