Final Session: Self reflections about this academic year

Well, this is the last topic that I'm going to talk about: you know that all things come to an end some day, so here we go...
I've had to face different challenges through my academic year on the faculty of Veterinary Medicine, some of them have been good, other ones, not so good. Some of them have been easy, but other ones have been hard, pushing me to do my best to overcome them. In the present essay, I'm going to explain myself and evaluate some of these challenges that have been important for me through the year

First, I have to say that I've passed all subjects until now, but that doesn't have been easy, anyway. One of the hard challenges I've had to face is passing Anatomy, because this is a subject full of concepts you have to memorize and put them into practice. I need to admit that the first term of this subject (last year) I didn't do it quite well because I couldn't keep it up; that was reflected in my marks. I couldn't get back on race till the second test, which I got an important mark that cheered me up to go ahead. I felt worried until the last moment, because I didn't want to fail, but I knew that it would be my fault if that happened. After all that I felt better because I passed successfully!! what a torture was that!!

After the first term, new challenges awaited for me. New subjects that little by little seemed to unclear my way through the career; I mean, subjects like Farmacology, that I think is an interesting one, bond directly to the animal health. Another one is Microbiology, which refers to animal diseased generated by microorganisms like bacteria or virus. That's interesting too, but there's a lot of information to learn, and tests don't have been so easy that they could be! Immunology was another stone in my shoe, because I got a bad mark on the first test...it required I mentalized myself and give all what I got to get a compensatory mark, and guess what...I did it! now I'm happy for pass that thing.

In spite of passing all those subjects, they were difficult to me for another personal reason: I got depressed for a few weeks, thinking that I couldn't perform well; I felt alone, empty some days...I was in a bad mood, I felt sad, a mix of feelings around my mind... the cause of this is a little personal, about my heart, but I don't want to explain more of that, it's a bit embarrassing!

However, the year isn't over yet, and I need to keep fighting for taking last tests, so I can rest in the summer thinking that I did it well. Maybe it was my fault about some things, because I'm not perfect; sometimes I've been a little lazy or I've done procrastination (I know that I'm not the only one), or I don't have studied enough for boring subjects, or I've just studied enough for a poor "4" mark. But I can't give up now, I can't resign myself and I have to keep moving on to reach my goal: graduate from this career. I don't want to get depressed again. Really I don't want to. It's a bit more left, I have to be strong and forget bad things in the past.
And this is the way I'm finishing this topic. I hope all of you reach your goals in life, being able to confront your challenges, but something more important: being able to admit your faults, recognize your strengths and weaknesses, and correct your bad actions...I can't believe this is the end; goodbye my friends. :D

Challenges of a Veterinary Doctor

Hi again! I'm following with another topic related about my study career. Veterinary has different challenges to face if we want to subsist in our discipline in terms of technology, social matters and education

Technology: a veterinary doctor must know about the latest innovations used in medicine, such as new machines for diagnosis, implementations in laboratories, new vaccines against different possible pathogen agents; technics on different areas of medicine, such as radiology, surgery, neurology, and any other thing that he could make contact with in his future job. Thus, it's important to be well informed about this.

Social Matters: another thing that we face in the future is related to social relations with our partners, I mean, it's a bit difficult to agree between us because we think differently. So we'll have to get along with people that have other ways to do things, this is logical because of our partners graduate from different universities which have other methodologies to teach their students. For this reason we need to reach a consensus in order to achieve our goals as veterinary doctors.

Education: probably the most of us will need to get some extra knowledges according with our interests, if we want to reach our objectives in our lives; I refer to do PhDs, the highest universitary grade we could reach. That implies we have to study a lot more to get this grade and specialize on some topic of personal interest, something that you are good at and you're going to do well for the rest of your life. That way isn't going to be easy, but the final reward can be great! You could become a expert in science research, genetics, physiology, physiopathology, surgery, pharmacology, molecular biology, and so on! but don't forget it requires time and dedication, so you have to be careful in your choose.

As I told before, facing these challenges aren't going to be easy, but with perseveration and dedication, focusing on our real goals, we can go far in this beautiful career, thinking always about animals: our reason to keep living :D

Improving my faculty facilities

Hi to everyone, long time no see! I've been busy studying a lot for tests, and more tests, it's a madness!!! Talking about my studies, for who doesn't know I study veterinary medicine at the faculty of University of Chile. This place is large and wide, with many facilities that are necessary for its students such as classrooms, biology laboratories, animal clinic, horse yards, toilets (I wonder what they are for xD) , and so on. I can't forget to do mention to the farm called "Mundo Granja", which it has different sections for each group of animals, like horses, cows, ducks, turkeys, rabbits, and donkeys...and also dogs and cats, of course. I think that all this is enough for us as students, at least they are the most basical facilities that we need for our way in this interesting career life.

Some students complain about rusticity of some facilities. However, things can be improved. It's a little more difficult in this case, because the faculty belongs to a public university, so it's not financed with too high amounts of money, like private universities. But that is in hands of the government, so we need to catch its atention to make more improvements!

I think more money can resolve this situation in order to improve some facilities in terms of infrastructure, medical implementations, animal welfare, and maybe also computers, I think they are so slow!!

These improvements could make easier lives of current veterinary students, and also next generations coming. Being a prestigious educational institution as it is, our faculty should go improving year by year its facilities with the purpose of keeping that prestige.

Another thing: I would personally change the buses of the faculty, they look a little old and warm in summer!!

News Summary: Paralysed rats can walk again

Hi to everyone! I guess all of you are busy studying this week, I include myself :S
Anyway, I'm going to tell you something that I think is interesting:

It's known when people suffer spinal cord injuries is unable to walk and they have to live bound to a wheelchair. It's possible they regain their mobility through a rehabilitation programme being developed by scientists; however, they have found that a combination of drugs, muscle stimulation and treadmill exercises can be used to reawaken 'walking circuits' in the spinal cords of paralysed rats! This treatment was suggested by neurologists at the University of Zurich and California.
In normal people, walking circuits send a signal to the brain through the spinal cord, but if this last one is injured, the signal never reaches the brain and the circuits shut down.
A team of scientists used drugs, known as serotonin agonists, in order to awaken the walking circuits in paralysed rats; then they used a tiny electrodes to stimulate its spinal circuitry.
During the study, rats were subjected to a treadmill treatment for 20 minutes/day. Progressively they were regaining the ability to walk. but still reliant on the electrical stimulation.
It's possible to apply this to humans, but it's required the developing of implantable electrodes to stimulate the walking circuits on spines' pacients.

I think this would be so beneficial for all those people that can't walk, so they can come to their normal lives if they had suffered an accident, don't you think the same thing?

Here I leave you the link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/sep/20/paralysed-rats-walk-rehabilitation

And don't forget to comment, please!

My Favourite Animal(s)

Hello ladies and gentlemen! Time to talk about something interesting for me, I can say it's my reason to keep living in this planet...I refer to animals!! In this case, my favourite one.
It's a little difficult to choose one of them as my favourite animal, because I have two animals in my house that I think both they are special for me. Dog or Cat? which of them I should choose??
I guess it would be fair if I talked about both of them, being so I'm going to start about the dog:

Who doesn't know a dog, for God's sake?? Dogs are mammals, from the canine family; they are quadruped, carnivores with claws and sharp teeth because in the nature they are great predators, but they were domesticated by human beings to serve us as an animal of company.
I've got two dogs in my whole life, the first one was a female dog that today is in the dogs' heaven xD. I don't remember so much about her, because I was a child, but I know she lost her life when she got poisoned or something, that was terrible...
However, the second one is alive!! it's a male dog, white and black face coloured, like a cow!! he's 9 years old and is so restless, so hiperkinetic! I hope he doesn't die of a heart attack...he has lived since he was a two-months puppy and I love him so much, it doesn't matter if he's old today and exasperate me sometimes!
One of things I like about dogs is they're very lively, friendly (if we take care of them) and faithful to humans, so they can protect us from strange people. I can resume it in one phrase: "They make us our lives more interesting"
Now, I need to say something about the cat: In general, cats aren't so faithful and friendly like dogs. They're more introverted, they're always watching around, perceiving sounds (as dogs perceive smells). They're also predators in nature, that's why they have sharp claws (it really hurts when they attack us, I know that by own experience).
My sister adopted a little male cat, so practically he's my nephew xD. He's beautiful, gray-black striped and he's healthy, that's important. He has been living in my home one year ago, so he's one more of my family. The most part of the day he's always sleeping, but at night he gets crazy haaaa....sorry, I meant he turns more active and playful. It becomes a headache when he awakens too early in the morning, so my parents have to open the door, otherwise they can't keep sleeping anymore!

I really like him so much, in spite of I didn't like cats in the past...I remember before he arrived, we had another one, but he died by infection and I couldn't do anything to save him, that was so sad...I hope that doesn't happen again, that will be my mission. In one phrase "Cats show us the beauty of animals".

I like how different can be these two animal species: faithfulness in dogs and alert state in cats...that's simply the only way how God could do it :D

What to do and where to go in Santiago

Hi again, people from this world and other ones!! Welcome to Santiago of Chile, our great active capital, I've lived here since I have memory, trapped forever! mmm, maybe in the future that won't be so xD
Certainly most people here know many places to visit, however, some foreigners don't. In that case, I want to tell you about some of these places. We have museums, parks, hills, representative buildings, theaters, and so on, but I'm going to suggest you some of them:

-The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino is Santiago 's finest museum, with a beautifully presented collection of pre-Hispanic art drawn from the whole South American continent. Highlights include elaborate Meso-American incense burners, Andean textiles dating back as far as 3,000 years, and Maya carvings - not to be missed on any account.
-Try a fresh seafood lunch at the stately Mercado Central, surrounded by stalls packed with glistening sea bass and salmon, and buckets of salt-crusted oysters, mussels and clams.
-Don't miss the changing of the guard at the government palace (the splendid Palacio de la Moneda) when hundreds of green-uniformed soldiers in high black boots "goose-step" around the square to the Chilean national anthem.
-Climbing up the exuberantly landscaped Santa Lucía hill - via a maze of swirling stairways, turrets and fountains - is an essential part of the Santiago experience. Your reward is sweeping views over the city, impressive even when the smog is out in force.
-I can't forget our dear Plaza de Armas. This central plaza features famous monuments, the Governor's palace and is the point from which all distances to other parts of Chile are measured. Moreover, you'll have time to sit and relax on the many benches at all hours of the day. Nice place, there's no doubt.

Anyway, there is a lot of things that foreigners can do in this city, for example: travelling on our well-known subway, Metro of Santiago, which I think is a good and fast transport to get to many areas of the city (don't take the Transantiago, please, when you do that you'll know why I tell it you xD)
Biking traits, eating typical chilean food, going to theaters...I can't describe you so much, my head's spinning haaaa!! If you want to enjoy all these places mentioned or do a lot of things here, you can visit us anytime, it's really worth to live in this city.

September, the nacional month

Hi everybody! Now it's time to talk about our dear September, when we celebrate the nacional day.
18th is the day of the First Government Junta in 1810, and our independence from Spain. Every year Chilean people get festive and prepare themselves to enjoy this day through different chilean traditions, like dancing cueca, eating barbecues and empanadas, drinking chicha and so on. That's a special day indeed, and personally I like eating so much in this holidays :D
But what does it mean being chilean? well, I think we're not the best country over the planet, but people here is nice and good, in spite of we have lot of cultural defects...foreign people treat us as thieves (maybe they're right a little). We used to talk bad (I mean, we eat some final word letters like "s" or "d").
We sometimes are ignorants and we make things without thinking so much, a little impulsive in my opinion.
We argue with peruvians about who is the owner of "pisco"(what a foolish thing to argue for xD)
also we discriminate against other cultures.
We leave things to the last moment, that's called procrastination, commonly in the most of us, maybe because we are too lazy to do things at time or any other reason.
Even all things mentioned, we have sense of humor and we look life with optimism, trying to do our best.
Personally I think if we had been conquered by British people, things would be different here, maybe we would have more strenghts than weaknesses, certainly we would be like American people, with blue eyes and blond hair haha
Anyway, we are what we are and that's all, don't you think it?

Transantiago: before and after

Here we go again! This time I'm going to comment about the transport system which caused one headache or two to somebody...well, the most people here in Santiago of Chile, I guess. I'm refering to Transantiago >.<
First of all, what about the previous system? I can remember the old yellow buses that make us happy in the past (relatively happy, of course). Drivers sometimes decided to have fun by running fast and racing each other, a little dangerous for the people who were on the bus :S Also they stopped wherever they wanted, sometimes didn't get along with the passengers, specially with students...And how to forget the popular stickers, the old tickets from different routes (I remember that because I collected them, and I still have them!), people hanging on the bus door, trash on the floor and artistic quotes on the back of the seats...
But certain day our lives radically changed...a new modern system replaced all the happiness we had (hehe maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit). They replaced old buses with new and sofisticated ones, the caterpillar buses (They look more like big accordions with wheels for me, but it's just my humble opinion). Some of old buses were painted, making us to believe we wouldn't notice it...new routes and bus stops were established, the ultimate GPS system ever installed and so on...
The first months after the system was launched, chaos ruled the Chilean capital...people didn't know where to go, trying to descifrate a complicated route map...the bus speed was decreased and buses were often delayed , causing impacience and dispair over the crowd... (ok ok, I'm exaggerating again, but it's MY blog after all, don't criticize me) xD
But not all is a nightmare, there are good things to say about Transantiago. Street bus racing is over, so people travel more safely. Payment system was improved, indeed, because you don't have to pay with coins: you pay with a BIP card now instead, which you can load with money, pretty handy I think. Drivers respect bus stops, and they have a better treat with people.
You can change from one bus to another in the same trip, and you don't have to pay extra for it.
However, this system has a terrible failure: some shameless people get on the bus through the back doors and they don't pay their ticket!
Personally I don't feel affected too much with this system or the previous one, but I think they launched it too early, and they didn't think about the impact and consecuences that it would have...Maybe they could have launched Transantiago in a few years later, enough time to correct some actual faults of the system. Anyway, if you look people you'll see they are able to adapt themselves to whatever they confront (it's just the human/animal nature)
But those accordion-like buses...What a bad design they have! Stupid big engine obstructing the way, I hate you!!

A country I would like to visit

ok, which country I would like to go? mmm, let me think about it, I'll be back in two weeks xD
haha I'm just kidding...If I had enough money I would like to visit the noble England, the mother of English language...why? Well, in first place it's an island so I think it would be a nice place to go because it has a temperate maritime climate, and this is always changing, I mean, sometimes it's raining, other times it's sunny...There's a diversity of landscapes and rivers, less pollution, magnificent infraestructure, Did I say it's an island? Lovely place, at least for me :)
Another thing I like is the fact this developed country has been a large history and tradition for centuries, specially in the middle ages...English men built big castles to defend their kingdom from enemies, noble knights had a sense of honor and justice, they took part of great battles in history and so on...
English goverment invests a lot of money in beautiful stadiums where people enjoy great football matches, because this sport is very popular, that's the reason why football stadiums are generally full of people and there's a high security around them.
I would like to visit the great megaliths of Stonehenge, Big Ben (the clock tower of London), travelling on double decker buses (certainly they have a really good transport system, not like here xD)
I would spend my time there on holidays, that would be a good experience to live...if I only had enough money :(
Well, dreaming doesn't cost anything xD

Good and Bad points about the last term

Hi to Everyone!
This is my first blog and I don't know how to start it, but here I go...
The things I can remember from the first term of this year: Well, I got new subjects, some of them a little boring xD like Epidemiology, similar to Bioestadistics but a bit harder for me, and made me sleep sometimes...I know it's an important subject but I don't have enough interest for that, I mean I prefer subjects related with direct contact with animals like Anatomy, for example. However it was the most stressing thing I've ever passed!! There was a lot of concepts to learn, and I thought I would never pass that, because I got bad marks from the previous term (this subject lasts two terms, seriously terrible :S). I was about to quit, but in the end, I passed it with honor and glory!! Congratulations for meeeee!!
One of the subjects I hated is Economy: basically it's about money, money, and more money, all the world is turning around money!! xD
A good thing I remember is the basic clinical practices, specifically bovine practics. We had to put injections to a bad temper cow!! the poor animal was a little stressed, I felt sorry for her :(
Another thing I learned is about the behavior of different animals, and how different perceptual worlds they have: for example, dogs, they have a very developed smelling world; in the other hand cats have a great accustic world, I've realized this by watching my own pets :D
I must say that was not easy, but I think that term is nothing compared to this new one, I hope to survive in one single piece, and not to die trying it! xD