SMEA15075U International Study Exposure – Health Provision in Tropical Africa

Volume 2026/2027
Education

Master of Science in Medicine - compulsory

Content

Attachment to a clinical department at a hospital or clinic in a resource-constrained healthcare setting.

The attachment consists of an 8-week placement in northeastern Tanzania, either in Korogwe (district hospital) or Tanga (regional hospital).

The purpose of the placement is to provide students with experience in clinical medicine and healthcare delivery within a different global and cultural context. During the stay, students are expected to strengthen their clinical competencies, gain insight into the local burden of disease and public health challenges, and develop an understanding of how healthcare services are organized and delivered in settings with limited resources and constrained healthcare budgets. The attachment also aims to foster cultural awareness, professional reflection, and an appreciation of global health equity and collaboration.

Learning Outcome

At the end of the course the students are expected to know the following:

As medical expert, as collaborator, as scholar, as health advocate and as professional.

Knowledge

  • obtain knowledge of local disease pattern
  • obtain insights into prioritization at health facilities with limited resources
  • demonstrate a sufficient level of skill in clinical medicine, academician and health provider.
  • describe pathophysiological characteristics of diseases treated at the department or clinic visited. 
  • document knowledge about clinical routines and division of work between the health caters at the facility.       
                         

Skills      

  • get exposure to working under conditions, which are markedly different from those experienced in the Danish health system
  • diagnose and initialize treatment of the most common diseases treated at the health facility
  • compile a relevant clinical history and perform a clinical examination, and based on this
    • provide tentative diagnoses and differential diagnoses
    • propose relevant paraclinical investigations and provide a proposal for initial treatment.
       

Competencies

  • provide professional health care according to the norms and standards in the country visited.     
The following must be completed before the semester starts:

Course certificate in Clinical Course in Internal Medicine
Course certifictae in Clinical Course in Surgery
Course certificate in Clinical Course in Anaesthesia
Course certificate in Patient Safety and Quality Development
Course certificate in Clinical Course in Ophthalmology
Course certificate in Clinical Course in Otorhinolaryngology
Course certificate in Clinical Course in Dermatology and Venereology
Course certificate in Clinical Course in Neurology and Neurosurgery
Exam in Summer Course in International Health
Attachment to a clinical department at a hospital or a clinic in Tanzania.
Please note that the Summer Course in International Health is taught only in August. Thus students planning to attend "International Study Exposure – Health Provision in Tropical Africa" in the spring should attend Summer Course in International Health during August the year before.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 2
  • Class Instruction
  • 2
  • Preparation
  • 130
  • Practical Training
  • 240
  • Exam
  • 31
  • Total
  • 405
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Portfolio
Requirement to attend classes
Type of assessment details
The portfolio document should consist of two parts:

1. The first should contain a clinical diary. During the clinical attachment the student should keep a diary containing descriptions and reflections inspired by the daily work at the hospital. The entries could reflect the students thoughts about a particular clinical case (clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and treatment). Entries could also contain reflections about how clinical services are delivered and managed at the hospital, and how the local health staff manages to work in a setting with limited resources. In keeping the diary the student should take note of 5 of the 7 roles of physicians, including: medical expert, communicator, collaborator, health promotor, and professional. The diary can be kept in Danish or English. The portfolio document should contain a 5-10 page extract of the diary in Danish or English.

2. The second part of the portfolio document should be written in English and contain a case presentation formatted as follows: max. word count 750, max. 5 references, max. 1 table and/or 1 picture/figure.
Aid
All aids allowed

In the method section of the assignment, you must describe whether and how you have used generative AI. You can use the KU template as inspiration.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examination
Criteria for exam assesment

To obtain the grade 12 the student must demonstrate the following abilities:

As medical expert, as collaborator, as scholar, as health advocate and as professional.

Knowledge

  • demonstrate a basic knowledge of clinical medicine and more in-depth knowledge about the condition(s) affecting the patient selected for presentation as a clinical case
  • describe pathophysiological characteristics of diseases treated at the department or clinic visited. 
  • document knowledge about clinical routines and division of work between the health caters at the facility.            
                         

Skills      

  • compile a relevant clinical history and perform a clinical examination, and based on this
    • provide tentative diagnoses and differential diagnoses
    • propose relevant paraclinical investigations and provide a proposal for initial treatment. 
       

Competencies

  • provide professional health care according to the norms and standards in the country visited.