Læknaneminn - 01.06.1965, Side 32

32
LÆKNANEMINN
without factory chimnies or the
grimes of heavy industry.
Just as the practice of medicine
is influenced by the small popula-
tion, so is the learning of it. The
University of Iceland is based in
Reykjavik, although it has allied
Colleges in other towns. There are
about ten to twenty medical
students in each year, and it takes
about seven years to complete the
course. There are few formal
lectures, the student being ex-
pected to read by himself. There
is no anatomical dissection (they
come to Britain for this — an ex-
port I did not know about), and
almost no other practical work at
all. Students I met were envious
of our elaborate practical classes;
and for my part I could not under-
stand how they managed to learn
without the help of them, although
I cannot say quite the same for
the lectures! Some of the lectures
take the form of discussions,
where the lecturer asks questions
round the class, to see how the
students are getting on with their
reading. No marks are taken, but
since the lecturer is the examiner
also, it is important to make a
good showing. It is also interesting
that the equivalent of our profes-
sional exams are orals, and there
are no written papers. Since there
is no T.V., the people are still able
to talk volubly, so nobody wants
to change this system.
The medical course is divided
into three parts; the first Ana-
tomy, Physiology, Biochemistry,
and the other preclinical subjects;
the second is Pathology, etc., and
the third is equivalent to our
finals. Each part is allowed a cer-
tain time period, during which the
student may have two attempts
at the exam. It is left to the
student to decide when he is ready
to take the exam. The grant
system is excellent; the Govern-
ment lends money at very low
interest, which can be paid back
over a period of 25 years from the
time of qualifying. The student’s
borrowing power increases if he
gets married, and perhaps because
Höfundur og bíllinn hans, Sunbeam ’23.
of this about half the students are
married. The Government thinks
they do more work if they are
settled!
The hospital I was working in
was in Akureyri, which is the
capital of the northern part, just
like Edinburgh. The oldest building
in Akureyri was built 50 years
ago, and most of them are only
ten years old; Icelanders were
amazed to learn that in Britain it
is considered the thing to do to
live in as old a house as possible!
The hospital was only 9 years old.
The chief doctor told me that in
Iceland the building was new, but