Table 1 Common elements of the Medical Student Research Programmes at the Norwegian medical schools

Length of

curriculum

All Norwegian medical schools have a six year curriculum. The Medical Student Research Programme is a two-year course (120 credit points), one of these years is added to the study of medicine and one year is integrated into the curriculum as extra work time and scientific work during weekends and summers. The total duration of the study of medicine with a Research Programme thus becomes 7 years

Recruitment

Up to 10% of the year groups in each medical school can be recruited annually. There are currently 20 study places at UiO, 15 at UiB, 12 at NTNU and 6 at UiT annually

Formalised research training

30 credit points, which equals an ordinary PhD programme

Research and publications

Research and the research paper/publication(s) give 90 credit points

Elements of curriculum

The course consists of full-time research for one year (this could be two separate terms), research courses and seminars, summer schools and research work in parallel with ordinary medical school

Assessment

The course is assessed with pass/no pass

Certificate and approval

The formalised research training may be approved as the theoretical part of the PhD-programme

Postgraduate training

The course implies shorter specialist training and further studies leading up to a PhD. A completed Research Programme counts as one year's research in specialist training for all specialist fields

Funding of students

The Research Council of Norway funds a 2-year grant per student. The annual grant for 2008 is NOK 96,000 (USD 15,000, EUR 12,000)