Who Are Tomorrow’s Researchers?

Why are fewer Swedish-speaking medical students choosing a research career? Camilla Böckelman is investigating the factors that influence this decision – and how more students can be inspired to pursue a career in research.

For many years, senior Swedish-speaking researchers have expressed concern about the future of Swedish-language medical research in Finland. Statistics show that these concerns are well founded: only around 30% of Swedish-speaking medical students go on to doctoral studies, compared with approximately 60% of Finnish-speaking students.

Why is this the case, and what can be done about it? Together with the Medicinska Understödsföreningen Liv och Hälsa, the Minerva Foundation is funding this project to help secure the future of medical research in Swedish. The project is led by Camilla Böckelman.

Project Focus Areas

Securing the next generation of Swedish-speaking medical researchers

We aim to strengthen the Swedish-speaking research community by increasing the number of Swedish-speaking doctoral researchers and doctoral degrees. This includes creating more opportunities for medical students to gain research experience, for example through summer positions in research groups, and supporting early-career researchers as they transition to the postdoctoral stage.

Increasing research-integrated teaching in Swedish

Building the foundation for a future research career in Swedish should be straightforward. We therefore work to strengthen Swedish-language teaching with a clear connection to research, including research-based courses, academic supervision, and scientific writing.

Making the scientific curriculum within the MD programme more visible

We want to make the scientific curriculum easier to navigate and more accessible. By providing clearer information and a better overview of research-related courses and study modules, we make it easier for students to discover pathways into research.

Camilla Böckelman. Foto: Helena Hiltunen

Camilla Böckelman is a surgeon, teacher, and researcher. She leads the project and has already launched several initiatives, including an information session for new medical students.

Would you like to learn more about the project? Or are you a medical student at the University of Helsinki who is curious about research? Feel free to contact Camilla at camilla.bockelman@helsinki.fi.