In recent years, HSN in Akureyri has been quite successful in attracting healthcare professionals from the south to the north, not least medical students and physicians in their clinical foundation year (formerly internship year), many of whom have later chosen to specialize in family medicine. The number of family medicine residents at HSN has grown rapidly, from four at the end of 2020 to a total of seventeen resident positions across HSN today. Most of these positions are based in Akureyri, with three located at HSN clinics outside Akureyri — in Sauðárkrókur, Siglufjörður, and Húsavík.

Guðrún Dóra Clarke, Medical Director at HSN, has led HSN’s outreach efforts to medical students both in Iceland and abroad, together with family medicine residents and other physicians at HSN who have contributed to presenting HSN as an attractive option.

“We are welcoming medical students who have studied both in Iceland and abroad, including in Slovakia and Hungary, and we introduce them to the possibility of completing their foundation year in Akureyri. We put a great deal of effort into making them feel welcome and part of the team. We have built a strong professional environment and are constantly developing, reviewing, and seeking ways to improve our processes and adopt new technologies. This has resulted in students forming stronger ties to the region, seeing themselves staying here longer term, and even choosing family medicine as their specialty. Our new facilities in Sunnuhlíð are also a great example of the excellent working conditions we can offer. This can also have wider positive effects — doctors get to know our operations thoroughly and will hopefully speak well of working outside the capital, wherever that might be.”

From Denmark to Reykjavík to Akureyri — bringing the family along

HSN has recently been fortunate to welcome three foundation-year doctors — now family medicine residents — who studied in Slovakia and Denmark: Ólöf Kristín Þorsteinsdóttir, Kristín Erla Kristjánsdóttir, and Melkorka Diljá Reynisdóttir. Melkorka will begin her residency this spring. All of them decided to settle in the north, pursue a residency in family medicine, and work at HSN in Akureyri.

Ólöf moved to Akureyri with her husband, Birkir Örn Sveinsson, an orthopedic surgery resident, during her foundation year in 2024. She has been a family medicine resident since December of last year.

“I’m from Reykjavík — as are the three of us. Moving to the countryside wasn’t originally part of the plan, but when we returned home after medical school, it proved difficult to settle in Reykjavík. We were newly graduated, had children who didn’t get daycare placements, and struggled to find suitable housing. So we decided to move north for the foundation year, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions we’ve made, both professionally and personally.

During the foundation year, I was torn between specializing in family medicine or emergency medicine. I chose family medicine because it offers more opportunities to work closely and extensively with patients. But there’s an unexpected twist — during the residency here in Akureyri, we also take shifts and go on call-outs with the ambulance for emergencies. So in a way, I’ve ended up with the best of both worlds.”

Teamwork ensures better service and professional support

A new team-based working model is a cornerstone of the operations at HSN in Akureyri and a key factor in providing better service to patients.

“At the health center, we all begin the day together, discussing issues that arose during shifts, and then we work in smaller interdisciplinary teams — doctors, nurses, medical records specialists, and sometimes nutritionists and psychologists. We exchange ideas and solutions, each bringing different insights and experience. This also improves patient care, because if a physician is absent and unable to follow up, the team moves the case forward. It ensures continuity of care and provides professional support, especially for young physicians taking their first steps. It also strengthens us as a whole, distributes workload, and helps prevent burnout.

During my studies I worked a lot in teams, and again and again it became clear that outcomes were always better when more people contributed. I still believe that.”

Quality of life and calm living outside the capital

For Ólöf and her family, it wasn’t just the work that drew them north — it was also the quality of life.

“We have no regrets about moving here, and we have already bought a home. It’s an outdoor paradise, it’s wonderful for children, everything is close by, essential services are within reach, and we can walk or cycle almost everywhere, just like we were used to abroad. There is a good balance between work and personal life. It’s pure quality of life.”