Interns to be Cut

Queues for medical students waiting to commence their internships at Norwegian hospitals are set to lengthen further, following the decision of Oslo\'s largest hospital, Ullevål Sykehus, to cut intern positions. The hospital has been obliged to downsize its organisation with 526 positions in the course of the next two years, and eliminating the dozen intern positions is one step towards achieving this. Ragnhild Støen, the vice-president of the Norwegian Association of Medical Students, expects the Government Office for the Authorization of Health Personnel to reverse the hospital\'s decision. Medical students currently wait six months for a position as an intern; queues for internships are expected to grow in the next few years, a problem which will be exacerbated if Ullevål Sykehus maintains its stand. Internships for midwives and physiotherapists are also to be cut.