About this course
This course offers an introduction to the most important human diseases, their diagnoses and treatments, and to the clinical practice of physicians at a Danish university hospital. You are taught by several different physicians at different University of Copenhagen hospitals throughout the greater Copenhagen area.
Syllabus
Course Note
his course does not include shadowing of doctors or physical examination of patients.
Prerequisites
One year each of biology and chemistry at university level.
“The mix of theory and practical skills has kept me interested in the course and I feel like I have learned a lot about the Danish healthcare system through our class trips to several of the hospitals around Copenhagen. In these hospitals, we learned from human cadavers, simulated ALS and patient cases, and learned medical skills from physicians.”
Faculty
Forkan Ali Hussein Al-Fares
Bsc. Med., (Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2026). Nurse assistant at FADL, 2023-present. Assistant at the Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, 2023-2024. Phlebotomist summer 2024. Research assistant, Hvidovre Hospital, 2024-2025. Clinical Assistant at a general practice, 2024-2025. Secretary at a rheumatology clinic, 2026-present. Data entry assistant, Phase I Unit, Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet, 2026–present. With DIS since 2026.
Isabel Engel
M.D. (University of Copenhagen, 2017). Physician in a private online menopause clinic (2025–present) with focus on women’s health, lifestyle medicine, and menopause care. Previous experience as medical consultant in a private holistic and longevity-focused healthcare clinic. Resident in General Practice at clinics in Zealand, with previous experience in Emergency Medicine and Geriatrics at Holbæk, Næstved, and Herlev Hospital. Former research assistant at the Danish Headache Center, Department of Neurology. Teaching both Clinical Skills and Emergency Medicine simulations at CAMES, and previous course assistant – with DIS Study Abroad in Scandinavia since 2016.
Filip Søskov Davidovski
M.D. (University of Copenhagen, 2022). PhD student at the Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital (2022-present). MPH student at Imperial College London (2023-present). Awarded Master’s Thesis of the Year, University of Copenhagen (2021). Erasmus Student at University of Vienna, Department of Psychiatry and Neurology (2020). Teaching Clinical Skills Session, Emergency Medicine, and Communication Course at DIS. Previous experience in Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine with clerkships at Soochow University (China) and Dronning Ingrid Hospital Nuuk (Greenland). Student-athlete and Division 1 Soccer in USA (2016). Previous Course Assistant for Human Health & Disease. With DIS since 2017.
Elisa Skovgaard Jensen
PhD, Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Department at Nordsjællands Hospital, Hillerød (2026). M.D. (University of Copenhagen, 2012). DIS Clinical Instructor for Human Health & Disease. With DIS since 2017.
Andrea Pohly Thorn
M.D. (University of Copenhagen, 2016).
Resident in Orthopedic surgery, Herlev/Gentofte Hospital (2025-), M.D Department of Orthopedic Surgery Holbæk Sygehus (2025)
PhD at the Department of Orthopedic surgery, Rigshospitalet (2021-2025). M.D Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Herlev/Gentofte Hospital (2019-2021). M.D Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nordsjællands Hospital (2017-2019). M.D General medicine at Vik legekontor, Vik municipality, Norway (2017). Intern, Fælles Akut Afdeling, Aarhus Universitet Hospital, and general medicine at Ebeltoft Lægehus (2016-2017). Course Assistant with DIS (2011-2015). With DIS since 2011.
Josephine Nolte
M.D. from University of Copenhagen (2020). Currently first year resident at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Herlev and Gentofte University Hospital. Previous experience in General practice and Internal Medicine at Gentofte Hospital. Previous research in Immunology. Born in Denmark, raised in both DK and the United States. Bachelor of Science in Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT (2012). Previous Course Assistant for Human Health and Disease. With DIS since 2017.
Shan Elahi Goandal
Received a Bachelor in medicine and is starting Candidate in medicine at Copenhagen University since 2020. Current and previous roles are student helper at transcultural psychiatry 2022-present, former research assistant at Danish Headache center 2022-2023, and research assistant at Rigshospitalet Heart center 2023-present.