The School of Medicine in Brief

Quality in teaching and research

Basic training of medical practitioners is the special strength of the School of Medicine (formerly the Faculty of Medicine). A typical approach to the implementation of teaching has been the hallmark of the Faculty (now the School of Medicine) ever since the beginning; many innovations to Finland have been pioneered. Immediately after its founding, the Faculty developed an operational system of health centre training. It moreover broke new ground in arranging training at the central hospital in Seinäjoki and in health centres in southern Ostrobothnia in the form of satellite teaching.

In 1994 the Faculty transferred all its teaching for Medical doctors to the problem based learning method, and was the very first in Finland to do so. In parallel with this innovation the Faculty reformed its curriculum achieving total integration of clinical and theoretical subjects. These advances have led to the nomination by the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council on three occasions as a unit of high quality education (centre of excellence).

Co-operation - the backbone of research

Researchers engage in intense co-operation with other medical faculties, both in Finland and abroad, and many of our research projects form part of wider international projects.

The School of Medicine’s teaching hospital and the home base for research is the Tampere University Hospital, which enjoys an established position as the second largest centre for medical care, with a catchment area population of 1.6 million. Co-operation in research and teaching is also particularly well-developed with the Institute of Biomedical Technology and the School of Health Sciences.

Doctoral degrees and specialization

Scientific postgraduate training is very much alive in the School of Medicine. The number of doctoral dissertations completed annually compares very favourably with the averages in other medical faculties in Finland. In addition to doctorates in medicine and in science in health care (International Health), the option also exists to take a Ph.D. degree in the School of Medicine.

As regards professional postgraduate education, the School of Medicine offers for 49 programmes leading to specialist's competence.

Undergraduates involved in co-operation

The Association of Medical Students has throughout its existence engaged in productive co-operation with the School of Medicine. Students have made an important contribution to the content of teaching and the development of conditions for study.