Humane teaching methods in veterinary education.

ANIMAL USE RESULTING in harm or death has historically played an integral role in veterinary education worldwide, in disciplines such as surgery, physiology, biochemistry, anatomy and pharmacology. However, many non-harmful alternatives now exist, including computer simulations, high-quality videos, “ethically-sourced cadavers” from animals that have been euthanased for medical reasons, or have died naturally or in accidents, preserved specimens, models and surgical simulators, non-invasive self-experimentation and supervised clinical experiences (Rowan, 1991; Bauer, 1993; Knight, 1999; Gruber and Dewhurst, 2004; Martinsen and Jukes, 2006). Humane veterinary surgical courses ideally comprise several stages. Students learn basic manual skills such as suturing and instrument handling using knot-tying boards, plastic organs and similar models. They then progress to simulated surgery on ethically-sourced cadavers. Finally, students observe, assist with, and then perform necessary surgery under close supervision on real patients that actually benefit from the surgery – as distinct from on healthy animals that are later killed – similar to the manner in which physicians are trained (Knight, 1999). Animal shelter sterilisation programmes are a popular component of many humane veterinary surgical courses worldwide (Richardson et al, 1994; Howe and Slater, 1997). The UK is the only major region of the developed world where such non-harmful surgical training is the norm.