Duration: 3 years, one of which is abroad.

Objective

The specialist training is based on an Icelandic curriculum, which in turn is built on the framework of the UEMS curriculum and certified by the Evaluation and Credentials Committee of the Ministry of Health in accordance with Regulation 856/2023.

About the programme

Allergy and immunology is one of the youngest medical specialties and has grown significantly in recent decades. The specialty involves the assessment and understanding of the body’s immune system and how this knowledge can be applied to research, diagnosis, and treatment of health conditions and diseases.

Both hyperfunction and hypofunction of the immune system can lead to a wide range of problems, such as allergies and immunodeficiencies. Treatment with immunomodulatory therapies is now used in numerous diseases. The number of immunomodulatory treatments has increased markedly in recent years, and this has also led to secondary immune-related complications.

The minimum duration of the programme is 3 years, following 3 years of general internal medicine training, and requires completion of the British RCP qualification or full training in internal medicine. Of the three years in allergy and immunology, two are completed in Iceland, while according to the curriculum the third year must be undertaken at a recognized university hospital abroad.

The training concludes with the European EAACI/UEMS Knowledge Exam and is completed when competency has been achieved in accordance with the Gold Book and the provisions of the relevant regulation, granting specialist certification in allergy and immunology.

Most specialists currently working at Landspítali (LSH) have received their specialist training in the United States, the Netherlands, Norway, or Sweden. As a result, a group of highly trained professionals has developed within the specialty, with backgrounds from many of the leading academic institutions in these countries.