Dentist Erik Figueroa Caballero:

“The best thing about Malå is that I don’t have to commute.”

Erik Figueroa Caballero, who was born and raised in Peru, has been working as a general dentist at the public dental clinic in Malå since last fall. Erik and his family moved here from Lund and are enjoying the winter climate and the proximity to ski slopes and snowmobiling. And best of all, Erik no longer has to commute long distances to work.

Erik Figueroa Caballero worked for several years as a general dentist in his native Peru before heading to Spain for further training. There, he became interested in Sweden and moved to Skåne before finally settling in Malå.

“The best thing about Malå is that there’s no commute. It takes three or four minutes to drive from my place, and if I walk, it takes twenty minutes at most. And since I like snow and cold weather, Malå is perfect for me.”

“As a dentist, I work primarily in general dentistry. I perform routine examinations, fillings, and develop treatment plans for all patients. We prioritize children and patients in need of special care, but I also treat adult patients whenever I can,” says Erik.

ABBA, Slatan, and Nobel

When Erik went to Spain to continue his education, he learned new languages and discovered that there were several good educational programs in Sweden.

“The only things I knew about Sweden were ABBA, Slatan, and the Nobel Prize,” says Erik, who nevertheless felt drawn to that chilly country up north.

No sooner said than done, Erik came to Sweden and worked as a janitor before he was forced to return to Peru in accordance with the Migration Agency’s requirements for a permanent residence permit. Back in Sweden, he studied Swedish for five years before being granted a Swedish dental license. Erik’s first position as a dentist was at Folktandvården in Kalmar, which offered attractive salaries for dentists.

"I commuted to see my family in Lund every week for 15 months; it became exhausting over time."

Västerbotten Was Looking for Dentists

Erik had to rethink his options, found a new job in Skåne, but wasn't satisfied with the salary and still had to commute two hours every day.

“I’d heard that Västerbotten and Norrbotten were short on dentists, and when I talked to my family about it, they were supportive. I knew there was snow and darkness here, which I like. So I found this job in Malå and thought, ‘Why not?’”

Of course, Erik didn’t want to leave his wife and daughters in Skåne, but after talking with his new boss, his wife received help finding a job in healthcare, and that’s how things turned out. Last fall, they moved to Malå, and Erik has been working at his new dental position at the public dental clinic since the end of September. The daughters are attending preschool and school and have quickly made new friends. Erik’s wife is a trained nursing assistant and started working in elder care, but she didn’t really enjoy it there and has now begun studying online to become a registered nurse, which is going very well.

–My daughters are really happy here in Malå. My oldest has learned to cross-country ski, and this past weekend we went sledding down the hill and my daughters got to ride a snowmobile—it was a lot of fun.

Erik appreciates his work schedule and his friendly and competent coworkers—including dental assistants, dental hygienists, and managers.

–I really enjoy my workplace. Since I work in the inland region, that means I also work in other towns, such as Sorsele and sometimes Skellefteå, where I fill in when needed. And the patients are very grateful.

Malå—with everything so close by

Erik believes there are good job opportunities for dentists in the inland regions, since there is a shortage of dentists in several towns, including Sorsele.

“Even here in Malå, there’s an empty dentist’s chair. Since I’m having a hard time keeping up with the adult patients, we need another dentist here.”

–Malå is a nice place to live, even though it’s smaller than big cities like Malmö. Here, you don’t have to commute, and there’s pretty much everything you need, like schools, grocery stores, and gyms. The activities are a bit limited, but there are still things to do for both children and adults, such as skiing or spending time in nature. To feel at home here, it’s important to become part of the community.

When they moved, the family received help from the municipality’s newcomer coordinator in finding an apartment.

"The woman at city hall was very kind and helped us; I'm very grateful."

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Text: Monica Wiksten Gideonsson
Photo: www.ricke.se