[News] YAY - U of MI Stops Using Dogs in ATLS Training
 

A few weeks ago, a thread was posted regarding U of Michigan's use of dogs in ATLS training. Due to all of the emails etc, U of MI has agreed to stop its use of dogs.

Here is the info from PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine):

Dear PCRM supporter,

Your activism just made a huge difference. Six weeks ago we called on you to help end the cruel and unnecessary use of live dogs in the University of Michigan’s trauma training course. Thousands of you took action—and the school listened! Today, the University of Michigan announced that it will use only simulators in the Advanced Trauma Life Support course.

You have sent more than 20,000 e-mails to University of Michigan (U-M) administrators, asking them to use nonanimal training methods in their Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course. The school’s Graduate Medical Education Committee recently met and decided that it agrees with you. No dogs or other animals will be killed in the school’s ATLS course, according to a university statement.

Your hard work helped end animal suffering and improve medical education in Michigan. Now we need your help to do the same thing in New Jersey. While more than 90 percent of United States and Canadian facilities no longer use animals for ATLS training, University Hospital in Newark, part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), continues to use live pigs for its course, despite the availability of nonanimal alternatives like the TraumaMan System from Simulab. The hospital’s next ATLS course is scheduled for March 13.

Please e-mail, call, or write to UMDNJ president William Owen Jr., M.D., and politely ask him to end animal use in University Hospital’s ATLS course. Being polite is the most effective way to help these animals. Send an automatic e-mail.

William Owen Jr., M.D.
President
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
65 Bergen St., Room 1535
University Heights
Newark, NJ 07107-3007
Phone: 973-972-4400
E-mail: wfowenmd@umdnj.edu

Learn more about the TraumaMan System. If you have any questions, please contact me at rmerkley@pcrm.org. Thanks so much for your help!

Yay! It felt so good to recieve an e-mail thanking me for my activism, and most importantly that they were stopping this inhumane treatment of animals!

Anne, thanks for posting the info in the first place! Otherwise, so many of us would not have known to send a letter.

Sheila

YAY! As a student at the U of Michigan, I was sad and disappointed when I heard about that story several weeks ago that my school was still using the dogs instead of simulators - wow, that's so neat that everyone's letters made a difference and they listened! From being a student here for the past 4 years I have definitely noticed that they take their surveys, etc seriously and are willing to make changes based on student and public opinion. Glad that held true for this issue!

I'm glad to hear, from you, a student, that they do take their survery seriously.

Sheila

very glad to see my college doing something positive like this...makes me feel proud to be an alum ;) :D

This is great news!

Ditto. :thumbup: The news about Michigan is usually all good stuff. It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine and be rid of this cruel embarrassment.

Go Blue! :aimeeyork:aimeeyork

Thank heaven someone finally got through to those people! :D

Now if we could just get them to stop all of the other tortuous trials they do (dogs, monkeys, mice and so on):mad:! That would be great!

Don't forget to also click on the link to send a message to Newark too. Stop killing the little piggies. Mine already went out

Carol and Jemma