These days, one-in-three newly licensed doctors in Finland has been trained abroad.

The trend reflects a bottleneck when it comes to admission to medicine faculties. Competition is so fierce that it nudges aspiring physicians to seek degrees elsewhere in Europe.

In 2024, some 35 percent of doctors working in Finland had graduated from foreign universities.

Of these, roughly 30 percent earned their degrees in the EU, meaning their medical qualifications are recognised automatically.

Foreign medical studies quadruple

Despite costs running into the tens of thousands of euros, studying medicine abroad is an appealing option for many.

In less than 15 years, the number of Finnish students pursuing medical degrees abroad has roughly quadrupled.

During the 2024–25 academic year, Finland's benefits agency Kela issued study allowances to 1,142 students studying medicine abroad.

The Finnish Medical Association, however, reckons the true total is around 10 percent higher, with some students having already exhausted their aid eligibility.

The most common reason for heading abroad is simple: a chance to begin medical studies without a gap year.

"Many in Finland end up sitting the medical entrance exam for several years in a row, whereas abroad they can begin more quickly. Others leave because they did not secure a place at their preferred university," the Finnish Medical Association's Sami Heistaro said.

While Finland has long grappled with a shortage of doctors, Finnish universities are now training more physicians than ever before. Combined with the growing popularity of studying medicine abroad, this surge in supply could, in time, tip the labour market into a surplus.