English languages challenges

This is the last post. The semester is practically finished and, with it, English must be finish with an analysis of the experience of the course.

Personally, I think that was a great experience again. The class were very didactic and the most of time, entertaining and interesting. In addition, the classes were useful for talk with my partners about what like them (hobbies, music, etc.) and them problems.

The model of learning based in the interaction between the teacher and the class, and the creation of blogs motivate the learning and definitely are more “educational” that a class in the school. Probably I learned more English with this method in a year than all I had leant during all my scholar life.

The only negative aspect of the classes were probably the lost time when we must to study another difficult subject (principally anatomy-biology BAyB), although the teacher give us all the facilities when we were in stressed weeks and we didn’t have time.

About what I must to improve in English... definitely the listening. I have ever problems for understand people when they speak in English naturally. English have words with very similar pronunciation and have many monosyllabic words, and this don´t help or do more difficult the learning. The vocabulary is another important aspect and this is a complement of the anterior point. It is practically infinite, so is important to learn and practice it during all life.

Outside of the English class and inside the academic aspect this language is very relevant. I use the English principally for the reading of papers and scientific publications in all the subjects. In my free time outside the university, I use it for watch videos, listen music, understand “Memes” and all the things related with the mass media in general.

Epilogue: I really don´t like English, but I understood that is necessary for the life. English  will follow me ever and I have only the option of coexist with it and take advantage of this knowledge.

About the program of dentistry here...

You know about the difficult of a career like dentistry. It is a profession very related with the science and for this reason it is hard. But in this university, the design of the curriculum, the high number of hours in the university and the thoroughness of the teachers make the career reach an extreme level.

The curriculums have a big number of contents and topics in each subject. All of them have a degree of difficulty. Probably anatomy, biology and chemistry are the most difficult subjects; there are a lot of students that failed them.

The workload is most of time sickening, practically you never stop working during  all the week, you don’t have enough time to rest during weekends  and when there is an important exam or a clinic case (anatomy and biology), only a few hours of sleep are guaranteed.

About the infrastructure of the university, I think that it could be more modern and the classrooms definitely need to be bigger because sometimes the overcrowding is evident. About the green areas, is necessary to have them, but having the time to enjoy them is more important, although a few of grass in “Machu Picchu” is not a bad idea.  The clinical building seems enough for the clinical activities and for the patients in spite of some problems related with the instrumental.

I think that the technology here is sometimes obsolete. It is seen, for example in the computers and the lack of last generation material for simulation, like for example, material with artificial blood or equipment of virtual reality, that could be useful for the formation.

Finally, the teaching methods are questionable basically thanks to the shortage of time and them external work commitments.

My favorite band (?)

I mentioned in another occasion that I don’t have a favorite band (I don´t remember when it was, probably in a past blog), basically because a band don’t have only good songs (always there is a song that, for me, is awful in particular bands or artists in general). In this occasion I will mention a band that I like so much, the most of them songs I like, and probably you do not know them or probably you have, in a moment of your life, listen a song of this band, but you don’t know that they created the song, this band is “Creedence Clearwater Revival”.

Well, this band was dissolved at the beginning of the 70’s and they have a short period of activity during the 60’s. The story of them fame is similar to The Beatles, like guys that suddenly have fame and popularity. But I think that they are underrated (and The Beatles are overrated), basically because them popularity was very short, but they, in my opinion have the same or more influence in the modern music, they revolutionized the rock and roll, mixing it with blues and country music, and they influenced in the creation of the grunge. They in summary have a great legacy with the songs and the influences, but they normally are forgotten.

I know this band thanks to my father and one of my uncles. Both of them had casettes of the band reordered from the radio and I remember, when I was a child, that my father put it in the stereo practically all the mornings of the weekends.

Here a compilation of them songs:

My next summer holidays.

I really don’t know if I will have holidays next summer, basically it depends of the money and the time that could have my parents. However, if there are money and time, without a doubt I will go to Puerto Montt and its near villages like practically all years.

You know thanks to other post how much I like this city; I think that it is a wonderful city and I have the 90% of my family here.

In this opportunity, I would visit principally my grandmothers because this year they have been ill and I have a great care towards them, and I don’t know if this occasion could be the last time that I will see and talk with them…

Probably in this opportunity I will visit all my family (uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.), go across the forests, go to Puerto Varas, Ensenada, Alerce and maybe go to Chamiza. In addition, I have plans for do boating, go all over the “Seno de Reloncaví”, and go to the “Volcan Calbuco” (trying to get close to the peak).

I would like to visit so much places in the beautiful X region, for example, a village called Puelo, which is next to the river with the same name and have a great fame like a natural place with wonderful landscapes. Same for “Contao” where I never have been, but I have family here, and I have listen stories about that this place is the perfect paradise for convert in a hermit.

Finally, I can mention with certainly that I will eat like a monster if I have holidays. I will have a diet based in traditional food of the zone, like different kinds of potatoes, fishes, “milcaos”, “cancatos” vegetables with real natural flavor and traditional desserts based in berries.

How to survive SDLE

The SDLE (Semana de la escuela) is the principal time when the students of dentistry of the Universidad de Chile celebrate in community. During this week there is a generalized blessed madness. This is totally out of the normality. The people change like if they put a mask only for this week. Basically there is live music, dance competitions (in general all type of competitions that you can imagine), and it is a moment when you can share experiences with friends or meet new people, obviously in the party there are alcohol, and it generates disarray. In general in that week all is absolutely crazy.

I really don’t have a manual that explain how survive to the SDLE, basically I have an incidental participation on it in the penultimate or the last day (I don’t remember). Only I can see a fight and people with beers in “Machu Picchu” at the beginning of the activity (if there is a beginning.). There are testimonies related with great alcohol consumption with the respective consequences at the next day. Even, people had talked about the participation of teachers and employees. A good advice is enjoy with responsibility, take care with things with a high value and be every time in group (although in this case probably you drink more alcohol.)

This week is well known in the university. Here come students of the other faculties and grades, is a good opportunity for meet new people. Remember whenever that we celebrate the foundation of our dentistry school and it has merit for be well celebrated.

Postgraduate Studies

For the future I really don´t have plans, I prefer live with short-term plans, for that is hard to choose now, for this post, a post grade course, but if I must choose, probably I would choose 4 routes: The oral surgery, the oral rehabilitation, a public health post grade, or a new grade in business.

I would like study specially subjects that I consider important and useful for my community. There are few people that have the knowledge of these courses basically because are very difficult and expensive and personally I would feel useful and privileged with this knowledge and I like the subjects that I have now in the grade that are related with these post grade programs.

About the grade in business I think that could be a good complement of a dentistry grade. Is useful for my utopic project (watch the last post), have a short duration and can help me in topics related with social communication.

I obviously would like to study abroad, maybe in a country like U.S.A., Australia, Germany or Spain, but the lodging, the tickets and the lifestyle in general is expensive and I don´t have or I will not have money. The study in Chile is more realistic.

If I study in Chile, I probably will not have problems related with the accommodation and study in my home, in my room is easier, also a full-time system of study is possible.

My future work

You know i’m studying dentistry. I like so much help people a them problems related with the oral cavitty (I had a lot of problems, a supernumerary tooth and orthodontics problems, and I know how it feels). In general in Chile there are a lot of problems related with health access (Not only in odontology, also there are problems in all medical specialities). The health in this country is expensive, there are few professionals and are range problems. There are cities (not towns or villages) that have an embarrassing public health system, and there are not private clinics, and if exist a clinic, it is over-demanding and have a high price for the patient.

In the short run I would like to have a speciality and work so much and with this job save money and in the long term, maybe when I become an old man, I would like to found a medical and dental clinic for help people that can’t pay high price for a private clinic, or simply in them regional cities there are not public and private health. (Preferentially in cities in the south of Chile, like Osorno, Chiloé, Coyhaique or Punta Arenas for example). I can imagine a medium-sized build with me and my colleagues (maybe my classmates) attending people in dental boxes and a complete team of medical, kinesiology and therapist specialists. About the money, I think that couldn’t be a problem with this job. The most important thing would be the health, the happiness and the confort of the pacient.