Taking three steps backwards, the University of Mississippi Medical Center decided to start using live pigs once again in its trauma training program. The live pigs would be anesthetized, catheterized, used to learn heart massage, then killed.
UMMC has a state of the art trauma training simulator that mimics the human body, providing far more accurate feedback to students than that of a pig whose anatomy is similar, but not exact. There is no justification for reverting back to old, inhumane training practices. The U.S. should be a leader in all teaching methods, and taking steps backwards into unnecessary use of live animals when the they already has a state of the art simulation center seems not only intentionally cruel, but an unforgivable waste of taxpayer money spent on the simulator.
Research on this topic revealed that ALL medical/trauma training universities in Canada have ended the use of live animals for training as of October of 2011. That leaves only a handful of U.S. schools still clinging to an outdated, unnecessary form of training that is inhumane; a concept that goes against the Hippocratic Oath taken by all trained physicians – “to do no harm”.
International actor and animal activist, Rudolf Martin, (interview with Rudolf Martin) shared his thoughts on the continued use of live animal training. “One of the ways in which a society should be measured is by how it treats those that can't defend themselves - the elderly, the sick, the poor, the children and the animals. While we pamper select animals that we have designated as "pets", we still inflict immeasurable and unnecessary cruelty on most animals. Some experiments are beneficial for the greater good but most are arcane and not necessary, many are even for pure vanity. We can all make a difference by making our voices heard when the helpless are being mistreated; and we should never underestimate our power as informed consumers.” (Mr. Martin is lending his support behind the movement to end live animal training at UMMC in honor of the release of his movie, PIG, being shown at the Palm Springs International Film Festival this week.)
In addition to many animal activists and advocacy groups, PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) is asking everyone to please take a moment to send an email to UMMC dean James Keeton, M.D., requesting that he end this program before one single, intelligent pig is put down unnecessarily.
Once completed, you may also want to send an email to these U.S. schools still using live animals for trauma training.
- Contact Tulane University School of Medicine and urge them to end the practice of using live animals
- Ask the University of Tennessee to End Its Cruel Pig Lab at its Chattanooga campus
- End the Use of Live Pigs at Baystate Medical Center
Let’s urge American universities to show both compassion and leadership by forsaking live animal training for more advanced human simulators. Let us show we can evolve as a society beyond senseless abuse and cruelty.
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M. Gwynn has authored two books, Harvest and The Cat Who Wanted to be a Reindeer on Amazon.com .
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Left to die on the auction room floor
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