CHANGES TO MY STUDY PROGRAMME

 

    As of today, I have only started studying at the university for two years -for a total of 6 years (or more) that I must be in it-, however in this short time I would like to change many things about your curriculum. I think the programme is very inflexible, the subjects, even if they are semester if you do not approve them, they delay you a whole year; that makes it very heavy, in addition to the fact that there are branches that are very dense and others that are too relaxed, which I think should only last a semester.

Another thing that I would change about the faculty would be teaching, since I have professors who are really very good in their area, but very bad at teaching, which means that many times - if not most - we have to learn self-taught or ask questions of the boys from higher courses to explain us.

I think one of the things the university fails the most is in the use of technology as a complementary means of learning. It was really difficult to change from a completely face-to-face modality to a completely online one, since neither most of the students nor teachers were fully trained to be able to carry out a correct remote teaching. Although I am convinced that this is not a problem only at the level of my career, but that it goes beyond, I would say that in Chile, educational proposals have not been sufficient in this context.

BLOG 5: PERSONAL OPINIONS

What is your opinion about the Chilean tradition called ‘mechoneo’?

mechoneo has been a tradition of Chilean universities that in the beginning was used to welcome new students from second year students. In it, different activities were carried out to create a harmonious and trusting environment among classmates. However, when privatization arrived in higher education te mechoneo changed its course. It becomes in a harassment and humiliation celebration. Suddenly the activities involved were trimming the clothes and hair of the new students, in addition steal their things (backpage, jackets, phones, etc).

In too many oportunities we have seen the violation of human rights, because the students are obligated to make dangerous activities without their will. Nowadays universities are starting to implement non-mechoneo rules, in order to create a comfortable instance for new students.

Personally, I do not agree with the mechoneo - or not this type of mechoneo - for the reason that it shows us that what little power I have over someone I will use to hurt them for being "inferior" in some sense of me. I think that one of the pieces most important in the universities are the students, and stick together is a good way to benefit us.

The mental health is a big concern in the university students. The stress to face unknown, exams, time for study, etc; can be made more bearable with a good welcome, and the tips from one student who have lived the same.

We can be the one to change things and cut the chain of abuse. Change the student body dependent on the students.

MY FUTURE JOB

    Thinking about my future job is somewhat difficult, since I am just beginning my career, and so many specialties and subareas come from it; in addition to deciding whether to pursue a clinical or research area. I don't even know what I will think about in a few more years ... However, several times I have questioned what my future will be like; and based on my current self, I think I would make the decision to specialize in Pediatric Dentistry, it is a specialty that attracts me a lot, firstly because it is a clinical area, secondly because I have always liked contact with children. 

    Also I think that the stage where the human being is most susceptible is in childhood, I have read that many people are afraid of the dentist, and that this fear is born from their childhood. Many people have a terrifying first visit to the dentist which makes them never go again. This means that in the future these people have worse oral health as time passes and they even commit great atrocities to avoid going to the dentist, such as extracting their teeth at home or self-medicating. 

    Instead, a professional can make a change in that person's life. If in the first visit you have a good experience in the dental consultation, it is most likely that that person will periodically go to dental check-ups, and therefore have better oral health and, according to many studies, also better health in general.

SERIES & MOVIES

Today I will talk about the anime that has become one of my favorites, It is about Shingeki no Kyojin (also known as Attack on Titan), probably if you are an otaku you have seen it, but if not, then I will tell you about that is... This anime is of the apocalyptic drama type, it is directed by Tetsurō Araki and it is divided into 4 seasons (season 4 premieres in December of this year). The story is based on the manga, created by Hajime Isayama, and is based mainly on the life of Eren Jaeger, who along with his friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert decide to join the army after the murder of Eren's mother and the destruction of the city where they lived, at the hands of beings called titans.

In the dystopian world that humanity lives in, the titans have devoured almost all of humanity (ignoring other living beings), forcing the survivors that remain to protect themselves with three walls and a very prepared army. During the course of the episodes, great unknowns and mysteries emerge that are gradually discovered. I hope that the next season contains all this mystery thread that surrounds you, and that you can see it too!

BEST HOLIDAYS EVER: REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA.

I feel that it is difficult for me to choose one of the vacations that I liked the most, due to the fact that they are HOLIDAYS, I enjoy all of them to the fullest, but one of the most memorable I think is my vacation in the Dominican Republic with my sisters.

At first, it would be my mother, my two sisters and me, but my mother forgot her passport at the last minute and she couldn't catch the flight with us. It was very sad at this point, but now we laugh every time someone tells the story.

When we finally got to the hotel in Punta Cana, the first thing I saw in my window was the Caribbean beach (which was owned by the hotel), so I immediately put on my bikini and went swimming; I loved the feeling of the warm sea. I think I was all that day between the pools and the sea. On the second day our activities started, we visited an aquarium, a dolphin sanctuary and went buggy rides. The other days we went to some caves of archaeological importance, we met a secluded island where they taught us typical dances, their food and culture. It was really cool that the people were very happy and spontaneous, a song sounded and anyone could take you out to dance whether you were on the beach or in the street.

Punta Cana

After being in Punta Cana, we left Santo Domingo, the capital. Here we visited museums, churches, tobacco industries and we enjoyed the architecture of its streets. You could see the change between both cities, since Punta Cana was more a city of beaches, instead, Santo Domingo is a city with many historical and old buildings.

In Santo Domingo we learned from the history of the country, its wars and demographic transformations that it suffered over time. I think one of the things that stayed with me the most was getting to know Colon's house and the history behind the expedition.

I think everything was incredible, I had a great time but I also fed a lot of culture, without a doubt it was a great adventure with my sisters.

A COUNTRY I'D LIKE TO VISIT: MOROCCO

Among all the countries on the planet, it is difficult to choose one to visit, because I always think of visiting a larger region or at least 3 countries (such as Southeast Asia).

 However, the country that I would undoubtedly visit would be Morocco. It is a country in North Africa. What I like the most is that it has different festivals throughout the year (Al Gnaoua in Essaouira, Festival of Sacred Music in the Medina of Fez, Alegría Festival in Chaouen. You also have a varied number of excursions to which like the Dades valleys or of the Draa, and there are great mountains to climb.

Another thing I can tell you is that its Mediterranean beaches are beautiful and are suitable for surfing (a sport in which I am very bad, but I have a great time).

Finally, I would visit its medinas, which are a cultural heritage for UNESCO. The medinas are places that, according to many travelers, you have to spend the whole day in one of them since they have a lot of history.

                                       

The power of the smile

Dentists as health entities, we always look after the well-being of our patients, but also, we also take care of the aesthetics of the mouth. I think that good work on our part can impact someone their whole life and a large part of it. It is incredible how a smile can change a person's life, give them more security, raise their self-esteem, in addition to giving them health or healing any discomfort or pain. There are studies that ensure that by smiling you release dopamine, the hormone of happiness, that is, having the power to smile can change your mood. Most people the first thing they notice is the smile, in fact, a smile can lead you to have a better job interview, since it makes you more desirable compared to someone who does not smile. I like the idea that, in the power that we have as dentists, with a good treatment, achieve these results and see that our work accompany and help our patients for a long time.

Summer 2020

My friend Vanessa on the right, Mirta at the center and me on the left.

This photo is accompanied by many memories. It was taken at the Humberston offices in northern Chile this year, when covid still did not affect our country, when covid still did not affect our families or us.

This was my first and trip of the year. My friend Pona from the university (in the middle) invited us to visit her hometown, Iquique, along with my friend Vane (on the right), that trip we had fun doing a lot and doing nothing. Some days it was just sun, beach and mojitos, and others walking museum to museum, taking buses to other nearby cities or as we appear in the photo walking in one of the many nitrate offices that are in the place.

The weather in Iquique was really pleasant, it was always between 25 ° C to 28 ° C, although if you don't use sunscreen you can burn your skin as it happened to me the first day I arrived. The sea is more temperate than in Valparaíso, many times we bathed at night and it was very cool.

At night we went for a walk on the main streets. I remember that the first day we went to a local festival and we walked the whole way from Mirta's house to the festival site because it was Sunday and there was no transportation, it was more or less two and a half hours walking, we saw the sunset until the night, when we got to the end the festival had just begun, thank goodness. Anyway, any mishaps we had did not affect us and that is why I love these women very much.

Bicycle for transportation

The bicycle has always been seen as an excellent toy for fun, especially for children. However, in the last decades we have seen how its use has evolved, currently it is already used as a means of transport for short distances. The success is due to all the benefits that riding a bike gives us, such as: keeping fit, saving on gasoline, reducing your carbon footprint, etc.

 Chile is among the countries with the most bike lanes in all of Latin America. Unfortunately, there is a deficit of bike lanes in Chile. We found both connectivity problems for the cyclist, as well as the poor conditions in which they have been built, many times appearing to be an obstacle course. These problems do not motivate new people to join the use of the bicycle as a means of transportation, since the physical integrity of the cyclist is compromised. It is but that new public policies about this will soon emerge to continue enjoying my bike journeys with my sister more safely.

My favourite piece of technology

Like any millennial, he grew up in the age of technology. Since I was little I remember having technological toys, computers, cell phones and items that allowed me to do some tasks easier.
But among all the technological pieces my smart band to do exercises is my favorite without a doubt. This band allows me to know how many kilometers I have traveled, my heart rate, calories burned, etc. I got it on my 16th birthday, 4 years ago. My sponsors gave it to me on that occasion, because it would help me with my swimming training. I like it because it is a very good way to see your progress in the sport. It is also very easy to use, you only connect it to the cell phone through an app and your data begins to appear. I use it whenever I exercise to keep data up to date.
I believe that life without it would make it more difficult for me to see my progress and how I can demand myself.

My career choice

When I was a child, I used to dream of being a costume designer like Coco Channel.

But when I started high school, my interest in science grew, which led me to pursue other interests such as dentistry and medicine.Obviously my family was happy that I chose a traditional and especially health related career. Finally in my last year of school, I decided to study medicine as a first option, but in the university selection test it did not go as expected and I had to take my second option, dentistry. Now, in my second year I see that it was a great option, I really like the concept of social dentistry and how you can change aspects of a person's life through a smile. I think if I had to choose a career again, I would choose dentistry.

Autobiography of a redhead girl

My name is Masiel González Conti. I was born in Santiago, Chile. At elementary school, I studied at Colegio Anglo in Maipú as well as my high school studies. I graduated in 2017. I was a very good student. At school I used to be in the science club, swimming, trekking  and chilean folk dance.


In 2018 I took a sabaticcal year. I went to study at Preuniversitario Pedro de Valdivia to prepare my university selection test. This year I also traveled to Perú to visit Machu Pichu and go trekking in Winikunka (Rainbow montain). It was a great trip.

My family is big, we are seven; my parents, my two brothers, my two sisters and me (the littlest). My mom volunteered for the red cross, and my sisters are nurses, hence my relationship with the health area.


I started studying dentistry the following year in Universidad de Chile, because I have always liked the health area for the women of my family.

Now I am in my second year of dentistry and I hope to continue learning, to be a great dentist.