SMEA15076U International Study Exposure – Global Public Health

Volume 2020/2021
Education

Master of Science in Medicine - compulsory

Content

The National Institute of Public Health in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico will be hosting the Global Public Health course during the 4 weeks of field visit abroad. The National Institute of Public Health has been selected as our host as we have established a research collaboration with this important institution in Latin America. Furthermore, several institutional and site visits also including Mexico City and other areas of Morelos will be part of the course programme.

The purpose of the course is to gain an understanding of the context and causes of the national disease burden and to critically assess and discuss public health strategy, interventions and related health care challenges in the context of socio-economic conditions and changes. The main focus will be on primary and secondary prevention strategies of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including life-course exposure and comorbidities. The visit will strengthen the ability of the course participants to observe, compare and discuss conditions that relate to epidemiology, social medicine and health care systems in a society in fast transition.

Prior to the 4-week field visit in Mexico (October-November), the course participants will join a 2-week International Summer School in Global Health Challenges with a broad public health focus (August), and a 3-week international pre-departure course (September) to some extend overlapping with students/health professionals from different countries. The pre-departure course will give an insight into life course risk factors of NCDs including comorbidities, the Danish health system, civil society NGOs, and health policy from municipality to state level in Denmark. The purpose is to ensure a solid public health knowledge before going to Mexico, and to be able to compare the Danish and the Mexican health systems, policies and civil society involvement in the context of the NCD burden.

For further information about the course see this:  https://globalhealth.ku.dk/news/news/2020/global-public-health-in-mexico-danish-medical-students-meeting-with-the-mexican-health-system/

Learning Outcome

The purpose of the course is to enable the student 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 (environmental, life conditions/style, heredity)
  • analyse the role of the different health insurance providers on health outcomes incl. treatment opportunities (primary and secondary prevention)
  • 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
Course certificate in Clinical Course in Internal Medicine
Course certifictae in Clinical Course in Surgery
Course certificate in Patient Safety and Quality Development
Course certificate in Statistics, Epidemiology and Medical Sociology
The students should have completed the Summer Course in Global Health Challenges
Institutional and site visits including formal/informal interaction with health staff and patients, lectures, group work sessions, journal clubs incl. presentations.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 18
  • Class Instruction
  • 84
  • Preparation
  • 251
  • Project work
  • 52
  • Total
  • 405
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester

Continuous feedback during the course of the semester at group and individual level. Individual supervision for those choosing candidate thesis based on data from host institution and/or having Department of Public Health at University of Copenhagen supervisor.

Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Portfolio
The portfolio includes:
Course participation

Development of two log books concerned with two different topics and which include reflection and an analysis of specific questions designed by the course lecturers.

One log book will emphasise primary and/or secondary prevention of one or more NCDs in the context of the health system.

The other log book will emphasise life conditions/style at the population or sub-population level, and the impact of conditions/lifestyle (self-selected or “conditioned”) on the risk of NCDs incl. comorbidities.

Each log book consists of five pages excl. references. The log books are to be written in English.

The student will receive one grade based on both elements.
Aid
All aids allowed
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 manager, as scholar, as health advocate, as communicator and as professional.

Knowledge

  • understand the disease burden of specifically pre-selected diseases (NCDs), risk factors and their context
  • explain basic concepts concerning the association between some NCDs and communicable diseases
  • discuss the international and other contextual factors that influence the Mexican health care system, e.g. the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) membership (currently partly dissolved), double burden of disease challenges, complex health care system
  • explain access and barriers to care for the patient with emphasis on chronic patients
  • assess public health programming and interventions and implementation challenges


Skills

  • search and review relevant peer-reviewed literature related to the this specific country’s health care system, disease burden and related interventions, as well as related gaps in literature
  • critically discuss the health systems response to specifically pre-selected chronic and communicable diseases;
  • compare the health care systems of the Nordic countries and Mexico
  • assess quality of care including the relationship between specific interventions, treatment guidelines and clinical practice


Competences

  • communicate reflections and analysis concerning prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for specific pre-selected illness conditions or syndromes (primarily NCDs) in oral and written presentations
  • analyse and present observations from institutional visits, class room sessions and lectures in relation to peer-reviewed literature