Hampus Hellekant - Medical School Controversy

Medical School Controversy

In the fall of 2007, Hellekant enrolled in medical school at the Karolinska University Hospital. When his criminal history became known to the university as well as the media in early November, a debate ensued as to whether a convicted murderer should be allowed to practice medicine. While some commentators called for Hellekant to be expelled from the university, Karolinska decided that he would be allowed to continue his studies, with head master Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson stating there was no legal way to expel him, as "no national policy covers the situation". She did however state that she considers it unethical to let convicted murderers practice medicine, and that it would be hard for Hellekant to get a physicians' license from the National Board of Health and Welfare, which is required to practice. In January 2008 it was discovered that Hellekant apparently had falsified the name on his high school transcripts, and that the authenticity of his high school grades could not be verified. He was then expelled from Karolinska. However, in 2009 it was reported that Hellekant had been accepted to medical school at Uppsala University.

The case generated a debate within the medical community, both in Sweden and abroad, over the appropriate criteria for exclusion from medical school. Bioethicist Jacob Appel, an advocate for Hellekant, argued that "medical authorities would be remiss if they overlooked the unique, positive characterisistics that a gifted ex-felon might bring to the profession" and suggested that felons might be well-suited to the distinctive demands of providing medical care within the prison system.