how does your school handle conscientious objection to terminal surgeries?

[quakk]

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greetings!

i've been following the recent threads on terminal surgeries. it's a fitting time for me, as i'm currently going through the conscientious objection (co) process myself at murdoch uni.

so i wanted to pose the question... how does your university handle conscientious objections?

i'll start with murdoch. we are required to organise private practitioners who are willing to teach us the same anaesthesia and surgery skills taught in the pracs. we are required to submit a report mid-semester outlining our anaesthesia and surgery experiences. we are required to source young healthy dogs for ovariohysterectomy procedures at the end of semester.

lastly, we are required to attend the surgeries to which we've objected.

there are arguments both for and against terminal surgeries. i can appreciate both, but there are other threads for that discussion. what i want to establish here is a) how does your uni cater to conscientious objectors and, most importantly, b) are they required to attend the terminal surgeries to which they've objected?

the reason i ask is because we're preparing to approach the administration about eliminating this last requirement. i want to build a database of co programs at other universities, and compile a list of other universities that require their co students to attend the "objectionable" pracs.

thanks in advance!

scott quakkelaar
murdoch 2010

 

[norky]

I was one of only 4 students in my class that chose the alternative stream. We were provided with cadavers (either from previous labs or dogs that were euthanized due to illness at the humane society) to complete the surgeries on. We went through the whole process of intubating, setting up all of the equipment, draping, scrubbing in and gowning. Now that we are at the end of the semester we have started to do our humane society spay/neuters. They have allowed us to complete double the amount of castrations to allow us additional experience with live tissue handling and anesthesia. Next year during our 4th year rotations we are required to do 2 - 3 extra weeks of anesthesia/surgery in place of our electives. This is how the alternative program is set up at the Ontario Veterinary College. I have been very pleased with the alternative program and have been very happy with my choice as it has provided me more surgical time and experience (both on cadaver and live) than those people who choose the terminal/live stream.

 

[Klhughes]

At Tennessee the only terminal surgeries are part of an elective so no one is forced to sign up for it if they do not feel comfortable doing terminal surgeries. Everyone gets practice doing spay/neuters starting in the fall of our second year when we work on animals from the local shelters.

 

[laurafinn]

I think the agreement we sign when we are accepted into the vet school states that we agree to participate in terminal surgeries. But don't quote me on that. Anyway, I haven't been aware of any conscientious objectors. Our terminal surgeries involve sheep not dogs though, which shouldn't make a difference, but probably does. Our spays/neuters are done on dogs or cats we find ourselves (through friends, neighbors, etc). Also, we usually get spay/neuter experience when we are seeing practice.