Chiropractors are licensed health professionals with a protected professional title in both Sweden and Norway. In Sweden, licensure and the professional title are regulated by Patientsäkerhetslagen (2010:659; Swedish Patient Safety Act), which entered into force on 1 January 2011, and in Norway by Helsepersonelloven (Act of 2 July 1999 No. 64; Norwegian Health Personnel Act).
In Sweden, licensure as a chiropractor requires at least four years of education followed by one year of supervised practical service, under Chapter 3, Section 4 of Patientsäkerhetsförordningen (2010:1369; Swedish Patient Safety Ordinance). In Norway, practical service (turnus) is required under the Regulations on practical service for licensure as an orthopaedic engineer and chiropractor (forskrift om praktisk tjeneste (turnustjeneste) for å få autorisasjon som ortopediingeniør og kiropraktor).
With a degree from NIMM's Programme in Chiropractic, you can apply for licensure as a chiropractor in both Sweden and Norway. First, you complete one year of supervised practical service. You choose whether to do it in Sweden or in Norway.
Practical service in Sweden: You complete your practical service and then apply for licensure with the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen). With Swedish licensure, you can also apply for licensure in Norway. You will then not need to repeat the practical service.
Turnus in Norway: After graduating, you apply to the Norwegian Directorate of Health (Helsedirektoratet) and receive a licence (lisens). With this licence, you work for one year as a chiropractor under supervision – this is called turnus. You arrange your own turnus placement with a licensed chiropractor in Norway. After your turnus, you apply for licensure with Helsedirektoratet.
If you want to work in one of the other Nordic countries, or in another country in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland where the profession is regulated, your application is assessed under the EU rules on the recognition of professional qualifications. Since 1 February 2020, these rules have primarily applied between the Nordic countries as well, following an amendment to the Nordic agreement on a common labour market for certain health personnel (SÖ 1994:2).
Education at the advanced level shall essentially build on the knowledge that students acquire at the undergraduate level or equivalent knowledge. Education at the advanced level shall involve a deepening of knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to education at the undergraduate level and shall, in addition to what applies to education at the undergraduate level:
Under Chapter 3, Section 4 of Patientsäkerhetsförordningen (2010:1369), the practical service required for licensure in Sweden must correspond to at least one year of full-time service after completing chiropractic training and must be carried out under supervision. Up to nine months of the service may be completed in another EU or EEA country, such as Norway, under the supervision of a chiropractor entitled to practise there. The rest is completed in Sweden. This follows from the regulations of the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) on the recognition of chiropractors' and naprapaths' practical service in another EEA country (HSLF-FS 2016:38). If you would rather complete all of your practical service in Norway, you do it as turnus. Read more under ‘Licensure’ above.
The goal of the service is to provide the chiropractor with a broad understanding of the organization and working methods of the Swedish healthcare system. The internship should also create conditions for collaboration with other professional categories, provide knowledge of various treatment principles and methods, and offer practical experience within the profession.
The internship must consist of one year of full-time work under supervision and be distributed as follows:
The service may be completed at several clinics or units. Upon completion of the internship, the supervisor must certify that the service has been fulfilled and specify its content and scope on the designated forms of the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen).
During this part of the internship, the chiropractor works under the supervision of a licensed colleague. The focus is on developing practical skills within the chiropractic profession, including the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.
The public sector portion of the service provides the chiropractor with insight into and experience with care provided within the public sector. Supervision is provided by a specifically appointed supervisor, and areas of practice may include primary care, orthopedics, neurology, rheumatology, and medical rehabilitation. It is also desirable for the chiropractor to have the opportunity to observe psychiatric care as well as departments for radiology, physical therapy/physiotherapy, and occupational therapy. The service period may be divided between primary care and hospital-based care.
During the service period, the chiropractor is expected to develop practical skills and in-depth knowledge in the following areas:
For more information and necessary forms, please refer to the website of the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen), under the sections "Practical service for chiropractors" and "Application for licensure as a chiropractor".
As a newly graduated chiropractor, you have excellent prospects for finding work, as the need for chiropractors is high and continues to grow. Chiropractic is a well-established treatment method appreciated by patients with musculoskeletal problems – one of the most common causes of sick leave and visits to the healthcare system.
Previously, it was most common for newly graduated chiropractors to start their own clinics immediately after graduation, but this has changed in recent years. Today, it is more common to begin your career as an employee at an existing clinic, which gives you the opportunity to gain experience and build your skills in a secure environment. Another exciting development is the increase in the number of larger clinics with an interdisciplinary focus. At many clinics, chiropractors are part of multidisciplinary teams where they collaborate with, for example, naprapaths, doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, and other healthcare providers. As a chiropractor, you will enter a job market with many opportunities, where you can shape your future career based on your own ambitions and interests.
Your future salary as a chiropractor depends on several factors, such as whether you choose to start your own clinic, become an employee, work in the private or public sector, or where in the world you choose to practice. How much you work naturally also affects your income, which gives you the flexibility to shape your career according to your preferences.
Through their education, chiropractors possess specific expertise that enables them to take independent medical responsibility and achieve sustainable results for patient groups that currently account for a significant portion of society's costs, both in terms of healthcare and lost work capacity. These patients often suffer from ailments related to the back, neck, joints, and muscles. Chiropractors, with their expertise in manual medicine, help meet the increasing need for specialized care for musculoskeletal disorders, which ensures a strong and high-demand job market for the profession.
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