One of the most meaningful parts of my study abroad experience in Copenhagen, Denmark, so far has been Core Course Week. The week gave me the opportunity to learn outside the classroom, experience different parts of Denmark, and connect what we were seeing to the topics we have been studying. Instead of only reading about Danish society and healthcare, we visited different places and saw these ideas firsthand.
During Core Course Week, we traveled to Helsingør, where we had several experiences that helped me better understand the Danish healthcare system. One of our visits was to Køge University Hospital’s emergency department, where we learned more about how patients receive care when they need immediate medical attention.
It was interesting to see healthcare from a different perspective and consider how care is organized in Denmark compared with what I am familiar with in the United States. The visit helped me understand that a healthcare system is not just about doctors and hospitals, but also about how patients move through the system and access the care they need.
We also visited a medical facility in Helsingør, where we learned more about healthcare in the local community.
Seeing healthcare in person made some concepts from our classes easier to understand. It was especially interesting to consider how Denmark’s healthcare system is organized around providing care to its population, and how that can affect a patient’s experience.
Another experience that stood out to me was our visit with a general practitioner, or GP. We learned more about the role that GPs play within the Danish healthcare system and how they can serve as an important point of contact for patients.
This visit helped me understand the importance of primary care and how healthcare can be organized differently by country. It also gave me a better opportunity to think about the differences between receiving healthcare in Denmark and receiving healthcare in the United States.
Outside of our healthcare-related activities, we also had the opportunity to explore more of Denmark. Visiting Møns Klint was one of the week’s highlights. Seeing the cliffs and surrounding landscape was completely different from being in Copenhagen, and it gave me the chance to experience another part of Denmark with my classmates. I also enjoyed visiting Helsingør because it let me experience a different Danish city instead of staying in Copenhagen for the entire semester.
Core Course Week helped me realize how much I can learn by experiencing things firsthand. Visiting healthcare settings, speaking with a GP, exploring Helsingør, and seeing Møns Klint gave me experiences that I could not get from a textbook alone.
The week also helped me better understand the Danish healthcare system and gave me more to think about when comparing it with healthcare in the United States.
Studying abroad has made me realize that some of the most valuable learning happens when you are willing to step outside of the classroom. Core Course Week gave me the chance to do exactly that, and it made me even more excited to continue exploring Denmark and learning from the experiences I have throughout the rest of my semester.
This blog was contributed by Shrija Chapagain, Global Ambassador for Fall 2026. Shrija is a College of Natural Sciences Freshman participating in Take the World by the Horns in partnership with DIS Study Abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.
