This article is translated from Norwegian to English by UiOGPT
"There is a shortage of psychologists in Innlandet. The University of Oslo (UiO) and Innlandet Hospital (SI) want to do something about it," says Rector Svein Stølen and CEO Alice Beathe Andersgaard.
UiO and SI are now looking into the possibility of collaborating to implement fixed parts of the practice in the clinical training of psychology students in Innlandet. The goal is to have more qualified psychologists in Innlandet and to strengthen the research collaboration between the institutions.
"Our societal mission is to meet the need for psychologists across the entire South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority. A collaboration on clinical training between Innlandet Hospital and UiO will ensure better and more predictable expertise and access to quality healthcare in the Innlandet region," says Rector Svein Stølen.
"We need more psychologists and specialist psychologists at Innlandet Hospital to ensure the population receives quality health services in the future, says Alice Beathe Andersgaard. She believes the collaboration with the University of Oslo will ensure predictability and access to qualified psychologists in the region, for the benefit of the population."
The two institutions will sign a letter of intent shortly, and the steering committee has appointed a working group. They will look at recommendations for how a so-called decentralized psychology education program can best be implemented. Some things are already clear, explains Rector Svein Stølen:
"The education will be provided by UiO and the practical training carried out in Innlandet. We aim to establish a separate admission for decentralized education to ensure good access to psychologists in Innlandet, and so that both the students and the region have the necessary predictability."
The board at Innlandet Hospital also reacted positively to the plans when the matter was presented at the meeting in April.
"The hospital currently spends a lot of money on hiring temporary workers and paying overtime in order to compensate for the lack of psychologists," explains CEO Alice Beathe Andersgaard.
If new study places become available for this important collaboration, the goal is for the first students in a decentralized study program with its own admission to start in the fall of 2026. Until these students start their practical training, there is an objective to increase the number of students completing their practice at Innlandet Hospital. Collaboration and dialogue with local partners will be very important in the process and the implementation.