Creating a Humane Medical Education System

Humane teaching techniques are rapidly replacing the use of animals in medical education—and PCRM’s physicians are playing a critical role in accelerating this important change. This past year, eight more schools added their names to the list of those that no longer use live animals to teach physiology, pharmacology, or surgery. Only 14 of the 125 U.S. medical schools continue using animal laboratories in education.

East Tennessee State University; Georgetown University School of Medicine; Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans; Mount Sinai School of Medicine; University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine; University of Illinois; University of Rochester School of Medicine; and University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio all confirmed this year that they have halted the use of live animals as part of their medical curricula. This development speaks to the increased awareness of compelling ethical and educational reasons to replace animal use.

PCRM was able to overcome resistance at several schools by working with oversight committees and using the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection process and the Freedom of Information Act to push schools to address the animal-use issue. The federal Animal Welfare Act requires schools to consider non-animal alternatives when available. The overwhelming use of non-animal teaching methods shows that these alternatives are not only available but are preferred by the vast majority of medical schools.

This regulatory and enforcement strategy has, in some cases, led directly or indirectly to the replacement of live animal use, and in other cases has resulted in schools more actively pursuing alternatives and considering curriculum reform. PCRM’s campaign to replace live animal use in medical school education will continue until this cruel practice is eliminated.

To learn more about the use of animals in medical education, and to track the progress of the last 15 schools, please visit www.pcrm.org/resch/meded.

Media Center | Health | Research | About PCRM | Catalog | Join Us | Search | Site Index | Home

The site does not provide medical or legal advice. This Web site is for information purposes only.
Full Disclaimer | Privacy Policy