“Horsens” Around On Short Study Tour

Three Days in Western Denmark

This week marked the beginning of my fourth (!!) week in Denmark and the first big milestone in my DIS semester: Short Study Tour. Short Study Tour is three days of travel in Denmark or a neighboring country during which you have the opportunity to further explore the themes of your Core Course. One great thing about Short Study Tour is that your time is balanced between academic visits and cultural activities, meaning that we got to further explore Danish culture. My Core Course, Health Delivery and Prioritization, traveled to Odense and Horsens in Western Denmark.

Day 1 in Odense: Egeskov Castle, HIV Specialization Clinic, Storms Parkhus

After loading up the bus at 7:30 AM, we headed across the bridge to Jutland (fun fact: this was at one point the longest bridge in the world). The sun was slowly rising, the bus was peaceful and quiet, and as beautiful as the view across the bridge was, I found myself falling asleep. When I woke up we had arrived at Egeskov Castle, which is 460 years old and, interestingly enough, the best preserved moat castle in Europe. We did a scavenger hunt across the grounds, which included beautiful gardens, a suprisingly fun playground, tree climbing, and, of course, the castle. Although the weather was miserable (grey and rainy), there is something so undeniably special about visiting a castle.

After our visit to the castle (and a picnic lunch!) we drove into Odense, the third largest city in Denmark and the birthplace of Denmark’s most famous writer, Hans Christian Andersen. Our visit to the HIV Specialization Clinic taught me that while the presence of HIV is still relatively low in Denmark, rising populations of immigrants in Denmark have called for greater cultural competency in medical practice. There is still widespread stigma against HIV-positive individuals, and patients must navigate their status within communities where they cannot be open about their sexuality and sexual practices.

After a day of activities we checked into our hostel and then headed out to dinner. My group chose to visit Storms Pakhus, a large street food market. It was overwhelming to choose between so many options, but I ordered chicken tikka masala and was pleasantly surprised by how spicy it was (a rarity in Denmark). After a delicious dinner (and a wet walk through the relentless rain), we settled in for the night.

Day 2 in Horsens: Fængslet Prison Museum and Familielægerne Horsens

After an early breakfast at our hotel, we made the drive to Horsens. The Fængslet Prison Museum was built from a former prison and has the largest collection of prison items in the world. The museum raises questions on the morality of prison sentencing and allows visitors to explore prison rooms and facilties (including bathrooms that actually smell). At the beginning of the museum, visitors can choose a real life prisoner whose story they follow through the museum, and mine was Rickey, a man convicted for murder.

After an informational visit to the Prison Museum, we had lunch and then went to Familielægerne Horsens. If you can imagine a mall but with health clinics, that was Familielægerne Horsens. Although our conversation was primarily with a GP, Holger Kjær, we also had the opportunity to visit a dental clinic, a pharmacy, and a physical therapy practice. I learned, among many other things, that Denmark’s drug companies set their prices every two weeks, and that pharmacies are required to provide patients with the lowest cost drugs. After an informative visit, we made our way to the hostel where we enjoyed dinner and then settled in for the night.

Day 3 in Horsens: Sund by Horsens, Mast Restaurant, and (home sweet home) Copenhagen!

After a morning breakfast at the hostel (and some really great freshly-baked bread), the group headed to Sund by Horsens, a municipality-funded organization that focuses on public health issues within Horsens. The organization hosts support groups, public health measures, and has supported Horsen’s status as a WHO Healthy City for the past 32 years.

When we were finally back in Copenhagen and walking to our LLC, a feeling of content and happiness washed over me. We were back home! It was the first time I had used that word to describe Copenhagen, but it felt right.

As I write this, I’ve officially been in Copenhagen for a month, and 1/4 of the way through my study abroad experience. Time has been flying by, but documenting my time here in this blog has really helped me to slow down and appreciate the experiences that I’ve had.