Program Overview

Program Overview

The International Study Exposure – Global Public Health program is a 15 ECTS course offered by the University of Copenhagen. The program is designed for Master of Science in Medicine students and aims to provide an understanding of the context and causes of national disease burden, as well as critically assess and discuss public health strategies, interventions, and related healthcare challenges.

Program Structure

The program consists of a 2-week International Summer School in Global Health Challenges, a 3-week international pre-departure course, and a 4-week field visit in Mexico. The field visit will take place in Mexico City and the state of Chihuahua, where students will participate in institutional and site visits, lectures, group work sessions, and journal clubs.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Identify and describe key non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the context of demography and socio-economic changes
• Identify key life course risk factors for NCDs
• Analyze the role of different health insurance providers on health outcomes
• Link different NCDs and infectious diseases (comorbidity) and the consequences for the health system
• Evaluate the complex interactions between NCDs, risk factors for NCDs, the health system, and health insurance options

Mandatory Formal Requirements

To register for the course, students must have completed the following:

• Clinical Course in Internal Medicine
• Clinical Course in Surgery
• Patient Safety and Quality Development
• Statistics, Epidemiology and Medical Sociology
• Summer Course in Global Health Challenges

Teaching and Learning Methods

The program will employ a range of teaching and learning methods, including:

• Institutional and site visits
• Lectures
• Group work sessions
• Journal clubs
• Presentations

Workload

The program has a total workload of 412.5 hours, broken down into:

• Class instruction: 102 hours
• Preparation: 210.5 hours
• Project work: 52 hours
• Exam: 48 hours

Assessment

The program will be assessed through a written assignment, which will be based on 2-4 questions. The student will receive one grade equally based on all exam questions. The maximal length of the exam is 10 pages, excluding title page, content page, and references.

Course Information

• Language: English
• Course code: SMEA15076U
• Credit: 15 ECTS
• Level: Full Degree Master
• Duration: 1 semester (seven weeks – three in Denmark, four abroad)
• Placement: Autumn
• Schedule: To be announced
• Course capacity: Maximum of 20 participants for students of the Master of Science in Medicine at Copenhagen University
• Study board: The Study Board for Medicine and Health Science
• Contracting department: Department of Public Health
• Contracting faculty: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
• Course Coordinators: Dirk Lund Christensen

Additional Information

• The expected expenses for the stay in Mexico are DKK 25,000-30,000.
• The program is only offered in autumn semesters.
• The course is not open to external students.