Working as a health care student
Valvira registers the student status of medical, dental and pharmacy students studying in Finland and records changes to their details, based on notifications submitted by universities. Students who are studying in those fields abroad must register with the Central Register of Health Care Professionals in order to work in Finland as a temporarily legalised health care professional. A student studying for a degree in medicine, dentistry or pharmacy, whether in Finland or abroad, may temporarily undertake the duties of a legalised health care professional in their field of study. A student may undertake such work after they have acceptably completed two thirds of the studies included in their degree.No other health care student details are entered in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals.
The right to practise as a student expires when 30 days have elapsed from the completing of your degree. Valvira does not receive information on the graduation of students studying abroad, which is why JulkiTerhikki may erroneously show an active student status beyond the aforementioned 30-day limit.
Duties in positions under a protected occupational title in health care may also be performed by persons other than students studying for the profession in question. Protected occupational titles in health care include ‘practical nurse’, ‘licensed massage therapist’ and ‘psychotherapist’. When an employer hires a person to work as a professional under a protected occupational title, the employer is responsible for ascertaining that the person hired is competent to undertake those duties.
A student may temporarily work as a legalised health care professional in their field of study. What this means is that, as an example, under current legislation a dentistry student is not allowed to work as an oral hygienist because they are not studying for that profession.
Health care students in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals
The following students are entered in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals (Terhikki):
- medical students with 4 years of studies
- medical students with 5 years of studies
- dentistry students
- pharmacy students
The data entered in the Register are the name and personal data of the student, the start date of their studies and their graduation date. Students entered in the Register are issued a registration number, and medical and dentistry students are also issued a ‘Doctor ID’ (previously known as the health insurance or SV number), which must be entered on all prescriptions and all documentation having to do with benefits granted by Kela. Students will retain their Doctor ID after graduation. Students must be entered in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals in order to be entitled to issue ePrescriptions.
Note
- A student’s entry in the Register as a medical student with 4 years of studies expires automatically when that student is entered in the Register as a medical student with 5 years of studies.
- The right to practise as a student entered in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals expires automatically when the student is legalised as a physician, a dentist or a pharmaceutical dispenser following graduation.
- Student rights based on training undertaken abroad are entered in the register with a fixed-term duration based on the estimated date of graduation. Students who continue to work beyond that date must reapply for the right to practise.
- The right to practise as a student entered in the Central Register of Health Care Professionals expires automatically when 10 years have elapsed from the start date of studies or if the student loses their right to practise as the result of a supervisory measure.
A medical student may perform the duties of a physician under the guidance and supervision of a legalised physician at a specialist medical care unit or on an inpatient ward at a health centre once they have acceptably completed their first four years of studies. The student must also have completed the basic medical studies in the specialisation in which they intend to practise. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that a medical student appointed to any position has the competence to perform the duties required. Also, a supervising physician must be assigned to the student in writing. Medical students studying abroad must register with the Central Register of Health Care Professionals in order to practise temporarily as a physician.
If a medical student with 4 years of studies working in a specialist field at a specialist medical care unit or as a physician on the inpatient ward at a health centre is also assigned duties of an on-call physician, then they must work under the immediate guidance and supervision of a legalised physician, i.e. alongside them. A medical student with 4 years of studies may work alongside a legalised physician at a 24-hour joint emergency clinic, where it is possible to limit their duties to those consistent with their basic medical studies in their specialisation, e.g. surgical procedures or internal medicine.
Medical and dental students may only prescribe medications to patients whom they are actually treating in the course of their duties. Read more about prescribing medication on our website (in Finnish).
Medical students studying in Finland or abroad who have acceptably completed at least the first 5 years of their studies may temporarily practise as a physician at a specialist medical care unit or a primary health care unit. Medical students must register with the Central Register of Health Care Professionals in order to temporarily practise as a physician. Also, a supervising physician must be assigned to the student in writing. Medical students studying abroad must register with the Central Register of Health Care Professionals in order to temporarily practise as a physician.
If a medical student with 5 years of studies is assigned to be an on-call physician, they must have an assigned backup on-call physician. Every emergency clinic must have a legalised physician on site to manage operations at all times.
Medical and dental students may only prescribe medications to patients whom they are actually treating in the course of their duties. Read more about prescribing medication on our website (in Finnish).
Dental students studying in Finland or abroad may temporarily practise as a dentist under the guidance and supervision of a legalised dentist at a health care unit after they have completed at least their first 4 years of dentistry studies. Also, a supervising dentist must be assigned to the student in writing. Dentistry students studying abroad must register with the Central Register of Health Care Professionals in order to temporarily practise as a dentist.
Medical and dental students may only prescribe medications to patients whom they are actually treating in the course of their duties. Read more about prescribing medication on our website (in Finnish).
A student studying for a pharmaceutical dispenser’s or pharmacist’s degree in Finland or for an equivalent qualification abroad may be employed at a pharmacy, a hospital pharmacy or a dispensary under the guidance and supervision of a legalised pharmaceutical dispenser or pharmacist while completing job training included in their studies or after completing their first period of job training. To be eligible for this, the student must have acceptably completed the basic studies and subject studies included in their degree and have sufficient competence to perform the duties required. Also, a supervisor must be assigned to the student in writing. Students studying for a pharmacy degree abroad must register with the Central Register of Health Care Professionals in order to be allowed to work temporarily as a pharmaceutical dispenser.
Students in other health care disciplines than those referred to above, whether studying in Finland or abroad, may temporarily perform the duties of a legalised health care professional in their field once they have acceptably completed two thirds of the studies in their degree programme. All the required study units must be completed and registered. Students must at all times work under the guidance and supervision of a legalised professional. Students are allowed to perform the duties of legalised health care professionals only at a health care unit or at a social services unit providing institutional care.
Professional ID cards and digital certificates for health care and social services are issued by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. If you are ordering your first professional ID card, or if your previous card is no longer valid, please place your order at a public health care registration point. It is recommended to book an appointment at the registration point in advance. Appointments for some registration points can be booked through the appointment service (in Finnish).
If there are any changes to the information included in your digital certificate or displayed on the face of your professional ID card, you must order a new ID card.
Notification of the termination of the right to practise is automatically transmitted from Valvira to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, and the discontinued professional ID card is automatically blacklisted. Read more about the digital certificate card on the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.