Usage of a Non-animal Surrogate model in Veterinary Surgical Education and Training

Vasanthi Balan
2022 Acta Scientific Veterinary Sciences  
Presently offering veterinary surgical and clinical skill training is becoming increasingly challenging for veterinary institutions and profession as a whole. The increasing pressure from public and welfare domain to reduce live animal usage for teaching purposes has further complicated the process. Hence, it is imperative to explore various non-animal alternatives to employ in veterinary education and training. Although numerous models are available there has been dearth for indigenous
more » ... non-animal models. Therefore, a non-animal surrogate was developed with locally available materials and evaluated for its efficiency as an educational aid. The results showed that it improved the student's surgical skills and confidence level. The surgical skill gained using surrogates was adaptable to live animal surgery. It reduced student's apprehension when doing surgery for the first time and decreased the use of cadaver or live animal. It is economical and simple to make and costs approximately one tenth the purchase price of an animal from facility. In conclusion this non-animal surrogate is an effective and less stressful aid for teaching basic surgical techniques to novice surgeons and concurrently favouring animal welfare.
doi:10.31080/asvs.2022.04.0474 fatcat:aqv26awkojeuzp3ed2zh6qd53u