University of Wisconsin–Madison

Denmark: Sophia Salemi

Program: DIS Copenhagen, Summer

Sophia’s Major: Genetics and Genomics

How were your program academics similar or different from taking classes at UW-Madison? 

Three students wearing lab coats tend to a mannequin in a hospital bed.
This is me and some of my classmates during our emergency medicine simulation at one of the hospitals in Copenhagen!

In our program we were only taking one class but we had that class every day for a couple of hours. Some days we were in the classroom, other days we went on field studies, and some days we had off of class to explore the country or celebrate a local holiday. It was similar in the way the content was presented in class with lectures, quizzes, readings, and exams. It was different in that we were lectured by doctors/experts in the field, the class size was very small, classes were about 4 hours on average with lots of breaks, and of course traveling outside the classroom with our class was different. Overall, the rigor and expectations were very similar to that of a UW-Madison class as DIS is a very recognized institution.

It is such a good balance of school, exploring, meeting new people, discovering new things about yourself, and taking advantage of being young!

Describe your fieldwork and how the experience helped advance your studies. 

I took this course because it satisfied the fieldwork aspect of my global health minor at UW. I thought it was a really unique experience as we got to study a different country’s health care system while also going into two different hospitals and having doctors from this different system as our professors. In the hospitals we did all sorts of emergency medicine simulations, VR activities, and practiced skills like IVs and catheters on dummies. It was super unique and a great well rounded experience to truly have a good comparison to the health care system we study at UW to a different one in another area of the world.

Eight students sit around a table with plates of food.
This is me and my classmates at a brunch we were treated to by our TA after our final exam!

What is your advice for someone considering your program?

Totally do it and if you can do it in the summer term! Copenhagen is beyond beautiful in the summer from the 14-17 hours of sunlight a day, to the active and fit public transport focused population, to the amazing food, and numerous places to explore. It is such a good balance of school, exploring, meeting new people, discovering new things about yourself, and taking advantage of being young! I met amazing professors, ate great food, made lifelong friends, learned content outside my comfort zone, and explored all Copenhagen and its surrounding countries had to offer all in 3 short weeks.