Can resident opt out of training on animals

[SteveG1993]

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I read some residents practice surgical techniques or intubation another procedures on anesthetized pigs. Can residents opt out of this

 

[GoSpursGo]

Honestly feel like more places are starting to make use of sim labs, so I’m not sure how common this actually is. But I’m sure it’s program specific, so a bunch of random guesses from the internet probably wouldn’t be generalizable.

If it’s an expected part of your training for you to practice these procedures prior to actually performing them on a person and this is how your program does it then you would presumably need to discuss with your PD an alternative means to complete this requirement.

 

[sella.turcica]

I read some residents practice surgical techniques or intubation another procedures on anesthetized pigs. Can residents opt out of this

Choose a different residency program.

 

[ScreamingInternally]

I have literally never heard of this lol. I dont think this exists outside of MAYBE some extremely specific and old-school programs which would probably be easy enough to avoid.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I have literally never heard of this lol. I dont think this exists outside of MAYBE some extremely specific and old-school programs which would probably be easy enough to avoid.

We used anesthesized cats as late as 2013, I have no idea if my program still does

 

[deleted480308]

I read some residents practice surgical techniques or intubation another procedures on anesthetized pigs. Can residents opt out of this

are you not going to be "practicing" on people at some point?

 

[mvenus929]

My program had us practice suturing on pig feet (from the butcher shop). My med school, I think, used cats to practice intubation, but I understand that has fallen out of favor. My residency didn’t do anything else with animals as far as I’m aware.

You’re gonna need to ask on interviews.

 

[IMGASMD]

TBH, I’d rather you practice on animals than my family members, if you have the opportunities.

 

[Oedipa Maas]

Why would you want to? My third year I went from seeing an OBGYN intern do their first C-section and having the gut-punch realization that every surgeon will have to have a first patient and improve over time to having the incredible opportunity to spend time with gen-surg residents at the pig lab (happens a few times a year). They were able to learn with real anatomy and physiology in front of them in a less stressful environment. They were able to practice complex procedures that were it a human at that point in training, they would just be second or first assist on. Plus, they were able to practice a procedure without a patient presenting with the issue, it allowed them to gain some "volume" even if it wasn't 100% the same. The pigs were treated with the utmost respect, they were managed by anesthesia throughout to be kept completely out and without pain, stitched up, and thanked at the end. I was relieved to know that residents got that kind of training and didn't just immediately start out doing procedures on people, especially because I had a family member going under the knife at an academic hospital at the time.

 

[deleted87051]

I think it can be avoided in most specialties but not in surgery. I know all our surgeons using Davinci spent time in animal labs.