Nearly half of these newly licensed doctors have taken the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test, which measures knowledge and skills relevant to the ability to complete higher education studies, according to the Swedish Council for Higher Education. 6 has been required for entry. 25 points, and only a handful reached the score level required for admission to medical programs in Sweden.
Competence concerns have emerged, with Ekot reviewing reports to the Health and Social Care Inspectorate where employers reported doctors for potentially being a danger to patients. The reported doctors, who studied in countries such as Romania, Slovakia, or Latvia, are described as having significant competence deficiencies. According to Sveriges Radio Nyheter, Christer Rosenberg, a district doctor and former development manager in primary care in Västra Götaland, described encountering knowledge gaps in Swedish doctors educated in these countries.
Some of these countries offer medical programs in English, providing an educational pathway for Swedish students. It remains unknown what specific actions, if any, the Health and Social Care Inspectorate has taken in response to the reported competence deficiencies, how many of the approximately 1,700 doctors have been formally reported or investigated for competence issues, and whether the EU directive includes any mechanisms for verifying the quality of medical education in the newer EU countries.