There were 23 609 physicians licensed in Finland in the beginning of 2010. The number of physicians of working age (under 65 years) living in Finland was 18 933. Several physicians from other EU countries obtain a licence even in Finland, but don’t come to work here. Therefore the medical workforce of Finland is smaller than the number of licensed physicians.
The number of foreign physicians living in Finland has risen. In the beginning of the year there were 751 physicians who do not hold Finnish citizenship working in Finland, and the mother tongue of 1 125 physicians was neither Finnish nor Swedish.
The international mobility of Finnish physicians has increased as well. Most of them work in Sweden, the United States, Germany and Britain.
Annually 600 new physicians graduate in Finland. Physician density is high in international comparison. There is one physician of working age per 283 inhabitants.
94% of physicians living in Finland belong to the Finnish Medical Association. In the beginning of 2010 the Association had 22 631 members, 1 597 of whom were medical students.
Basic medical education lasts for six or seven years and leads to the degree of Licentiate of Medicine. In Finland, medical education is given in five universities: Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu and Kuopio. Licensed physicians are entitled to work under the guidance and supervision of another physician. In order to receive full authorisation Finnish doctors have to undergo the additional training for primary health care.
63% of Finnish physicians are specialists. 1.1.2010 the total number of specialist licenses was 17 663, of which 14 125 were held by physicians under 65 years. 23% of physicians have achieved a doctoral degree.
Specialist education was renewed in 1999. The earlier 92 specialization programmes were replaced by 49 new specialties. Some of the current specialties require five, the others six years´ training. In the table below the earlier programmes have been included in the current specialties.
The FMA has introduced a system of special competences for particular skills in specific fields. The number of special competence areas is 36 and the number of recognized competences of physicians is 1 973.
Physicians 2010 (pdf) »
Finland has 18 933 physicians of working age
Medical Education
Physicians 1.1.2010
group
4 027
17
2 680
67
35–44
5 134
22
3 197
62
45–54
6 094
26
3 450
57
55–64
4 892
21
1 997
41
Under 65 years
20 147
85
11 324
56
65–74
2 389
10
739
31
75-84
834
4
237
28
Over 85
239
1
104
44
Total
23 609
100
12 404
53
FMA >
Statistics Förbund
The Finnish Medical Association -
Health Care and the Medical Profession in Finland
Association
