One of the most exciting parts of travelling can be trying the local food. If you have dietary restrictions, this can often be disappointing, frustrating and even stressful because you do not know where to eat. 

I have a gluten allergy and in Canada, I had figured out how to navigate it. I knew which restaurants that were accommodating, the cafes with gluten-free options, the aisles in the grocery stores etc. It hardly felt like an extra thing I had to deal with. Moving to Sweden, I was unsure what the “gluten-free” scene would be like.

Below I have listed some of my favourite places! Overall, I find Stockholm to be very accommodating for allergies at their cafes, restaurants, grocery stores and the amusement park, Grona Lund. I have even found hot-dog stands that offered a gluten-free bun! 

** When I say allergies or dietary restrictions, I am mostly referring to gluten-Free.

Grocery stores

Good news- every grocery store I have been to so far have had gluten-free options such as bread, pasta, cakes, pizza etc. The main four that I shop at are: 

• Lidl
• Coop 
• Ica
• Hempkop - the Hempkop by the KI Solna campus has tons of options!! 

Cafes

Brod and Salt- This is a cafe with various locations all around Stockholm. They offer a gluten-free cinnamon bun (Kanelbulle), gluten-free and vegan cookies and can make a gluten-free breakfast sandwich. This was a really exciting find for me because I wanted to try the classic Swedish Kanelbulle, and it now is one of my go-to study spots! 

Espresso House- This is a really common coffee chain in Stockholm that you can find almost everywhere. They have a yummy gluten-free cheesecake! 

Cafe Nero- They offer a gluten-free and vegan brownie and are located all over the city, including one very close to the KI Solna campus! 

Waynes Coffee- They have a gluten free pecan cake/pie that is delicious! 

Under Kastanjen- This is a bakery located in Gamla Stan and they offer a variety of gluten-free goods! 

Fast food 

Max- Max is a fast-food restaurant and is almost like an “upscale” Mcdonalds. They have various options for dietary restrictions; including a gluten-free bun, vegetarian and vegan burgers, vegan milkshakes etc.

Mcdonalds- They offer a gluten-free bun!!!! This was surprising to me because in Canada and the USA they do not have this yet. They also have a vegetarian burger. This can be good to know for some late-night food! 

TIP: If they have the option to self-order on the screen, sometimes that can be easier for you to take your time and search through their options!

Meals 

Vapiano-  This is an Italian restaurant and they can make almost everything gluten-free including their pasta and pizzas! 

Greasy Spoon- They offer great options for brunch including gluten-free pancakes, bread, vegetarian sausages, a vegan breakfast etc. There are two convenient locations and has been a fun place for post-exam brunch celebrations.

Hermans- this is a really popular restaurant where everything is vegetarian and they also have many gluten-free and vegan options. It is located in Sodermalm and has beautiful views and a good student discount!

Overall, you will not be disappointed with Stockholm's options for allergies and dietary restrictions. Almost everywhere I find many gluten free options and see many vegetarian and vegan options. Many of the vegetarian/vegan options look so yummy, sometimes I even opt for them!

Thanks for reading and happy eating!

Lauren

*Featured image credits by Taisiia Shestopal on Unsplash.

• 100 gram of protein from beef contributes to 20 kg CO2 equivalent,
• 100 gram of protein from poultry contributes to 2.4 kg CO2eq,
• 100 gram of protein from tofu contributes to 1 kg CO2eq,
• 100 gram of protein from peas contributes to 0.3 kg CO2eq.

Should I stop eating meat and be a vegan?

• 500 grams of meat and processed meat products per week is enough. It equals, for example, three normal-sized portions of 125 grams plus cold cuts for 2-3 sandwiches.
• The normal-sized portions of 125 grams is often exceeded, both at home and at restaurants.
• A well-composed diet with less meat or no meat can very well satisfy our nutritional needs.
• Less but better meat is good for you and the planet
• When you eat less meat, choose foods like lentils, beans, peas, and root vegetables.

Do I change my diet after the course? 

1. Poore J, Nemecek T. Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science. 2018 Jun;360(6392):987–92.
2. The WWF Sweden meat guide. Available from: https://wwwwwfse.cdn.triggerfish.cloud/uploads/2019/11/19-7517-kottguiden_191025_final-2-1.pdf

1. Visit the julmarknad

2. Try ice skating

3. Build a gingerbread house

4. Try the Swedish julbord

5. Decorate your Christmas tree with Swedish Christmas ornaments

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas 🎄 🎶

As someone who has lived in Sweden a few years and now says "jaha" as an unironic expression of comprehension, I’d like to recommend some food items that make Swedish Christmas a bit different from the rest.

Blue cheese and gingerbread cookies

Yes, I do mean what I said. Explicitly, I mean blue cheese WITH gingerbread cookies. A combination met with a healthy dose of scepticism from non-Scandinavians. (Is this a thing in Norway and Denmark? Do comment and let me know if it is)

You get blue cheese in a tube, and then you spread it (it’s like a paste) on the gingerbread cookie.
In my opinion, it’s great, but I will admit that it isn’t for everyone. Give it a shot and let me know what you think!

Glögg

This is a mulled wine with spices like clove, cardamom, star anise, etc. It’s great for the cold winter months, and for the spirit of Christmas. Be warned though, if you like it then better stock up—they disappear from stores around the end of January.

For my non-alcohol drinking readers, you can easily find alcohol free glögg in your local supermarket. My alcohol drinking readers will have to go to systembolaget, the liquor shop.

Jul bröd

Christmas bread is how to bring the spirit of Christmas into your breakfast and snack food (although there is no lack of Christmas spirit in this country). Soft loaf bread Christmas edition usually has raisins and other niceties, while the hard bread (knäckebröd) has a different taste from the usual.

(Between you and me though, I think the regular knäckebröd is better~)

Julmust

Think Pepsi or Cola, but with a slightly malt-like flavour. This drink also shows up around Easter under the disguise of Påskmust—the label is the only thing that I’ve found different.

Various Renditions of Limited Edition Chocolate

Take Marabou for instance. Last year, it was peppermint. This year it’s gingerbread cookie (pepparkaka). The flavours come and go, and this is the one time of the year I will readily forgo my beloved hazelnut chocolate to try the new version.

And now that I have imparted my wisdom...

Go and have a great christmas! Hopefully, some of these foods will make their way to your table in the coming weeks.

Merry Christmas!

Inika ❤️

As always, you can reach out to me on inika.prasad@stud.ki.se

It's been a while since I wrote about my experiences outside of school. I have been putting it on hold for some time until I came with the thought of reflecting on my whole year. It's been an emotional rollercoaster – wonderful moments, struggles, and even failure. There were days I was happy with what I accomplished and days where I questioned my decisions or actions towards people.

I hope this blog will inspire and motivate people to take a positive step forward. Sometimes it's difficult to overcome a significant struggle, but it is worth the try when you start taking small steps. When I began seeking new things, I explored beyond my comfort zone. So let's start reflecting on the last year of the decade? 😉

Summer 2019: Highlights and Struggles

Summer 2019 has been full of events and surprises as well. I recommend applying to as many internships as possible because you might receive rejections. Increase your chances, and always keep your options open! After my Junior Research Project, my great supervisor, Per Hydbring supported me to continue my research during the summer.  🧪🥼

I went to two summer schools organised by EIT Health. The first one was called Biology of Brain Disorders or BRAINNOVATE. It took place in the beautiful countryside of Ireland at Slane Castle and Dublin at Trinity Business College. I met amazing people from several countries. This summer school was very well-organised. We had lectures from different professors about rare brain disorders, computational tools used in Neuroscience, as well as design thinking workshops. 🧠 We all had an amazing time during the lectures, as well as during the outdoor activities!

The second summer school was Clinmed 2019 Summer School. Participants had to integrate clinical knowledge in the development of new medical devices. Our team had a 3-day immersive experience at the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. 🏥 Then, we traveled to the main site of the summer school, in the mountains above Grenoble (France) to develop the projects through innovative training. ⛰️ In the beginning, we had a challenging experience in Lisbon due to the hospital being on strike for three days.

There was also some miscommunication between the summer school organisers and the doctors. In spite of that, these challenges have made my team stronger to work on our project. We had a great time with other participants and explored stunning places in Portugal and France. All in all, our team won second place in the competition! 🎉

Becoming a Teacher Assistant

I never thought I would be able to work as a teacher assistant during my studies. When you keep networking via different events – you will come across various opportunities. The Unit of Bioentreprenueirship kindly asked me to work on the Design Thinking workshop for the second-year Bachelor students in Biomedicine. Hearing the student's ideas and observing their design thinking process gave me a different outlook on these workshops. All in all, I genuinely enjoyed working with over 50 students, Cecilie Hilmer, and Pu Tai.

Ramadan 2019

Ramadan is a holy month of fasting for Muslims around the world.  We practice it according to the lunar calendar, so it occurs at different times every year. This year it took place around May, and Muslims fast every day from dawn to sunset. It was my most challenging one because I spent the whole month with no close family in Stockholm, and the days were quite long.

Nevertheless, it was a fulfilling and rewarding period for me, and I always look forward to the next Ramadan! For all students living away from their families, try to spend your celebrations/holidays with close friends. I spent Eid al-Fitr (i.e., Muslim holiday – marks the end of fasting) with my friends and had a BBQ by the sea.

Filming for the First Time

I wondered about the work behind the interviews and tutorials you see on Youtube, and if I can ever be comfortable around the camera. Blogging behind the computer is not the same as filming in front of a camera. Thanks to KI Innovations, especially Alina Friberg and Patrick Blomquist – we decided to film "20 years of Innovations at KI" conference. It was a fantastic opportunity to interview Patrick (Business Coach). During filming, I was nervous because I wasn't used to this kind of setting. Rahul, who is the main person behind DA productions and Patrick were supportive and helpful.

Blogging Experience

As I started blogging during my master's program, I became a bit more anxious about the people who are reading my blogs. What do they think of me? Am I communicating correctly with the readers? Do I know my target audience? It was certainly not an easy start, but I always knew that I wanted to be genuine and honest in my blogs whenever I talk about experiences or give advice. I had this mindset that the right people will enjoy reading my blogs. Of course, you can't please everyone. What matters is the effort and dedication you put. Because then you will see the positive outcome of your work.

My experience in Lisbon has undoubtedly taught me valuable lessons. I came across real-life situations when it comes to work issues, and when to stand up for yourself. I was lucky to have supportive teammates in my group. These circumstances develop you as a person without you noticing. I am still learning how to deal with unexpected encounters, and I believe that I have become more resilient.

Ending my last 2019 blog with my Biomed fam! I hope your 2020 will be an exciting year! Happy holidays! Xx

A common thing you will hear throughout the winter months in Stockholm is that people don’t know what to do when it is cold and gets dark so early. This was something I struggled with especially coming from Vancouver, Canada which has a mild climate. I was used to being physically active outdoors almost every day! Talking with my friends and classmates, many people were having a similar struggle and found it hard to be motivated to do physical activity when it is already dark when you finish a full day of classes.

Here are my top 5 tips for staying active and potentially getting outdoors too! 

Ice skating

This is one of my favourite winter activities! It is a great way to get outside and stay active. There are a few places you can go to, but the most popular is Kungsträdgården which is in the city centre. Mid-November, they turn on the Christmas lights and play music, and it’s a great way to get into the holiday spirit. It is free to enter and you can rent skates for 8 euros, or can bring your own. If you think you would like to go more than once, I would recommend looking for some second-hand skates at a thrift shop or on Blocket.

KI gym

Do not overlook the KI gym! KI’s Solna campus recently opened their new gym facilities and they have both a fitness gym and a gymnasium and they both are free for students to use. The gymnasium is equipped for various sports including basketball, soccer, ping-pong, volleyball, badminton etc. My friends and I love to utilize the gym and we often will meet after the school day as a way to socialize, be physically active and feel more energized before going home in the dark. Additionally, KI also offers fitness classes and organized sports at the gym that you can register for free using their online system.

Classpass/Bruce 

There are two apps in Stockholm called Classpass and Bruce and both are apps that allow you to reserve a spot at various gyms and sports facilities. It is a great way to get to try a variety of activities, without having to commit the time or money to get a membership for all of them individually. For example, they offer bouldering, squash, spin classes, dancing, kickboxing and even a trampoline park! In December, my friends and I all joined the free trial for Classpass as a way to get us out in the evenings, socialize and try new ways to incorporate fitness into our lives, and we all loved it.

Running groups 

Regardless of the weather, Swedish people love to stay active! There are numerous outdoor fitness and running groups even throughout the winter. This is a great way to stay accountable, meet new people, and get yourself outside even if it is dark! You can find running groups on various websites, facebook running groups etc.

Sauna

This is a very popular Swedish activity year-round. Although this may not be an activity rooted in physical fitness, it is an activity that can get you outside and focuses on your health and wellness! There are numerous outdoor saunas around the city, but a popular one for students is called Tantobastun which is close to the KI residence Jägargatan. They have public hours and different sessions for females, males and mixed.

In general, there are many ways to stay active indoors and outdoors in Stockholm throughout the winter. I would encourage you to find a source of physical activity that works for you and your schedule because it will make the winter months and darkness much easier!

Thanks for reading!

Lauren

*featured photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash

More open tabs than you care to count, a furious torrent of essay writing, CV making, programme selection, and transcript sending for any prospective student — the sweet signs of application season. Dividing your energy amongst these different things is a mammoth task—and a crucial step is deciding where to apply.

So why should you apply for the Bachelor’s Programme in Biomedicine at KI? Here are my top 5 reasons✨

1. Quality of education

KI ranks as one of the best in the world in the field of biomedicine. I've attended enough labs, discussion sessions, lectures, seminars, projects, reports, presentations, and group work sessions to attest to the interactive teaching and learning methods here, and I've also been here long enough (*ehem* organic chemistry) say that it's an intense programme. All this means that I've learned a lot, and you will too!

2. The programme outline

The courses you’ll be taking sound (at risk of sounding a little bit nerdy) really really interesting. Speaking from personal experience, I have not been disappointed. Here's a little set of pictures to help you get a snapshot of what KI biomedicine has to offer.

3. The opportunities that open for you

Stockholm as a city has a lot to offer. Research? Entrepreneurship? Healthcare? Academia? Corporate careers? You will find all of these in abundance, and that really appealed to me. Even your course work (the degree project especially) will steer you into getting real world experience that will open doors for you. Moreover, with KI being the institution that awards the Nobel Prizes in Physiology or medicine means that you have inspiration, as well as inspiring people all around. The degree you get opens doors to further education in many fields — KI itself offers a master's in Biomedicine and one in Bioentrepreneurship, to name a couple.

4. Class size

The biomedicine class is pretty small—about 50 to 60 people are admitted every year. Which means you can get to know the teachers, get individual attention, ask questions easily and get to know your classmates really well. These personal interactions mean that it's easy to make friends and get to know your peers and teachers better. It makes life at university way more fun :)

5. Language

Something that really makes people hesitate in applying is wondering whether their language needs will be met. The biomedicine bachelor's programme is in English, and facing a language barrier where someone can only speak Swedish has not been a common experience for me. While I can't say this with experience, it seems pretty easy to work, enter academia, or research in the biomedical field even if learning Swedish isn't on the charts for you.

My final tips...

Applying for a bachelor’s in Biomedicine was a really simple process for me, and I'm willing to wager it will be for you too.

These have been my insights into why I think the biomedicine programme at KI is worth attending- but there are also many reasons to attend KI itself! I hope you guys found this useful :)

As always, you can find me at inika.prasad@stud.ki.se

Inika

The programming courses are known as the Applied Programming for Life Sciences  (or APLS, as we call them) 1, 2 and 3. Each one takes place in one of the first three semesters of the program, and go from the very basics of Python to collaborative and reproducible coding.

APLS 1 - Discovering Python

The first Python course takes place in the first semester of the master's, organized by Karolinska Institutet. It is a great introduction to Python, since it assumes that students have never programmed before. We cover both theoretically and practically the main concepts in programming, such as:

• Object types
• Flow control structures: conditionals, while loops, for loops
• Introduction to functions and modules
• Introduction to scientific libraries

For every theoretical session there is a practical one in which we practice all these concepts by solving small exercises. I personally enjoyed the collaborative environment in class, because although these assignments had to be submitted individually we were welcome to discuss with our peers how to approach them, or to compare the different strategies we used.

APLS2 - Writing "Pythonic" code

This was the most surprising APLS course for me, but also the one in which I learned the most. The surprising part was that the professor, Lars Arvestad, only used the blackboard to teach the course. Of course, this seemed weird at the beginning, because how are you going to program without a computer? Turns out, it was a super-efficient way for communicating his point and for us to understand Python's logic.

• Modularization and writing "pythonic" functions
• Creating classes and object-oriented programming
• Writing command line tools

All of the lectures were accompanied by a take-home assignment that consisted on modifying a programme to include all the improvements and concepts we had learned in class. It was a nice way to encourage our creativity, since different people used different approaches to solve the assignment, and there was no limit to how much we could improve the code. Also, the fact that the course was graded as pass-or-fail relieved most of the stress linked to the assignment submission deadlines, and we could just focus on enjoying and learning programming :D

APLS3 - Becoming A+ Programmers

• Version control and collaborative coding.
• Testing our own codes.
• Scientific Libraries

After having taken all the APLS courses I feel like we have become comfortable programming in Python, and many of us will be using it in our master's thesis. Of course, what you take out of these courses depend on your previous programming experience as well as how much programming you practice out of the classroom, but there is a good flow of concepts that starts from the very very basics of Python, so don't let the programming scare you from applying to the MTLS Master's :)

I believe that when choosing a Master's Programme one should not only focus on the courses and curriculum, but also on other opportunities and experiences that it will give you. This gives a very long list of things to consider when selecting your favourite Programmes before submitting your applications. In this post I have put together the 10 things I consider most important when looking for a Master's.

1 - Redirecting your career vs. strengthening previous knwledge

One of the first things I considered when looking for a Master's was deciding if I wanted to change my career path, or continuing with what I had studied on my Bachelor's. I decided to explore the world of bioinformatics, which was a small career change from what I was used to in the bachelor, and I took this in mind to look for Programmes that would fit my profile. Had I decided to keep doing more typical biochemistry studies, I would had look for a more specific Programme that covers the topics I am more interested in.

2 - Try a different university!

I think it is generally good to pursue your Master's Degree in a different university from where you did your Bachelor's, even if it's in your same city our country! This can give you broader networking opportunities, get to know other departments or research areas and meet new people.

3 - Moving cities or countries

Studying your Master's abroad is a great chance to get used to work on an international environment, adapt to a new way of life and accomplish new challenges. However, do keep in mind how is the climate, lifestyle and traditions of the places you are considering living in. For instance, I am not particularly bothered by Swedish cold winters, but I know some of my childhood friends would not be happy living in a country so up north.

Also, there will always be some culture shock, and it is important to expect it and be prepared to deal with it in the best way possible.

4 - Choosing the right university

Once I had an idea of what and where I wanted to study, I started to look into the universities I could apply to. I did it in the following way: I looked at how prestigious the university is in the topic I wanted to study, the type of programmes they offer (i.e. one year vs. two year Master's) and how my life could be while belonging to its student community.

5 - Programme curriculum

After having 5 universities in mind from different countries, I checked the Master's Programmes that they offered in the field of Bioinformatics. They all offered quite different Programmes with different focus, number of compulsory/elective courses... I spend some time in checking the courses and comparing the Programmes to rank them in a way that they would help me shape up my career.

I also gave a lot of importance to how the teaching methodology would be: I preferred something closer to a flipped classroom rather than the traditional teaching based on a lot of lectures and a huge final exam at the end.

6 - Practical knowledge is important!

For me, having lots on "hands on" assignments and practical learning was a very important aspect of my decision. Therefore, I checked how long the Master's Thesis would be, how many practical courses we would have and if there is any opportunity to get work experience as a part of the Master's Programme itself.

7 - Check the professors and department(s) involved

It could be a good idea to check the list of course responsibles of the Programme, since it can give you an idea of the researchers you will be interacting with. This is a great opportunity for finding out if there is a single department organising your Programme, or if it is a group of departments working together in it. Also, it can give you an idea of the strongest research topics associated to the Programme (which could be a potential Master's Thesis topic ;) ) and it gives a great chance to expand your work network and finding a PhD. position afterwards.

8 - Meet the students

Checking the admitted student profile (and speaking to one of them if possible) can give you an idea of how tough is to get in, which type of students are they looking for and how satisfied alumni are with the programme.

Knowing about the wanted student profile should also be easy just by looking at the Programme webpage, and do make sure you fulfill the requisites before applying, because no one wants to put time and effort on filling an application that will be dismissed in the very first step of the application evaluation process.

Knowing about how happy students are with the Programme and getting a deeper insight into it is not equally easy in all places. Thankfully, Karolinska Institutet has a great Digital Ambassador group (to which I am super, super happy to belong :) ) that helps students with their questions.

9 - Job hunting opportunities

We all would like to work after graduating, and although this could be quite different from students who want to stay in academia compared to those that want to jump into the industrial world, I think it is important to consider how well do alumni of the programme/university on finding a job after graduating. Also, it could be useful if the university has some job listings from which the alumni can benefit and a career service to orientate students in their future career choices.

10 - Facilities, scholarships and others

Last but not least, one should consider and compare the facilities in different universities, as well as the price of studying the programme. It can also be good to know, before putting any efforts in applying, if there are scholarship programs that the students can benefit from (either from the university or your home country).

I hope these tips were useful for you that are overwhelmed with all the Master's options out there. The most important thing is to take a deep breath, don't get stressed about all the possibilities and get excited about the new challenges and adventures that will be starting soon :)

Introduction

Biostatistics is the kind of course people often strongly like or dislike. However, majoring in Public Health, Biostatistics is a fundamental part of our program and future career.

Biostatistics was a course I felt stressed for as I did not know how hard it would be or if I would be behind. Before coming to Karolinska, I had only taken one biostatistics course. However, after talking to my classmates everyone had varying experiences with statistics. Some people had taken many courses and some had never taken one before. So do not worry, you can get through it and I hope this review helps you prepare a bit more. 

Leadership 

Throughout the course, we had one main course leader- Nicola Orsini, Associate Professor of Medical Statistics. He facilitated the course and we would contact him if we had any questions. He led some of the lectures, but the majority of our lectures throughout the 5 weeks were from various guest lecturers. We had two teaching assistants who led our vary coding labs in the afternoons. 

Course Structure

The course was broken down into 5 themes corresponding to each week: 

1. The empirical distribution of data 
2. Theoretical probability distributions 
3. Statistical inference on one population
4. Statistical inference on two or more populations 
5. Correlation and tables for epidemiologists

Time Structure 

We had lecture Monday-Thursday, 9:00-12:00 and computer labs for our STATA coding program 13:00-18:00. Every Friday we did not have a lecture and this was our time to do individual reading, preparation and complete our weekly quiz. 

Assignments 

Throughout the course, we had various mandatory assignments, including weekly quizzes, a weekly reflection presentation and an individual assignment. Our main assignments were: 

Assignment #1: Group Weekly Review Presentation - we divided into groups and at the end of each week your group was to review the material from that week and present the summary to the class. Each group member was responsible for presenting 5 min.

Assignment #2: Individual STATA Assignment 

This was our main assignment throughout the course and was designed to assess our skills using our coding program STATA. It consisted of 5 questions that could all be answered in the coding program using the commands we had learned throughout the course. 

Exam  

We concluded the course with a final exam.

Studying: We were responsible to study all the material from lectures and the corresponding readings. He gave us the formula sheet that we would get on the exam ahead of time so we knew what to expect and what formulas we needed to know. Additionally, on CANVAS he uploaded a previous exam which gave us an idea of the types of questions.

Grading: Before the exam, we went over the exam format and expectations. Additionally, he clarified how we could get full marks or part marks. 

Logistics: The exam itself was 3 hours and was a mixture of short answer and multiple choice. We were given the same formula sheet and we were allowed a calculator. Once you finished, you handed in your booklet.

Course Grading

Here is a picture that shows the breakdown of our marks

Pros/Cons

In my opinion, the main pro of this course was that we had the opportunity to gain some experience coding which will be a very employable skill in the future. My main personal con was that we simultaneously were learning the statistics and the coding program which made it challenging for me to fully grasp and excel in either topic.

Overall, do not stress, you can do it and you will find a learning style that works for you!

Thanks for reading and contact me if you have any questions!

Lauren

lauren.elizabeth.wiebe@stud.ki.se

I remember the feeling during the application process last year. I was anxious, full of stress, my head was all over the place. At some point I just started to look for support anywhere: family, friends, random people on social media. Nonetheless, most of the times I found myself lost because I knew no one who had succeeded before in getting admitted to Karolinska Institutet. I felt like looking for Nemo without the help from any Dory.

In order to help actual and future prospective students for the Health Economics, Policy and Management programme, I asked a few questions to some of my peers about their own thoughts regarding the application process. I hope their answers provide you with some sort of emotional support and boosts your confidence towards your application.

Note: Please note that the content of the answers are personal opinions and do not represent official information about the application process. For any concerns regarding admissions please contact the Admissions Office or check their website here.

Let's get started!

Heloisa Ricci Conesa

• Home country: Brazil
• Age: 31
• Background/degree: Pharmacy and Biochemistry
• Previous university: University of São Paulo

What motivated you to study HEPM?

Ever since I was doing my bachelor’s I developed an interest in health economics to learn how healthcare institutions can make the best decisions on which treatments should be provided to patients.

What, in your own opinion, was your biggest asset and your biggest flaw?

My professional experience in pharmacovigilance – which is the area dedicated to evaluate the risk-benefit of medicines – including a few years in a WHO Collaborating Centre, is definitely a great asset. However, as an introvert person it is quite challenging for me to speak up and share my knowledge with other people.

Any personal tips for the personal statement?

Focus on who you are as a person instead of describing your academic or professional backgrounds (leave that for your CV). Also, think about how you envision that the knowledge acquired at KI will help you in achieving your goals.

Mandy Grewal

• Home country: United Kingdom
• Age: 33
• Background/degree: University College London

Why did you apply to KI?

I plan to work in public health and wanted to study in-depth about health systems and policy.  Karolinska has a great reputation and is one of relatively few places that has an English-language Master’s programme focusing on that.  Furthermore, I liked the fact HEPM was a two-year programme as I wanted to gain a deep understanding of the subject matter. Studying abroad at KI, and living in Stockholm is a great opportunity to gain a fresh perspective and to ‘internationalise’ my CV.  It also means I can stay in the EU a bit longer!

What was the most challenging part of your application process?

The application form is not complicated,but it’s quite long so can be time consuming.  I found that some of the evidence eg for extracurricular activities I required was difficult to locate (I left med school in 2011 and have moved home numerous times since then) and required me to contact my former university and organisations I’d volunteered with.  Some of the staff who knew me had since moved to other jobs, and one organisation had even wiped their ‘unnecessary data’ in preparation for the introduction of GDPR.  

Any personal advice for surviving the application process?

Read around the differences between courses within KI and between universities to ensure you are selecting the best course for you.  I found the blogs by digital ambassadors helpful and also sent emails to students in the year above which helped me to select this programme over others.  

In terms of the application form: update your CV, this will help to focus your mind for some of the questions.  Try to start on time and ask people you trust to give you constructive feedback on the personal statement as you need to sell yourself whilst being concise.

Jack Latteur

• Home country: United Kingdom
• Age: 23
• Background/degree: BSc in Economics
• Previous university: Maastricht University (The Netherlands)

What motivated you to study HEPM?

I wanted to use my economic background to do something I believed to be beneficial to society. I looked through many areas but none captured my attention quite like that of health economics. 

How long did it take you to complete all your application?

It took me a few months whilst I was finishing my studies, I spent time mostly on the motivation letter but also on figuring out the Swedish application system and which documents I had to submit.

What, in your own opinion, was your biggest asset and your biggest flaw?

My biggest flaw in my application was probably my academic background itself, I only had a bachelor with a modest GPA. My biggest strength would probably be the extra curricular experience I had.

Maria del Pilar Vidaurre

• Home country: Spain
• Age: 23
• Background/degree: BSc in Biomedical Sciences
• Previous university: Universitat de Barcelona

Why did you apply to KI?

During my Bachelor’s I had heard of the quality in research and the high-profile nature of Karolinska, and looking at the Master programs in the website I found the ideal one for me! I valued a lot being able to study in an environment where scientific rigour is ensured.

How long did it take you to complete all your application?

I don’t think it’s a particularly long process, as there is limited documentation that you need to provide, so for me the writing of the motivation letter was definitely the longest part of the process. I think that taking your time and devoting a few minutes everyday you can have it ready in a week.

Any personal advice for surviving the application process?

I do think that the motivation letter is a key aspect of your application, so it’s worth taking your time with it! In my case, I believe that my motivation letter together with previous international experiences (two Erasmus and one internship back home) were of great help!

Hope you enjoyed the blogpost! Click here to check my post about different student profiles in the HEPM class and here to learn more about our programme's demographics.

Cheers from the not-so-cold north (for the moment),

Julio Sosa

email: julio.sosa@stud.ki.se

Linkedin: https:/www.linkedin.com/in/julio-sosa-maldonado-659301175/

Instagram: @julio.sosam

Welcome back to my blog! First of all I want to wish you all a happy 2020 and I hope that 2019 had been a very nice and productive year. This time I am going to discuss briefly and in a very personal way how this first semester of my master’s programme was and how it felt. I hope that this little reflexion about my experiences as first year student at this programme helps you to have an idea of how being tox student feels.

Expectations vs Reality

I must admit that since I started my very first day at the Toxicology programme until this day, the way I see and feel the programme has changed. This means that some of my expectations were different to what I awaited, but it is normal to always expect things from new places and experiences right? In my particular case, from this programme I was expecting it to be a little bit easier, more flexible and differently organized.

The reality is that there were many things that caught me by surprise and others that were completely new to me. Example of this is on how formal and serious the procedure for taking an exam is. This is because every time there is exam, you take it in a special room for examinations in which there is always someone watching over you in order to avoid cheating among students. Also, before taking it you need to read all the instructions carefully, leave your belongings and bring an official ID.

Another example is the type of questions in the exams, especially those ones in the second course (upcoming course review). In a written examination with open questions I would usually expect questions in which you have to remember concepts, definitions, molecules, etc. In these types of questions you have not only to learn the concepts but also to apply those to a specific case. The problem is that sometimes these questions can be very tricky and easy to mistake.

What did I learn?

During this first semester I learned many things which were not only related to academic stuff. I learned to tolerate frustration better, to handle stress slightly better and to study in group with friends, something that I have never ever done before. I reaffirmed that even if you love your programme sometimes it will make you suffer and maybe even hate it momentarily.  I also learned that when you are passing thru a lot you just have to give yourself some space and time to clear the mind. My head is now full with many toxic mechanisms and adverse outcomes in diverse organs, which honestly was a tough process to go thru but was worth it, because it changed my way to see Toxicology and the programme itself.

Concluding hallmarks

To finalize this blog I would like to give some advices and thoughts regarding my own experiences:

• Always study hard, the lectures, your notes and everything else you feel is necessary to be ready for the exam
• If the result is not what you expected, do not worry and do not be sad that does not mean that you are not good at something
• Exams do not always reflect all the potential a student might have, they are just one more examination tool
• It is totally valid to have expectations, but remember that usually the reality is different and it tends to be very nice
• Do not let stress dominate your lifestyle, remember that outside your academic life you have also your own and personal life
• Always try to be positive

I finally will say that in despite of there have been some rough moments during the semester my love and passion for the programme has not changed and I just want to keep learning and preparing myself to be a good toxicologist

Remember that this blog and the advices have been based on my own experience at the Toxicology programme, who knows… maybe you will experience different things and sensations.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me and if you want to discover more about the contents and description of the programme you can visit the Toxicology programme website and read my tox blogs!

Aline Colonnello: gloria.aline.colonnello.montero@stud.ki.se