The steering committee of the Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine Intensive Care Advanced Educational Programme (SSAI-IC AEP) arranges a training programme in intensive care medicine open to dedicated physicians with adequate training in anaesthesiology. The main purpose of the programme is to prepare future senior intensive care specialists and ICU directors for their ever more complicated tasks. Working in groups and building networks with Nordic colleagues is an essential part of the programme.

• The application period has a strict deadline May 1st 2025
• The training period is 2 years, starting with the first course in January/February 2026
• The number of candidates in the programme is normally limited to 30
• EDIC exams give priority if the number of applications exceeds 30
• If less than 15 applicants qualify, the programme may be postponed for one year
• Accepted candidates will be encouraged to sit for the EDIC I during the two-year programme
• An academic approach, based on Nordic intensive care medicine, will be applied to all topics
• Problem-oriented presentations, case discussions, hot topics, pro – con debates will be in focus
• Selected ICU projects must be presented in an upcoming Nordic congress

The two years of clinical training should cover all essential fields of Intensive Care Medicine. 
The trainee should spend approximately 12 months in a general intensive care unit.
The remaining 12 months should consist of training in at least two university hospital units caring for:

• Cardiovascular surgical, thoracic surgical and cardiac intensive care patients.
• Neurosurgical and neurological intensive care patients.
• Neonatal/pediatric intensive care patients.
• Burn-injuries.

The programme includes five compulsory four-day courses. These courses will be arranged on sites inDenmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the common language is English. To achieve the goal of creating a close networking atmosphere the participants are expected to participate in the scheduled sessions and social functions at the course sites. Dates appear in the appendix of the Terms and Curriculum.

The programme includes a mandatory period of auscultation in an ICU in another country. This may be fulfilled in different ways, please see Terms and Curriculum.

The trainees will also have to complete an ICU project during their two-year training. This project could be a research project, quality assurance or development project or a literature review of agreed subject. The topic must be related to intensive care medicine. If the trainee has already an ongoing project it may be included, for example as part of an ongoing or recently passed PhD research programme During the two-year training period, the trainee must expect to spend 4-8 weeks full-time on the project. During the last course, the best projects will be selected for presentation in an upcoming Nordic congress for which the registration fee may be offered. The director of the SSAI-IC programme or the national representatives in the Steering Committee below are available for advice about the requirements of a project.

Holders of the European Diploma in Intensive Care Medicine part one (EDIC I) will be given priority should there be a high number of applications. Accepted candidates without EDIC I will be strongly encouraged and supported to sit the examination as soon as possible during the programme. The rationale for this is to strengthen the base for problem-oriented presentations, case discussions, hot topics, pro – con debates etc. 

Trainees having completed the two-year training programme, including all the 5 courses, the ICU project, the international exchange and passing the EDIC I and II exams can apply for the Scandinavian Diploma in Intensive Care Medicine, SDIC.

All compulsory expenses for this programme (including course fees, travelling, accommodation and salary during the ICU project) must be covered by the host clinic. The course fee for each of the 5 four-day courses is 980 Euro VAT excluded. The course fee does not include travel cost and accommodation. Accommodation may be arranged differently 1n different course sites. Travel must always be booked by the trainee/host clinic.

Specialists in anaesthesia & intensive care in the Nordic Countries, who have finished their specialty training within the last 5 years are the prime target applicants. Specialists from other countries and disciplines are welcome to apply but will have less priority than Nordic anaesthesiologists if the number of applicants is high. Non-anaesthesiologists must complete a minimum of 12 consecutive months of anaesthesia training to be eligible. They should apply within 5 years of finishing their training in the primary specialty and within 3 years of completing their anaesthesia training. 

Membership in SSAI is mandatory, usually through a membership in a national body. Non-Nordic applicants should contact the secretary of the programme for orientation on how to obtain a society membership in one of the Nordic countries.

Applicants are selected at the discretion of the steering committee according to quality of the application, the ranked quality of their affiliation, clinical skills, academic merits, proposed ICU rotation, proposed ICU project, proposed training abroad and personal motivation. The ranking principles accord with applicable SSAI Educational Committee guidelines. EDIC exams constitute a merit.

1. Application form complete and signed by the applicant and the head of department.
2. Curriculum vitae. 
3. Personal letter informing about the applicant’s motivation and expectations from the programme.
4. Letter of recommendation from a superior documenting the applicant’s interest in and commitment to intensive care medicine.
5. Suggested clinical rotation in different ICUs during the two-years training period.
6. ICU project proposal including an academic tutor. Define topic/title and design the project (background info, aim, hypothesis, methods and timetable; 250-500 words plus references).
7. Proof of membership of a national body within the SSAI.
8. Proof of EDIC results or the EDIC diploma when applicable.
9. A recent picture of the applicant.

Applications with attachments should be sent by e-mail to the programme secretary at katja.andersson@surgsci.uu.se between April 1 and May 1, 2025.

For further information please contact the chairman or any of the national representatives in the SSAI-IC Steering Committee.

Prof. Christian Rylander, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden, 
christian.rylander@uu.se, phone +46 736 60 14 75

Prof. Johanna Hästbacka, Tampere University Hospital, Finland
johanna.hastbacka@tuni.fi

Prof. Martin Sigurdsson, Landspitali University Hosp, Reykjavik, Iceland,
martin@landspitali.is

Dr. Katrín María Þormar, Landspitali University Hosp, Reykjavik, Iceland, 
kata@landspitali.is

Prof. Sten Rubertsson, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden, 
sten.rubertsson@uu.se

Prof. Miklos Lipcsey, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden, 
miklos.lipcsey@uu.se

Dr. Anna Somell, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden, 
anna.somell@regionstockholm.se

Dr Rosa Vieweg, Linköping University Hospital, Sweden, 
rosavieweg@regionostergotland.se

Prof. Morten H. Bestle, Copenhagen University Hospital – North Zealand, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, morten.bestle@regionh.dk

Dr. Meike Tomesch Bezhadi, Aalborg University Hospital, Ålborg, Denmark, 
meike.tomesch@rn.dk

Dr Sigurdur Sigurdsson, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark, sigurdur.thor.sigurdsson@regionh.dk

Prof. Tor Inge Tønnessen, Oslo University Hospital, Norway, 
t.i.tonnessen@medisin.uio.no

Assoc. Prof. Sören Pischke, Oslo University Hospital, Norway, 
s.e.pischke@medisin.uio.no