NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A national physicians organization will file a complaint against Vanderbilt's School of Medicine. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is upset at the school for using live pigs in trauma training.
The class that is causing the controversy is the Advanced Trauma Life Support program and it is scheduled to take place Friday and Saturday.
One organization suggests the school spare the pigs and use a suitable alternative and will file a complaint on Thursday.
Caregiver Kelly Mosley said her client's health was the most important thing. She says she trusts the advice of her pharmacists and physicians because of their years of schooling.
"If that's how they're doing it and it's worked for so long then maybe they should keep it in play," said Mosley.
Before anything happens the pigs are put to sleep with an anesthetic. It is at that point medical students conduct their experiments. After the experiments are completed the pigs are euthanized.
The physicians committee is filing a formal complaint with Vandy's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
The complaint asks to ‘deny the use of any live animals in the school's Advanced Trauma Life Support program. We ask that you immediately deny this use for all future courses.' The group states, ‘The current use of life pigs is a violation of the Federal Animal Welfare Act.'
Vanderbilt's School of Medicine responded with the statement below:
The university "is firmly committed to the highest standards of care and the most humane protocols for those animals." "The use of animals in medical research and training demonstrates clear-cut benefits to mankind, and also to animals." "Vanderbilt remains firmly committed to these practices for the benefit of it's patients."
The committee suggests Vanderbilt use a human patient simulator to conduct their trauma class.
Vanderbilt's School of Medicine tells the physicians committee they will use the simulators for part of their coursework.
The committee also says Vanderbilt is one of twelve North American facilities that uses live animals in their' advanced trauma training.
Here's what to do....
Jeffrey R. Balser, M.D., Ph.D.
Dean, School of Medicine
D-3300 MCN 2104
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN 37232
E-mail: jeff.balser@vanderbilt.edu
Phone Number: 615-936-3030
SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear Dr. Balser:
I am disturbed after discovering that Vanderbilt University School of Medicine uses living pigs during Advanced Trauma Life Support courses, and it has the potentiality for further use of live pigs this coming weekend, July 11-12. I would respectfully request you to acknowledge that, although the pigs may be anesthetized, this subjects them to immense suffering. Pigs are marvelously intelligent and sentient beings, capable of thought, love, pain, and fear, and to expose them to this archaic method of training is alarming.
In a recently conducted survey, it has been determined that in greater than 90% of similar programs, the TraumaMan System has been utilized (PCRM). The TraumaMan System has been proven a superior model to the live pig model, and I fear any student not trained on the most advanced method will have a diminished learning experience. This should be concerning to any potential patient. Additionally, since pigs cannot be substituted for human beings, subjecting them to this process reflects a blatant disregard for life; how can we teach our future medical professionals ethics while enforcing a course that maims and kills a live being? This represents a conflict of interest as well as a contradiction in both morals and actions: if pigs are deemed similar enough to humans physiologically, then you must acknowledge that, as sentient beings, pigs should not be exploited and killed either. Any other conclusion would be considered a discord and would serve as a detriment to the learning process, especially in such a critical field of study.
It would be regrettable not being able to recommend your fine institution; however, because I value the most sophisticated and innovative learning techniques, it would be remiss of me to consider Vanderbilt University School of Medicine based on your reliance of such an obsolete method of study. As such, I respectfully ask that you please accept the superior method of study, the TraumaMan System, for your university and students, and make yours an institution of credibility and honor.
I know that your time is limited, and I want to thank you for your attention and consideration.
Sincerely,
Your name
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BACKGROUND:
Dear PCRM supporter,
This weekend, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville plans to perform emergency medical procedures on live pigs before killing them. Please tell the school’s dean that this needs to stop.
Please call, e-mail, or write a letter to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine dean Jeffrey R. Balser, M.D., Ph.D. Ask Dr. Balser to replace the use of pigs in all Advanced Trauma Life Support ( ATLS ) courses with validated nonanimal training methods. Being polite is the most effective way to help these animals and improve medical education. Send an automatic e-mail.
Jeffrey R. Balser, M.D., Ph.D.
Dean, School of Medicine
D-3300 MCN 2104
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN 37232
E-mail: jeff.balser@vanderbilt.edu
Phone Number: 615-936-3030
While participants in the ATLS program at Vanderbilt still cut open the airways of live pigs and insert tubes and needles into the animals’ hearts and chest cavities, more than 90 percent of U.S. ATLS programs use only human-based medical simulators.