Alternative selection for the medicine and dentistry programmes cancelled for autumn semester 2021
Karolinska Institutet has decided to cancel alternative selection for the medicine programme (PIL) and dentistry programme (TAPIL) for autumn semester 2021. Instead, for the autumn semester 2021 admission round, the only selection criteria for these programmes will be grades (66%) and the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (34%).
Alternative selection was previously cancelled for autumn semester 2020 and spring semester 2021 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been no change in the conditions for conducting examinations and interviews on campus since these earlier decisions were taken. The most recent decision concluded that it was not possible to conduct alternative selections remotely, which remains the case. The majority of applicants are in the age group 18-29 and many travel from other parts of Sweden.
“In our judgement, there is a significant risk of spreading infection in conjunction with travelling to and taking the examination, which may well lead to more people falling ill with COVID-19,” says Christopher Sönnerbrandt, head of the Study Administration Unit at Karolinska Institutet.
A further obstacle to alternative selection to the medicine programme is presented by the fact that the doctors required to conduct interviews are unavailable due to the increased burden of work on healthcare professionals during the pandemic.