AR-News: [interniche-l] (US) UVA Med School Drops Live Dog Labs

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From: Interniche-l at interniche.org

NEWS RELEASE/ Wednesday, February 4, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/Contact: Colleen Young, (202) 686-2210, ext. 330

Doctors Applaud UVA Medical School's Suspension of Dog Labs
Dean Asks Committee to Review Use of Animals in Medical Training

Washington, D.C.-The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
congratulates the University of Virginia School of Medicine for its decision to
suspend its live dog lab and review its use of animals in medical training. With
this decision, UVA is on the verge of joining the nearly 70 percent of U.S.
medical schools, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and other prestigious
schools, that have done away with live animal labs in favor of humane,
high-tech, and cost-effective alternatives.

This morning, the university announced the suspension of the "Life Saving
Techniques Lab." The next lab session, scheduled for February 16, has been
cancelled. Every year, about 100 healthy dogs die during these labs.

The school also says that Dr. Arthur Garson Jr., vice president and dean of the
UVA School of Medicine, and R. Edward Howell, vice president and chief 
executive
officer of the UVA Medical Center, have asked representatives of the school's
educational committees to review the use of animal models in medical education.
This group will present its findings to Dr. Garson by March 1.

"We congratulate UVA and applaud Dr. Garson's astute decision to investigate 
the
necessity of these labs," says Megha Even, M.S., PCRM research analyst. "We 
hope
Dr. Garson and his committee will permanently eliminate the use of live animals
in the classroom. Embracing humane alternatives would put UVA in the 
company of
the nation's top medical schools."

"PCRM would like to offer its assistance to the review committee, if needed, to
identify and research effective non-animal models," Even says.

PCRM, a national nonprofit health organization, has worked with the local
group Citizens for Humane Medicine, as well as UVA faculty and students, to
persuade the university to end live animal labs.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is 
a
nonprofit health organization dedicated to promoting preventive medicine and
higher standards in research, education, and practice.

###

Colleen Young, Communications Coordinator
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC  20016
(202) 686-2210, ext. 330; cyoung at pcrm.org
www.pcrm.org

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the wild, cruel beast is not behind the bars of the cage. he is in front of it - axel munthe

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Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."      Margaret Mead
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