Exchange report - incoming teachers
Home university: Makerere University
Study programme: Dentistry
Exchange programme: Linnaeus-Palme
Semester: Spring semester 2013/2014
Duration: 21
Name: Dunstan Kalanzi
Email address: dkalanzi@yahoo.com

Accommendation

My accommodation was arranged by the International Office coordinator at KI Solna prior to arrival. I found the standard acceptable. 

I was surprised that we had to share an apartment with only one room and had to use the bedsitter so that my colleague could use the bed which worked out for us because we were both males.

The exact nature of our accommodation was not clearly communicated as I thought that each one of us would have an apartment/room and then share the kitchen and bathroom

Language and Culture

Overall, an effort was made to accommodate us but the teaching was primarily carried out in Swedish!! Patients complaints would then be translated into English for us to understand

There were no language barriers as such as long as I asked the people I was interacting with to speak in English

I don't think I have appreciated the Swedish culture as such because of limited interaction and a quite busy schedule

Leisure time

Social activities arranged were on a personal basis not on an institutional one and this involved dinners at people's homes

I think the weather did not allow us to appreciate Sweden well but would suggest boat rides and a tour of some of Stockholm attractions

Miscellaneous

I have had a wonderful time during this exchange. Our hosts have been great and have gone a long way to make sure that our time here is well spent. The schedule though hectic was well formulated so that we appreciate at lease what KI has to offer in regard to Dentistry

I have learned quite a bit and gotten some new treatment modalities from those who have been practicing longer than myself.

I will strongly recommend the program  to my colleagues back home

Other activities

I visited some specialist dental clinics (St Eriks and Danderyds Hospitals)

I met with the doctoral research contact person for dentistry at KI and hopefully if an opening  arises and funding is secured I will be considered

I also visited a dental small equipment manufacturing company (DAB) and had a wonderful time interacting with the staff. The CEO of this company promised to supply our Dental School with what they make for FREE. He also encouraged us to work with established dental suppliers back home so that they can begin to import their products

I think the future of this collaboration is great and hopefully we shall benefit all the more and also give KI something to be proud of doing

Preparation

Somebody from Karolinska Institute visited our Department at the College of Health Sciences about three years ago and shared the possibility of the teacher and student exchange program.
A couple preparatory visits have occurred since then and I am part of the first lot of teachers from Makerere to come for this exchange

Reflections

I think what stands out most for me and which I can change is the interaction with my students. I will endeavor to treat them as colleagues from the time I start interacting with them
The facilities available for teaching are excellent unlike back home. How this disparity can be addressed is a question for another time!!!!!

Teaching

I had one lecture with the 10th semester students as per the brief from the head of prosthetics at KI which I believe went well although the attendance small. I also participated in the students clinics were my opinion was sought from time to time.
The teaching methods observed here are more or less what we use back at Makerere University but take place in an environment that is far superior and highly computerized.
The students do have a professional relationship with the patients but found their relationships with the teachers quite informal which is good. The students are treated more less as colleagues which I believe makes learning a lot easier.
I did not participate in coursework or examinations

Teaching hours

This is not very clear but will give you the amount of time I spent in/on each of the activities listed above

Teaching hours: One (1) in three weeks
Amount of lessons/seminars: less than 1%
Individual supervision/bedside teaching: 90%
Other activities: 8-9%