Why did Carolus Linnaeus need to earn a medical degree in the Netherlands?

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Carolus Linnaeus traveled to the Netherlands to earn his medical degree because, at that time, it was a requirement for Swedish medical students to complete their doctoral studies abroad in order to open a successful medical practice in their homeland.1

Linnaeus was able to undertake this journey after receiving an annual stipend from the father of his friend and fellow student, Claes Sohlberg. In exchange for this financial support, Linnaeus agreed to take the younger Sohlberg with him to the Netherlands and serve as his academic mentor. Upon arriving in the Dutch town of Harderwijk in 1735, Linnaeus successfully completed his examinations and received his degree after submitting a thesis on the topic of intermittent fevers.12