Hello again!
After officially completing two months at my study abroad program in Copenhagen, I have come to meet many of the academic, professional, and personal expectations I had created for myself prior to departing for my program. It has been a wonderful experience to see the visions I had for my study abroad experience actually come to life, and I anticipate this feeling to continue within my last two months here in Copenhagen. Academically, I expected to receive a more well-rounded and global perspective on healthcare and disability. Through my two psychology classes as well as my pregnancy and childbirth class, I have undoubtedly been able to meet and exceed this expectation. In my psychology classes, we have learned about multiple different therapies that are used around the world, and also about the prevalence of different disorders in Denmark versus the United States. It has been great to see the way that mental health is approached in Europe in comparison to America and has been extremely interesting to compare the positives and negatives of mental health care in both countries. Furthermore, in my pregnancy class, we have gained an in-depth understanding of the physical healthcare system here in Denmark. We have learned about what it is like to receive free healthcare and about the way maternal and reproductive health is approached in Denmark. The systems here are tremendously different from the ones I have grown up with back in the States, so I have really enjoyed widening my education on global health.
Professionally, prior to my departure, I expected to learn more about ways that I can improve the healthcare system once I enter the field as a physician assistant in the future. Similar to my academic expectations, this expectation has also been met through my classes and my time abroad. In my pregnancy class, we have not only learned about the healthcare system as a whole, but the specifics of what doctors do to make care more personable and efficient here in Denmark. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the maternal ward of a local hospital outside of Copenhagen, where a midwife showed us around and gave us insight into the care they provide to pregnant people and what they do to make the labor and delivery process as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. This was definitely very eye-opening to see as a future healthcare provider, as it taught me strategies for optimal patient care and showed me ways that we can improve healthcare back in the U.S. I am excited to take these methods back to America and work hard to implement them into our systems in my future career.
Lastly, many of my personal expectations have also been met during my time abroad. Before coming to Copenhagen, I had expected to make new friends and feel comfortable living in a new community in a new country. And, after two months here, I can definitely say that these expectations have been fulfilled. I have met people from all over the world and have been able to made friends that I will share memories with for the rest of my life. I have also grown comfortable living in a new neighborhood: from buying groceries in Denmark to taking public transportation to creating a balance between my social, academic, and personal life. I am very thankful for having the chance to study abroad this semester and positively develop as a student and a person.
Until next time,
Kashvi Shah