Urge University of California, Davis to prioritize teaching practices to align with those recommended by the AAVMC
Mark Stetter, DVM
Dean, University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Administration | UC Davis Veterinary Hospital
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Dean's Office 112,
Surge IV
Davis, CA 95616
765-494-7608
765-496-6235 (fax)
mdstetter@ucdavis.edu
Dear Dr. Stetter,
We know effective veterinary student education is important to the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine. We hope to meet with you to discuss how we might help Davis improve the current classes that involve the unnecessary killing of healthy animals for student education. We believe graduating students should be confident practitioners and surgeons. This means giving them ample opportunity for live tissue handling and post-anesthesia recovery—skills best obtained on patients who need procedures under the guidance of experienced veterinarians.
Our paper, “A Public Records Review of Cadaver and Terminal Animal Use in U.S. and Canadian Veterinary Schools,” was recently published in the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education.
We reviewed animal use protocols from nearly every public veterinary school in the United States and Canada, including Davis. We evaluated the degree to which protocols adhered to the AAVMC Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Veterinary Education, which, as you know, recommend best practices for the use of animals in teaching. In particular, the AAVMC Guidelines stress using animals in ways that minimize harm while achieving student learning outcomes. For example, cadavers should be sourced ethically and humanely, alternatives to animals should be considered whenever possible, and teaching policies should emphasize that invasive procedures only be performed when there is a clear medical benefit to the animal.
Among the records we obtained from UC Davis were the following protocols:
· Vet 435B-livestock emphasis: In this protocol, up to 24 cows are killed in terminal surgery laboratories. Cows are purchased or transferred from the campus dairy or beef barns. The animals appear to be otherwise healthy.
· Resident Teaching Protocol for VET 435B: Livestock Emphasis: In this protocol, up to 8 of the cows used in the above protocol (Vet 435B) will also be used by residents for more advanced anesthesia training. The cows are euthanized at the end of the teaching laboratory even though, as noted above, they appear to be otherwise healthy animals.
· Vet 434A Large Animal Stream I: In this protocol, up to 2 horses and 13 pigs are requested. The horses are university herd horses that have been selected for euthanasia due to medical or behavioral problems, and their cadavers are used to teach CSF taps and fluid collections. The pigs are used in terminal surgeries and are sourced from vendors or the university. The pigs appear to be otherwise healthy.
· Vet 435C Zoologic Emphasis: This protocol requests up to 60 fish annually to be used for teaching veterinary and graduate students and veterinary residents medical procedures (examination and diagnostic sampling) and, after euthanasia, necropsy. The fish are sourced from vendors and appear to be otherwise healthy.
In evaluating animal use protocols from veterinary schools, we were impressed by the innovative and effective programs that schools have developed for teaching veterinary students, residents, and interns. These include programs that prioritize access to care by allowing students to perform medically necessary procedures on animals under the supervision of experienced instructors, robust willed-body programs, providing care to farmed animal sanctuaries, low- or no-cost castration clinics for horses, and providing services for farmed animal producers. We also saw many examples of schools integrating effective instructional tools, such as manikins, simulators, low- and high-fidelity models, and software, to enhance student learning as recommended by the AAVMC. The AAVMC Use of Animals in Veterinary Education Handbook provides an in-depth review of the benefits of these teaching methods, as well as practical advice on implementing them in veterinary school curricula.
We recognize that animals must be used in veterinary education; it is imperative that schools use them effectively while protecting our profession’s reputation as courageous advocates for animals. As a leader in veterinary education, your institution has a duty to uphold the highest standards of effective animal use, not only in practice but also in the training of future veterinarians. Therefore, we urge you to prioritize transitioning your schools’ teaching practices to align with the AAVMC's recommendations. We would welcome the chance to discuss this with you.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration of this matter. We believe that by embracing these effective changes, you will excel in training courageous, skilled, and confident veterinarians for the future.
Sincerely,
Crystal Heath, DVM
Co-Founder
Our Honor
