This Study Tour in Norway will introduce you to the differences between medical practices in Oslo, the urban capital city, and Arendal, a rural municipality on the southern coast. You will visit several sites and speak with providers and recipients of local healthcare to gain a comprehensive understanding of healthcare in Norway and the challenges faced by providers and patients in these two locations.
By meeting medical professionals, visiting hospitals and clinics, and talking with locals, you will observe the differences in healthcare access, gaining firsthand insight into Norway’s medical landscape. Key issues such as demographics, economic factors, healthcare promotion, mental health, technology allocation, funding, resource management, health system organization, and patient-doctor relationships will be examined. By the end of the tour, you will have a deeper understanding of the strengths and challenges of the Norwegian healthcare system from both urban and rural perspectives.
Throughout the tour, Oslo and Arendal will serve as immersive classrooms, highlighting contrasts in healthcare systems, cultural practices, and community dynamics. Engaging with the region’s medical infrastructure and professionals will provide invaluable insights into healthcare delivery in diverse settings. Interacting with residents will enhance your understanding of socio-cultural factors influencing health behaviors and outcomes. These experiences will enable you to make well-informed comparisons with healthcare systems in Norway, Denmark, and the United States.
Tour Objectives
- Compare and contrast medical practice in urban Oslo and rural Arendal
- Compare and contrast medical systems in Norway, Denmark, and the U.S. to better understand the challenges facing healthcare providers in each country
- Observe examples of clinical practice and research with clinical relevance
- Describe and experience medical practice in a social, historical, and scientific context
- Interact with locals to get a better understanding of how they feel about their healthcare system
Possible Activities
- Tour an Oslo hospital department and hear from doctors working there
- Discuss various aspects of the Norwegian healthcare system with doctors at hospitals and family physician clinics
- Engage in discussions with healthcare providers at specialist departments in one of Oslo's public hospitals and also with an Arendal family physician
- Interview locals about their experiences with their health systems in their respective region of Norway