12-th of March 2020

The Institute of Public Health of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Jagiellonian University Medical College, in cooperation with the University of Copenhagen, organizes regularly for students from Denmark – Master’s degree in Global Health, a special program based on a one-month field research and study trip. Between 24 February 20 march during their stay in Krakow, students learn about Polish health care system, conducted by the academic staff of the Institute of Public Health. The programme offers a wide range of educational activities, such as meetings with academics, visits to various public institutions and NGOs as well as mentoring of project groups. The mentoring is provided by dr. M. Zabdyr-Jamroz, dr. A. Dorynska, dr. K. Dubas-Jakóbczyk and dr. I. Nenko.

As part of the practical classes, the students visit institutions related to the health care system, both at the district level (Myślenice County) and at the voivodeship level (Lesser Poland Voivodeship Office in Kraków). Among the entities visited are also the Lesser Poland’s Voivodship Branch of the National Health Fund, the Voivodship Inspectorate of Environmental Protection in Kraków and hospitals, including the Children’s University Hospital. Apart from public institutions, our guests also have a chance to learn about the functioning of organisations such as MONAR House (center for treatment, therapy and rehabilitation of addictions in Kraków) or MANKO association (a non-governmental organisation initiating and implementing social campaigns of a national dimension). During many intensive meetings, students have a unique and rare opportunity to get to know and discuss the situation of the Polish health care system with managers, directors, representatives of institutions operating in the field of public health, and researchers. The aim is to provide the fullest possible overview of the health care system, to learn about many problems and methods and projects in the field of public health.

Moreover, the programme also includes activities concerning Polish tradition and culture, which bring closer to the history of the Jagiellonian University through a visit to the Collegium Maius Museum. This year’s visit is also attended by students of the Institute of Public Health: Urszula Ambroży and Arianna Ciupa, together with our intern, Sara Stanisz. We hope that also this year’s visit will be very well evaluated by our foreign partners, and we wish the students good luck and success in the project work!

Ewa Błaszczyk-Bębenek – IPH visit coordinator

Michał Zabdyr-Jamróz – Language proofreading

Short evaluation of the stay in Poland – Alina Aiesha Khan, Stud. MSc. Global Health University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences School of Global Health:
This stay in Poland was very diverse in the sense that you mix the theoretical and academic parts with something practical since you get to go out in a different international setting. Especially health challenges and the health system in Poland are different from Denmark and books can teach us a lot – but experiences, culture shocks, reflections, conversations with health providers and meetings within the local health ministry in Poland, gave me a deeper understanding of the culture of Poland and how their health system and diseases affect their communities.
With this, I feel more confident for similar work situations where I’m as a global health professional might be sent to other countries in a short notice where I in a short time have to understand the disease burden, the governmental structure, and how the health care system works – in order to provide advocacy and relevant solutions to current problems or health concerns.