Animal Experimentation Issues

Alternatives to Animal Labs in Medical Schools

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is winning its campaign to institute alternatives to the use of animals in medical school education. Twenty years ago, live dogs were commonly used in physiology, pharmacology, and surgery courses at medical schools. A standard laboratory exercise involved anesthetizing a dog, followed by injecting pharmaceuticals or practicing surgical techniques. The animal was typically killed after the laboratory.

Today, more than 90 percent of medical schools in the United States have eliminated live animal laboratories from their curricula. Innovations in medical simulation technology, availability of alternatives, increased awareness of ethical concerns, and a growing acknowledgement that medical training must be human-focused have all facilitated this shift.

Today, 10 medical schools (of 126) continue to use live animals in elective courses. Medical faculty, practicing physicians and PCRM members know that students do not need to train on live animals to become successful physicians. 

Are you a medical student, parent of a medical student, medical school alumnus, physician, professor, faculty, or do you know someone who is at a medical school that offers live animal labs? (Here is a list of medical schools with live animal labs.)

Here is a list of ways that you can help with this campaign:

Everyone:

• Write letters to the dean of one of the medical schools still using live animals in its curriculum.
• Send an e-mail to medical schools that still use live animal labs in their surgery courses.
• Write letters to local newspapers expressing your concern over the medical school’s continued use of live animals in its curriculum.
• Distribute flyers on the medical school campus to help us recruit sympathetic medical students and faculty  (contact Ryan Merkley at rmerkley@pcrm.org).
• Pass along this list and ask friends, family and acquaintances to help out. 

Medical students, professors, and those affiliated with the medical schools that still offer live animal labs:

• Contact Ryan Merkley, Research Program Coordinator, to discuss ways that you can help with this campaign (contact Ryan Merkley at rmerkley@pcrm.org).
• Gather information about the courses that use live animals (which animals are used, skills taught, etc.). This information is essential for us to end the labs.
• Start a dialogue with the professors and/or administration about ending the use of live animal laboratories. 
• Host a doctor’s luncheon or other event for students and faculty featuring a PCRM speaker.

Physicians:

• Write a letter to the dean of one of the medical schools expressing your opposition to live animal labs. Ask your colleagues to do the same.
• Contact PCRM (Ryan Merkley at rmerkley@pcrm.org) to share your medical school experiences with live animal labs, simulators, or other non-animal teaching tools. PCRM may use these statements to reinforce its position that live animal labs are not necessary.
• Pass along this list and ask friends, family, and acquaintances to help out.

Here is a list of osteopathic medical schools that still offer live animal labs.

If you have any questions, please contact Research Program Coordinator Ryan Merkley at rmerkley@pcrm.org or 202-686-2210, ext 336.

Updated 1/30/07

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