Noora Juusenaho pursues medicine with average grades

Noora Juusenaho, 19, from Parkano has graduated from upper secondary school with M-level results and plans to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a doctor. She wants to show that students with average grades can still aim high, Yle reports.

Juusenaho was among around 4,800 autumn graduates told on Thursday that they had completed their studies. She took exams in eight subjects and received M grades. Although she is not entirely satisfied with her results, she says she can be proud of them.

Her matriculation certificate does not qualify her directly for medical school, so she plans to prepare for the entrance exams in the spring. She says she hopes her example will encourage others whose grades do not meet the requirements for competitive courses.

A flexible path at a small school

Juusenaho is graduating from Parkano Upper Secondary School, which has 90 students. She says the school’s small size meant she could take part in activities without having to compete with others for a place. She joined the student council, performed in musical theatre and took part in two Erasmus exchanges.

With support from the principal and teachers, she completed more than 200 study credits, compared with the 150 required. During her first year, she decided to extend her studies to three and a half years so she could balance school with scouting and a job.

Five students will graduate from the school this autumn, the highest number in at least a decade. Usually, one to three graduate in the autumn. Across Finland, an average of one in five upper secondary schools has no autumn graduates, according to figures for 2025 from the Matriculation Examination Board. One in ten has just one.

Parkano’s head principal, Jenni Annala, says the timing of graduation does not matter at the school, where students can follow individual study paths. The school shares premises with a comprehensive school, and graduates receive their caps at a joint Independence Day celebration.