Bergen

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway, with a population of 270000. The city is in Hordaland on the west coast of Norway, known for the Fjords and Dales, an amazing nature characteristic that we will visit in the social program. Seven mountains surround Bergen, and hiking is a common activity here. Up one mountain is a funicular, and on the top there is a panorama view of the city: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkkUBZpOyjo, There is also an aerial tramway up to Ulriken, the highest mountain surrounding the city with an altitude of 643. (Pic of the view from Ulriken by night)

Bergen is an old city and was the capital of Norway before. The city was an important trade port, and a bureau city of the Hanseatic League. Exclusive rights to mediate trade between Northern Norway and abroad made Bergen internationally important and the culture and the regional dialect is greatly influenced by this. Bryggen in Bergen, an old quaysite build by the hanseatic merchants, is on the list of UNESCOs World Heritage Sites, and a place we definitely will have a look at during your stay here! The first picture has parts of Bryggen on it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryggen

There are four places to study medicine in Norway and the University of Bergen (UiB) is one of those. UiB has 16,000 students and 3,000 staff, making it the third-largest educational institution in Norway. Its mostly located within the city center, but the medical faculty is near Haukeland University Hospital, a 10 minutes bus drive from the center. The medical research will happen at Haukeland University Hospital and in the neighbour building.

Transportation:Bergen Airport, Flesland, is located about 20 minuts from the city center, and is the prefered way of entering when arriving from outside the country. From the airport there are buses going into the city, and you can always take a taxi. There is also a train station in the city center with trains going to Oslo, a 7-8 hours ride away. In and around the city there is a good network of buses lines, so it is quite easy to get around. Transportation from where you are staying to the hospital will be by foot or bus.

Attractions in Bergen and around the city:Flibanen the funicle up to the mountain Flyen, is a must see. The tour up is fun, and the view from the top is amazing! It is possible to borrow canoes and grills on the top. This is one of the places we plan on BBQing during your stay in Bergen! www.floibanen.com

Ulriksbanen the aeria tramway up one of the mountains is a nice attraction. We will take you all hiking in one of the mountains around the city, so please bring shoes that you can hike in! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulriksbanen

Bryggen as written above, one of bergens oldes buildings made by the hanseatic merchants, and on the World Heritage Sites. These houses are really beautiful and give a nice insight/idea of how people lived in Bergen from the 13-17th century. Bryggen is definitely a place to visit during your stay in Bergen!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryggenhttp://whc.unesco.org/en/list/59

The wooden houses In some areas of Bergen, like Sandviken and Nordnes, the houses are built only in wood, and are either built wall-to-wall, or so close to each other that there are only small alleys between them. These areas are very cosy and idyllic, and will show you the real Bergen athmosfere.

Gamlehaugen - is a mansion in Bergen and the residence of the Norwegian Royal Family in the city. It lays close to the ocean, and is a nice place to take a swim after seeing the beautiful building. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamlehaugen

Hurtigruten this is a boat going up the coast of Norway. It is an amazing trip, where you get to see a lot of Norway. Hurtigruten goes by the best travel destination in Scandinavia (by Lonely Planet), the Geirangerfjord. The tour with Hurtigruten can be a long trip, depending on how long you want to stay at the boat. This will not be part of our social program, but if you want to see more of Norway during or after your stay in Bergen, this is a nice tour to take (but expensive). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geiranger). http://www.hurtigruten.com/?country=GL

The aquarium- is a nice place to visit if you want to see what kind of seaanimals that live in the North sea and outside the coast of Norway. The aquarium also give you the opportunity to see seals (they have a seal-show where the seals do different tricks quite funny), and animals that don`t live utside the coast of Norway, like pinguins, monkeys, aligators, snakes, spiders, and some others repiles. http://akvariet.no/?gclid=CPuH4cPgob4CFYLNcgodJS4AoQ

Fjords and mountains The west coast of Norway is know for its wild and impressive nature. We have deep fjords between mountain about 1000 meter high, small farms on the mountain sides, where you wouldnt believe it was possible to live. This is a MUST SEE, and we will visit it during Fjord trip (see social program). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardangerfjord Hardangervidda is a mountain plateau in central southern Norway. It is a popular hiking place for people from all over Norway, and on of Norways biggest glaciers, Hardangerjkulen is situated here. It is the largest plateau of its kind in Europe, and part of the Fjords and Mountains trip in our social program. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardangerj%C3%B8kulen and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardangervidda These are only a few of the attractions you can experience in Bergen. The link below links to a website telling about several more things you can experience in Bergen and on the West coast of Norway.http://www.visitnorway.com/en/?utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=domain&utm_source=visitnorway_noNorwegian culture:Norway is a democracy, which is marked by the socialistic way of thinking. The working part of the inhabitants pays a lot in taxes, which results in free education (including our medical education), free hospital, one-year long maternity leave and more. The government rules Norway and we also have a royal family, but the king and the queen have no political power.

The Norwegian culture is marked by the fact that Norway is a rich country, making a lot of money on the oil in the North Sea. The wealth is distributed among the people, so the economical gap between groups in the society is smaller than many other countries. This contributes to a peaceful country with low crime rates. Norway has the highest Human Development index rating in the world.

Norway adopted Christianity in about 1000 AD, and most people still consider themselves Christian (Evangelical Lutheran), even though few goes to church except at Christmas Eve. Same-sex and hetro relationships are equal under the Norwegian law, and homosexual couples can display their relationship as openly as heterosexual couples.

Speaking the English language, you can expect to be understood in all situations. You can pay with credit cards everywhere, and ATMs are frequently found. The dress code is generally casual, also at work and social happenings. The city has a very low crime rate. There is of course much more to say about the Norwegian culture, but it is mostly an open, western society were equality is a main idea.

SCOPE July 2015There are 8 students coming to Bergen on SCOPE exchange in July 2015. All will work at Haukeland University Hospital, and in the following departments:NameF/MFromDepartment

Thomas KartikaMUSASurgery - General

Francisco GonalvesMPortugalInternal Medicine - General

Nicols Melis GonzlezMChileInternal Medicine - General

Paula HorsleyFCanadaInternal Medicine - General

Ornella MasimbiFRwandaHeart department

Simba FidelMRwandaHeart department

Suan (Nicole) HwangFTaiwanSurgery - General

Shohei Ikeda MJapanSurgery - Orthopedics

Working hours and the hospitalWorking ours is regulated in Norway by the law. During a week, it is normal to work 37 hours that is 7, 5 hours per day. However, some professions have a lot of overtime work, and doctor is one of those professions. While participating in the SCOPE exchange, it is expected that you work 7,5 hours per day. You will mostly be working daytime on the weekdays, but if you have other preferences this can be arrange with your representative doctor.

Our SCOPE participants will be in Haukeland University hospital. Haukeland University Hospital (HUS) is the third largest hospital in Norway, and have national competence in many fields. At the hospital, you will get scrubs and a locker from the hospital, so you dont have to take that with you when you come to Norway. The hospital is a 10 min bus drive from the city centre, and hass a nice cafeteria where lunch will be provided. We will show you around in the hospital on the first day . HUS: http://www.helse-bergen.no/english/Sider/side.aspx Address HUS: Jonas Liesvei 65, 5021 Bergen,

In the cafeteria we have an agreement about lunch. You will have 50 Norwegian crones (NOK) a day for food in the cafeteria, and we will tell you about this system when you get here

SCORE July 2015There are 4 students coming on research exchange in July 2015.NameF/MFromDepartmentMain Tutor

Joao NapoliMBrazilClinical ScienceSilke Appel

Safira RosalinaFIndonesiaMedical Department HUSTrygve Hausken

Rolando Ayax Gonzalez LealMMexicoMedical Department HUSTrygve Hausken

Sarah BenammiFMoroccoMedical Department HUSTrygve Hausken

As a SCORE student you will be participating in a research programme for the four weeks you are in Bergen. It is expected that you are working 7,5 hours a day, as the SCOPE students are expected to. You will receive lunch in the hospital cafeteria just as the SCOPE students. We will tell you more about the lunch system when we introduce you to the hospital area.The department of clinical science lies in a building in the hospital area, but not in the main building. The Medical Department lies in the main building. This links to a map over the Haukeland campus: http://www.helse-bergen.no/no/OmOss/Sider/Kart-Haukelandsomr%C3%A5det.aspx. Unfortunately it is only available in Norwegian, but number 17 (sentralblokka) is the main building where the SCOPE students will be during their stay as well as the three in the medical department. Number 25 is the building where the department of clinical science is based. It is called Laboratoriebygget. As you can see there is only a short distance between the two buildings which are connected with a walking bridge.

HousingAll of you are going to stay at a student residence called Haukelandsbakken studenthome, a 5-10 minutes walk from Haukeland University Hospital (HUS). Each of you will have your own room, but you will have to share shower, WC and kitchen. There will be a common kitchen, a common shower and common WC`s on every floor, additionally, there will be a TV-room in the building and a basement with washing machines. We dont know if there will be staying other students in the dormitory, but be prepared for that there might stay other students there.

The rooms are furnished with a bed, a desk, a shelf and a sink. We will also make sure there are Wireless/Wi-Fi internet for you. There will be a 10 minutes walk from this student home to the bus stop, and a 10 minutes bus drive from the bus stop to the centre of Bergen. This webpage shows some info about the student residence: http://haukelandsbakken-studentheim.no/english/english.html

We rent the apartments from the Sunday 28.06 and we do not have a place you can stay before that. You will have to order a hotel/hostel yourself, and then move over to the apartments on Sunday 28.06. The last night we have the rooms are the night between 25.07 and 26.07.

MRSA and Tuberculosis testMRSA: For all students minus Joao Napoli: To work on a Norwegian Hospital or take part in a clinical research project with patient contact you have to show a negative MRSA test from voth nose and throat. The test can be no more than two weeks old when you start your internship, and you cannot be in contact with patients after the test is taken for the result to be valid. The results in English must be uploaded with the card of documents, sent to u.mf.bergen@gmail.com or showed to the LEOs upon arrival.

If you have absolutely no possibility to take the test before arrival, we can take the test here. This has a few disadvantages; The test can firstly be taken on Tuesday 30.06 and getting the results takes one-two days, and you cant start your internship before the results are back. The first possible day you can start your internship is then either Thursday or Friday, and you thereby have to attend all other days to have the 80 % attendance to get the diploma. Let us know if you have to take the test upon arrival so we can book the consult with the hospital.

Tuberculosis: Students studying in the following countries, Taiwan, Rwanda, Morocco and Indonesia, needs to take a tuberculosis test in addition to the MRSA, as this is a requirement for working on a Norwegian Hospital. This test is a chest x-ray with fast results, and will be on one of the first days of your stay. We will contact you with updated information when we know exactly the time and date. The test is paid by NMSA, and must be done upon arrival.

FacebookWe have created a facebook group for all the incoming exchange students this summer. Please click the link and ask to be a member.https://www.facebook.com/groups/932862683414327/ We will probably use facebook for organizing the social program while you are here

Social programThe social program does not have dates yet for the different activities because Torunn and Tonje havent gotten their work schedule yet. Some of the activities are funnier in nice weather, so we will decide on the time for the activities when you get here. Here are some of the activities we hope to include in the social program for this year:

Fjord and mountain tourTrip in one of the weekends to Hardangerfjord and Hardangervidda. The first one is an amazing fjord, surrounded by high mountains. We will stop to take photos and maybe eat lunch by the fjord. Three hours from Bergen Torunns family own a cabin, and we will have a sleepover there. There are 9 sleeping spots in the cabin, and we will put up a lavvo outside for the rest to sleep in. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavvu ) My cabin lays hundred meters from Vringsfossen waterfall, probably the most famous waterfall in Norway. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%B8ringsfossen) The next day we will go to Hardangervidda, the mountain plateau and do some hiking. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardangervidda ) and drive back to Bergen by one of the small sweet villages on the way ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voss ). The cost for the drive and for food for the weekend will be share between the participants.

National food and drink partyIn real IFMSA spirit, we wish to have a National Food and Drink Party (NFDP)! If every incoming student brings a type of food and a type of drink typical in their country, we can get to know each other cultures better, and have a great time! Please bring some food or a recipe (it doesnt have to be really fancy ;) ) and a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic, your choice), and we will have a small NFDP of our own.

Hiking Mount FlyenWe will do hiking in the mountain around Bergen. This is real fun, and you have an amazing view of the city. Flyen is a small mountain, but on top there are many possibilities for BBQing and we can borrow canoes to canoe on a small lake. We might also take the funicular one way.

City tour One of the first days we will do a city tour of the centre of Bergen. As an old and important trade city, Bergen has multiple historical sites and many beautiful parts. We will walk around seeing different sights and telling you about the citys history and life her today. Among other sights we will visit the amazing harbour area, Bryggen.

Sites around the city centerWe will arrange afternoon trips to different sites around Bergen city. Among the places we hope to visit is Gamlehaugen, the residence of the royal family when visiting in Bergen, Trollhaugen, the house of the famous artiest Edward Grieg, and Fantoft Stavkirke, a church build in the traditional Norwegian style.

The rest of the social program will be planed later on, and will consist of get-togethers, BBQ and going out together. If there is anything special you want to do, please contact us and we will try to include it in the program We will send you the list with dates and time closer to your exchange

Climate:The climate in Norway is a lot colder than in the countries more south. Norwegian summer is from June to August, and this is these months are the warmest and most sunny parts of the year.Bergen is a city on the west side of Norway, and lies between several mountains by the sea. This leads to the high amount of rainy days in Bergen, the city is actually know for being the most rainy city in Norway. The average temperature in July is 14 C, however, in the summer, the temperature might rise to 30 degrees of Celsius, and the sun often shines, but you have to be prepared for cold and wet summer days as well.

When staying in Bergen, you should bring both summer clothes, like shorts and T-shirts, and warmer clothes for the colder days, like jeans, warm sweaters and a jacket. It would also be smart to bring an umbrella, some boots that dont get wet while raining (like rain boots), and a raincoat.

Sunrise in Bergen in the summer is about 4.30 and sunset at 23.00, and between dawn and dusk there is only 1 hour and 45 minutes at the lightest! What we lack in sunshine, we make up in hours of daylight! ;) Norway is in the time zone UTC+1, but we have Central European Summer Time, so from 05.04 until 26.10 we are UTC+2.

Price level and costsNorway is an expensive country! Food, clothes, trips etc. costs a good deal of money, but most of the products have good quality in return. You wont get tricked when buying clothes, trips, etc in Norway, there is no bargaining on the prices.

While participating in the exchange program, you will get one free meal at the cafeteria at the hospital, but you should prepare for the price level on the food. Here is some examples of the costs, so you get an idea of the price level:

Eating on a restaurant cost from 18-25 for a dish Dinner at the student cafeteria is 8 A beer at a bar about 8 . Bus ticket 4,5 A night at a hotel about 100 for a normal room Bread at the supermarket 3 Milk 1,5 1 L of gasoline 1,9 Taxi form the airport 50 The airport bus 8-10.

You can get a student discount on attractions and bus tickets with the international student card (isic -> http://www.isic.org/get-your-card/ ). (the prices are in euros, so you can relate to them more easily. Norway is not a part of the European Union, and our current is Norwegian krone (NOK). 1 is about 9 NOK)

What you need to bring Stethoscope Student hand book from your NMO (National Member Organisation) Terrain shoes for light hiking Raincoat and probably rain pants Warm clothes Summer clothes Bathing suit Umbrella Shoes that can take some water (like rain boots) Hiking shoes/sneakers/training shoes for tracking and sightseeing A type of food and drink from your country Camera (you want pictures of the summer of your dreams) Nice clothes for going out/ going to a party