Hart L and Wood M. Mainstreaming alternatives in North American veterinary school curricula. ALTEX. 2006;23(Special Issue):75-77


Abstract

Euthanasia of animals for use in veterinary education in North America has declined as new resources and methods have been developed at veterinary schools and mainstreamed into the curricula.This process has included substantial curricular changes in four areas, coinciding with students no longer performing terminal surgeries. First, the creation and preparation of models and plastinated organs, prosections of tissues and organs, and software programs for teaching anatomy have supplanted the former practice of dissection conducted by students. Some teaching materials are available for purchase (website: http://calf.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/). Second, ongoing experiences are now provided to afford clinical exposure throughout the four years of veterinary medical education. In this arrangement, students’ clinical skills with clients assume a higher priority in their training. Third, students practice with mechanical devices, surgical tools, and physiological instrumentation as preparation for the manipulative aspects of animal handling and surgery. Fourth, students practice as surgeon and anaesthetist in spaying and castrating dogs, benefiting from close surgical supervision from faculty. The animal’s post-operative recovery is monitored by students. These changes have replaced students’ previous optional choices for alternatives. This presentation highlights innovative curricula developed at North American veterinary schools by teaching faculty, including a new webpage with information on veterinary curricular contributions. Veterinary students have welcomed the mainstreamed curricular experiences in animal handling, anatomy, physiology, and surgery.

 





Link to journal: ALTEX - Alternatives to Animal Experimentation