Hi everyone, I’m Minh, a 21 year-old who is having his first study abroad experience with DIS! I come from Staten Island, New York City and go to school in the University of Rochester, so I’m no stranger to cold weather and rain, but what they don’t prepare you for in Scandinavia is the wind! This summer I will be taking Human Health and Disease during Session I in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Precision Medicine during Session II in Stockholm, Sweden. I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences coming to Denmark and Sweden for the first time and growing to love the cities of Stockholm and Copenhagen!
Why DIS?
When I first heard about DIS during my freshman year of college I was certain that this was the program for me. I felt that DIS was one of the few chances I would ever get to not just visit but immerse myself in another culture and way of life. With the program, I feel like I have lived more like a local that I ever would have otherwise, and I think my experience is the better for it. I have grown to know and love Copenhagen because I commute and because I have not limited myself to a college campus. It also doesn’t hurt that the University of Copenhagen Hospital system is ranked #3 in the world and the DIS program partners to work with the doctors there so that we can learn about and compare the Danish healthcare system to our own.
First Impressions?
My first impressions of the city are amazing! The city flows together, not only because of its buildings all following a certain style but also the interweaving of nature and the infrastructure that makes it a livable city for humans and not cars. The city is designed for YOU as a person to explore, commute, and travel safely and effectively anywhere you want to go, all while having plenty of gorgeous sights to look at no matter where that is. I have been commuting on bike everywhere I go an I highly recommend it, you might even build some muscle for it haha. The roads are so clean and nice and the city itself always feels safe. They have removed streetlight posts, instead opting for wired hangings and I feel as if that has made the city feel so much more open and free as well. I think my favorite thing about the city would have to be its architecture! I still have not gotten bored by just how quaint and welcoming the bright tones and brick buildings are as well as the flowers. There are flowers and trees and bushes everywhere and it adds so much complexity and life to the city. Anyway, if you couldn’t tell, I’m a fan.
