Arctic Health
Course content
This course will address human health in Arctic areas and is intended for MSc students in Medicine and other health science related study programmes, PhD students and health professionals who want an insight into health patterns and health conditions in Arctic areas.
Traditionally, health patterns of circumpolar populations are characterized by high rates of communicable (infectious) diseases and low rates of non-communicable (chronic) diseases such as e.g. coronary heart disease and diabetes. However, these health patterns are changing following the transition of Arctic societies from those of hunting societies to those of western societies, and the significant social transitions impacted upon Arctic communities over the past decades. Furthermore, climate changes affect Arctic populations to a larger extent than many other populations.
The course addresses health patterns in Arctic populations in light of these changes. The course will address living conditions and vital statistics for Arctic populations; determinants and risk factors for health, including genetic susceptibility, environment, social factors, diet and nutrition, smoking, alcohol and substance use; and consequences in terms of the particular patterns of diseases observed in these populations including genetic, infectious and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, obesity, injuries and violence, mental health and suicide, and maternal and child health. Special emphasis will be placed on new research results, in particular on the interplay between genes and environment. In addition, the course addresses health systems, challenges and solutions to delivering of health care to small populations in remote areas with limited health care facilities.
Finally, the course provides an insight into practical work in health care systems in Arctic areas with particular focus on Greenland, and will therefore also serve as a preparatory course for work in such areas.
The summer course in composed of a 2 weeks on-campus incl. exam in Copenhagen and a one-week E-learning module prior to the on-campus course.
Master of Science in Medicine - elective course
The course is a part of the overall course in Arctic issues offered by the University of Copenhagen, but can also be taken as a separate course. See more at arctic.ku.dk.
On completion of the course the students should as medical expert, health advocate, communicator, manager/administrator/organiser and scholar/researcher/teacher be able to:
Knowledge
- Describe the patterns of communicable and non-communicable diseases in Arctic populations
- Describe the influence of health determinants including changes in living conditions and climate changes on the health patterns of Arctic populations
- Describe health systems and challenges to health care delivery in in Arctic regions
- Describe living and social conditions among circumpolar populations
- Understand the different concepts of communities in circumpolar area
- Describe differences in health care systems between e.g. Scandinavian countries and Arctic areas from a practical view point
Skills
- List prevalent diseases and health conditions over time in Arctic populations and indicate differences from health conditions in western countries
- List major risk factors and determinants for health and disease in Arctic populations
- Describe health systems and list challenges to health care delivery in Arctic regions
- Describe practical issues related to working in health systems in Arctic areas
As professional, medical expert, health advocate, communicator,
collaborator, manager/administrator/organiser and
scholar/researcher/teacher be able to:
Competencies
- Discuss, analyze and critically examine data on health and disease from Arctic areas, and discuss and criticize previous and current priorities in health policies
- Be able to work with and in health systems in Arctic areas, based on the acquired, above-mentioned knowledge and skills regarding health patterns and systems in Artic areas
- Be able to work in health care systems in Arctic areas.
- Be able to carry out research with and among circumpolar populations
- Argue for a prediction of patterns of health and major diseases beyond 2017, based on emerging and actual changes in environment, demography and wealth, and envisage how health may be impacted in Arctic areas
Teachers will be researchers and professionals working with/in the Arctic health systems. Teaching and learning is research-based, and will highlight areas, which the academic staff, their collaborators, and the health professionals, are actively engaged in. The teaching methods include E-learning module, formal lectures, problem-related group work and a final project.
The text book ‘Health Transitions in Arctic Populations’ by T. Kue Young and P. Bjerregaard (eds.), University of Toronto Press, will serve as basic literature. Specific parts of the book will be required to be read in advance. Additional literature will be uploaded from individual teachers, and the students will need to search relevant scientific articles from databases.
For medical students: Must have completed a BSc in Medicine
For other students within health science related study programmes:
Must have completed a BSc.
For both MSc students and health professionals, you must have an
interest in or practical experience within the field of health
and/or experience with work in the Arctic. This should be reflected
in your application for admission
Open for MSc in Medicine students without pre-approval.
Open for other MSc students with pre-approval.
Open for health professionals with tuition fee.
This course is part of the arctic coursework at UCPH. See more at
arctic.ku.dk.
Please find application form at the summer course web page: http://healthsciences.ku.dk/education/summercourses/
The application deadline is 1st April 2022.
- ECTS
- 5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Oral defence
- Type of assessment details
- Oral presentation and defense of final project
- Aid
- Without aids
No aids are allowed for the oral presentation
- Marking scale
- passed/not passed
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Several internal examiners (Intern censur)
Criteria for exam assessment
To pass the exam the student needs orally to present and defend a
final group project made through the last week of the course. The
student needs to demonstrate knowledge, skills and competencies
according to below to the degree this is relevant to the subject of
the group project:
Knowledge:
As medical expert, health advocate, communicator, manager/administrator/organiser and scholar/researcher/teacher
- Describe the patterns of communicable and non-communicable diseases in Arctic populations
- Describe the influence of health determinants including changes in living conditions and climate changes on the health patterns of Arctic populations
- Describe health systems and challenges to health care delivery in Arctic regions
- Describe living and social conditions among circumpolar populations
- Understand the different concepts of communities in circumpolar areas
- Describe differences in health care systems between e.g. Scandinavian countries and Arctic areas from a practical view point
Skills:
As medical expert, health advocate, communicator, manager/administrator/organiser and scholar/researcher/teacher:
- List prevalent diseases and health conditions over time in Arctic populations and indicate differences from health conditions in western countries
- List major factors and determinants for health and disease in Arctic populations
- Describe health systems and list challenges to health care delivery in Arctic regions
- Describe practical issues related to working in health systems in Arctic areas
Competencies:
As professional, medical expert, health advocate, communicator, collaborator, manager/administrator/organiser and scholar/researcher/teacher:
- Discuss, analyze and critically examine data on health and disease from Arctic areas, and discuss and criticize previous and current priorities in health policies
- Be able to work with and in health systems in Arctic areas, based on the acquired, above-mentioned knowledge and skills regarding health patterns and systems in Arctic areas
- Be able to work in health care systems in Arctic areas.
- Be able to carry out research with and among circumpolar populations
- Argue for a prediction of patterns of health and major diseases beyond 2017, based on emerging and actual changes in environment, demography and wealth, and envisage how health may be impacted in Arctic areas
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Class Instruction
- 50
- Preparation
- 52
- E-Learning
- 35
- Exam
- 1
- English
- 138
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- SMEA20132U
- ECTS
- 5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- Placement
- Summer
- Schedulegroup
-
Summer course
- Capacity
- 40 participants. 10 slots are reserved for MSc in Medicine
students. 10 slots are reserved for international students. The
remaining 20 slots are open for students from other study
programmes with pre-approval and health professionals with tuition
fee.
Selection process is described in the summer course web site (LINK) - Studyboard
- The Study Board for Medicine and Health Science
Contracting department
- Department of Public Health
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Course Coordinator
- Anders Koch (11-4d7a70717e7f3a577b6f744c7f817a703a77813a7077)
Teacher
Teachers from the University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, from outside of the University of Copenhagen, and teachers with relevant work experience from Arctic health systems
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