Continuing as a doctor in Sweden

I cleared KUL (kompletterande utbildning för utländska läkare) in June this year and will soon be starting work as vikarierande underläkare (substitute junior doctor, for the lack of better words) at a vårdcentral (GP/ clinic). This is usually the first job after clearing medical degree in Sweden as we apply and wait for AT (the internship/ house job). I'm thrilled to begin working as this will be my first job ever.

After KUL, I took some much needed down time and started applying for jobs first in August. For that, I updated my CV, personlig brev, listed out my references and made a list of places I wanted to apply to. For that I went to the region's website and looked up which vårdcentral were nearby or commutable (thank you Google maps!), plus the departments at the hospitals I could think of working at. I sent a simple email to each of the places, to their vårdenhetschef, asking if there was any need for underläkare. Most places replied that they did not have any place. The only vårdcentral that gave a positive response was the one where I had had my placement during the KUL program. I was reminded of the sad fact that contacts are very important in getting jobs in Sweden. In the case of foreigners of course, it is meriting if they know us somehow or have met us. I had also registered myself with the arbetsförmedlingen (job center), which turned out to be in vain.

At the job interview it was a relaxed environment, as expected in Sweden. The things that stood out in my case were my language and communication skills. Language seems to play a huge role in getting employed in Swedish system. Any how, she informed me after a few days that I could start working when I want and how I want. We came to agree that I would start two weeks after my child had undergone 'inskolning' at daycare and that I'll be working 80% of full time so that I can pick the kid from daycare a bit early. These are the perks of working in Sweden. They don't make you regret why you had a child, or why you ever started a family if career was so important to you; like is the case many times while working in a country as Pakistan.

So basically, life is going pretty good, by the grace of God. Two years back when I first became unsuccessful at TULE, everything felt like a huge mountain from there. When I was studying KUL, every exam felt like doom's day, ever so uncertain about what will be next. But today, as I look back, I have almost forgotten the difficult parts. As I'm looking forward to working here as a doctor, I can almost forgive myself for taking so long to be a part of the system. I'm grateful and proud to have come this far, to have the opportunity to see this day. The things I remember most clearly are the times I have been appreciated. All of that has increased the postive energy and passion to move forward. People tell me they cleared the whole language course in 3 or 5 months, well, good for them. As for me, I put my heart into every single step on the way and that really shows results. How much time I spent on each step has lost meaning, I am contented that I gave each stage its due right.

I hope I am able to live with that same spirit in the future as well. As it's getting close to ten years since I chose to apply for medical college (2005), I wish to remember more often why I chose medicine, I wish to keep learning each day with the same curiosity as I had 10 years back, I wish to keep in mind the chills I had when I entered neonatal ward for the first time, and I wish all of this drives me forward. Being a doctor is not just one point in life when you get your degree or become a specialist, it's a continuous process, no matter if you are learning a new language or becoming a student once again as a part of that process, you are always moving forward, gaining experience and knowledge, growing as a person.