Fifty Icelandic medical students graduate in Slovakia
Thursday 29th October 2026 on 16:46 in
Iceland
About 170 Icelandic medical students are studying at the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Slovakia, and 50 Icelanders graduated from the programme last summer, mbl.is reports. Around 200 Icelanders have completed their medical studies there so far.
Three fifth-year students and representatives of the Icelandic students’ association, FÍLS, told Morgunblaðið that they are enjoying their studies. The newspaper recently visited the faculty, where Icelandic and Norwegian students study alongside Slovak and other international students.
FÍLS was founded in 2012, said its chair, Edda Karlsdóttir. The association holds an annual celebration in November, as well as ski trips, presentations with doctors, pub quizzes, sports events and a Christmas bingo. It also runs a practical course each spring, where students practise injections, urinary catheter insertion and ultrasound examinations.
Most Icelandic students in Slovakia complete practical training in Iceland for several weeks each year, a required part of their studies. There is not yet a formal agreement between Iceland and Slovakia covering the placements. The students said they were grateful to Landspítali, a hospital, and other Icelandic healthcare institutions for accepting them, and hoped discussions would lead to a formal agreement.
The students said some had previously taken the entrance exam for the University of Iceland’s medical programme, while others applied directly to study in Slovakia. Some students complete three years there before transferring to Denmark to finish their degrees.
Annual tuition in Slovakia is 1.5 million Icelandic krónur. The Icelandic Student Loan Fund provides loans for tuition and living costs. By comparison, medical students at the University of Iceland pay 100,000 krónur a year in tuition, the students said. They said the cost of studying abroad could leave some with substantial debt and wondered whether support could be increased given Iceland’s doctor shortage. Students in Slovakia are unable to work alongside their studies.
During the visit, Iceland’s health minister, Alma Möller, and Landspítali’s directors of medicine and nursing, Tómas Þór Ágústsson and Ólafur G. Skúlason, spoke to the students. They praised the Icelandic students’ politeness during practical placements at home and their teamwork.