copenAIDAN

Before core course week started, I spent this weekend continuing to experience Copenhagen with Hope, Lauren, and Claire. It was fun to enjoy another relaxing weekend exploring the city where we’ll be living for the next three months!

On Thursday night, we had dinner at Reffen, an outdoor food market with a bunch of international food stalls and a super fun atmosphere right by the water. I had some Greek food followed by a delicious (and obviously authentic) crepe with bananas and Nutella. It was only *slightly* cold and windy outside – summer has definitely left Denmark for good. Lauren and Claire were brave enough to bike home in the cold rain that night – it still may take a while for me to get to that point.

On Friday evening, DIS hosted a social for my Medical Practice & Policy core course at a cocktail bar called Francis Pony. I can say with confidence that I never thought I would go to a school that would serve us cocktails with our professors – when in Europe, I guess! Claire and I went together, and we got to meet some new people with whom we’d be traveling for core course week beginning that Monday.

On Saturday, Lauren, Hope, and I spent the day exploring Copenhagen. The weather was sunny and warm in contrast to what we had been experiencing the previous few days (it somehow seems to rain at some point every single day here). I love the rain, so I’m definitely not complaining (at least not until I have to bike in it). It’s very hyggelit to snuggle up inside with some kaffe while the rain falls outside.

We went to brunch at Mad & Kaffe (definitely lived up to its expectations), climbed up the Round Tower (built in 1642 by the king as an astrological observatory for the University of Copenhagen), shopped on Strøget, and relaxed in a park. We also went to Tivoli again (thanks to our season passes), where we rode the Star Flyer (the tallest ride – I sat next to this super nice old Danish man) and got delicious bubble waffle ice cream. We ended the day with dinner at a rooftop Italian restaurant called Rossopomodoro (where we ate enough pizza for years). The views of the city from the top of the Round Tower, the tallest Tivoli ride, and the rooftop restaurant were all spectacular!

Sunday was quite relaxing – I biked to Mass (once again entirely in Danish – not sure why I keep doing that because I can only understand a couple words thanks to DuoLingo, but I still really enjoy it). That evening, Hope and I went over to Lauren & Claire’s kollegium (they live with two Danes!) to cook dinner and celebrate Claire’s birthday with lots of flag decorations (in true Danish fashion!).

Bright and early at 7:15 the next morning, I left with my Medical Practice & Policy core course for our short study tour in rural western Denmark. I think it’s important to see more of Denmark than just Copenhagen itself, so I really appreciate that this is part of our DIS experience. Esbjerg and Kolding were definitely very different from urban Copenhagen – the Danish countryside is a patchwork of tranquil farmlands and rolling green hills.

These small towns were the perfect setting to continue learning about the Danish healthcare system. In Esbjerg, we visited a hospital, where we got to shadow an ENT doctor as she saw patients, learn about the hospital’s ongoing research projects, talk about the path to becoming a physician in Denmark, and test out a liver cirrhosis machine on each other (my liver was confirmed to be quite healthy – thanks, Alicia).

After visiting the hospital, we went to Men by the Sea, a monument that commemorates the 100th anniversary of Esbjerg and welcomes visitors to Denmark. These were some very buff and rigid men. Also quite tall.

To finish off Monday, we visited a GP’s office in Esbjerg to learn more about primary care. In Denmark, every single person is assigned a GP when they are born, and patients can go their GP anytime without paying anything – as said by the physician we visited:

“In Denmark, there is no money between the doctor and the patient.”

We also learned that patients refer to doctors by their first name and physicians only work 37 hour weeks with six weeks of vacation per year, both very different features from the hierarchical and often all-consuming physician lifestyle found in the U.S. What I liked most was hearing about the continuity of care afforded by the Danish system – the GP told us that she gets to know her patients exceptionally well and often treats entire families, from newborns to great-grandparents. These clinical visits gave me great ideas for my future senior thesis research!

On Tuesday of core course week, we visited a hospital in southern Jutland, an even more rural area of Denmark. We had lectures (which I absolutely LOVED) from emergency medicine, cardiology, and radiology, followed by a tour of the hospital, and we also got to diagnose more hypothetical patients (good practice for our first MPP exam on Monday!). That afternoon (in the cold rain yet again) we went to Funky Monkey ropes course for our “cultural experience.” I did the easiest course and called it a day (ropes courses aren’t quite my cup of tea), but I’m proud of myself for at least doing that.

We finished off core course week Wednesday morning by going to Koldinghus, one of the original castles in Denmark. It burned down in a fire and the ruins were preserved through a fusion with modern architecture. We learned about the Danish monarchy, climbed to the top of yet another tower, tried our hand at wooden bowling, and had a hyggelit meal of traditional Danish food (cheese, fish, pickled vegetables, pork, rye bread, meatballs, potatoes) in the basement in the oldest room of the castle as the rain fell outside (once again).

Overall, core course week was an absolutely fantastic and exceptionally immersive look at the Danish healthcare system. I’m so glad that I get to learn about clinical medicine and healthcare policy in such a hands-on way this semester – it makes me beyond excited for my future career. I also really enjoyed experiencing Danish culture (and candies and foods!), getting closer to my classmates, and spending time with Ida (our MPP course assistant, a Danish medical student, and most importantly, a real-life angel – seriously). Also, a quick shout-out to Frank our bus driver (a true homie). Read along next week to hear about the rest of core course week, my visit to the Louisiana art museum with my host family, tennis tryouts, and preparations for Oktoberfest!