They were educated at medical schools abroad and were employed partly in the service of the court or the rich nobility, and in the military.

Some practicing physicians in Stockholm received after subservient request permission to form a Collegium medicorum which was privileged by King Charles XI's regency in 1663.

From this initially individual circle of physicians, the authority was developed that was given the task of overseeing the state's health and medical care.

[4] The rank Surgeon-Field General (generalfältläkare) existed according to the 1856 instruction of the Swedish Army Medical Corps, but only during war time.

The Medical Board consisted of a Director-General and Chief, as well as five directors (byråchef), including four doctors and a veterinarian.

[9] Following the Swedish Armed Forces' reorganization in 1998, the Surgeon-General was part of the Joint Operations Command (Operationsledningen, OPL) as head of the Medical Services Department, but was in his capacity as the supervisory authority for the health service, responsible directly to the government.

[11] On 1 October 2017, the regulatory agency Generalläkaren changed name to Försvarsinspektören för hälsa och miljö ("Defence Inspector for Health and Environment").

Therefore, when the Surgeon-General exercises his supervisory and control function he is not subordinate to the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces.