A Comparison of Veterinary Students Enrolled and Not Enrolled in an Animal-Welfare Course

Abstract

An online survey was conducted to compare 46 veterinary students who previously enrolled in a discussion-based animal-welfare elective with 45 veterinary students who did not take the course. Students were asked a series of questions about their attitudes toward animal welfare and were presented with animal-use scenarios that had not previously been discussed in the elective course: greyhound racing, veal calf production, and the use of genetically engineered mice in research. For each scenario, students' actual knowledge was scored on the basis of open-ended factual questions. Students were also asked how comfortable they were with educating themselves about each topic and to describe factors they would use to evaluate the welfare of animals in each scenario. Factors were classified as being associated with (a) biological functioning, (b) ability to exist in a natural state, or (c) measures of affective state or feelings. There was no significant difference in actual knowledge of the three scenarios between students who took the course and those who did not. Students who took the course were significantly more likely to be comfortable about educating themselves on each of the three animal-use scenarios and scored significantly higher in identifying welfare-affecting factors than students who did not take the course. The results suggest that this approach to instruction is an effective way to teach veterinary students about how to educate themselves about animal-welfare issues and to increase their confidence in appropriately evaluating novel animal-welfare topics.

Knowledge and Opinions of Third Year Veterinary Students Relevant to Animal Welfare Before and After Implementation of a Core Welfare Course

“…The results of this survey indicate that the course had a positive effect on respondents' opinions toward the inclusion of an animal welfare course in the veterinary curriculum. These results are similar to the post-course sentiments of students at other veterinary schools who agreed that an animal welfare course was “challenging and effective” (17) and should be a vital element of the veterinary curriculum (15, 17). The material presented in the course at CSU may have been more intellectually and emotionally engaging than students had expected.…”

“…In the last 20 years, several surveys have been conducted to better understand veterinary students' capacity for empathy toward animal suffering, pain, and overall compromised well-being; their knowledge of welfare issues; and their attitudes toward animal welfare education (13–18). Surveys analyzing responses by DVM students enrolled in animal welfare courses have generally found that the courses have effectively challenged students to improve their ability to identify compromised welfare, discuss solutions and encouraged ethical considerations (15, 17). A 2010 study of DVM students revealed that an elective animal welfare course promoted favorable opinions toward the prospective inclusion of such a course in the required curriculum, improved knowledge of welfare evaluation criteria and strategies, and promoted confidence in self-educating about animal welfare topics (15).…”

Familiarity and Interest in Working with Livestock Decreases the Odds of Having Positive Attitudes towards Non-Human Animals and Their Welfare among Veterinary Students in Italy

“…Previous studies highlighted a reduced sensitivity of veterinary students to non-human animals and their welfare over the years of their course [ 11 , 13 , 14 ]. Hazel [ 15 ] found that attendance to a course on animal welfare was effective in improving attitudes towards certain animal species, but these positive results are not universally shared [ 5 , 51 ]. Taken together, all of this knowledge suggests that more effort should be devoted in veterinary curricula to indirectly enhance the welfare of farm species to convince students that, in today's livestock farming, it is not just about the survival of the animals, but, above all, it is about the quality of their lives [ 52 ].…”

Perceptions of animal experimentation: a longitudinal survey with veterinary students in Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil

“…Traditionally, the undergraduate veterinary medicine curriculum focuses on the treatment of diseases and the relief of animal suffering (Broom 2005). However, with growing global concern for animal welfare and the reduction of animal use in substance testing and experiments, animal welfare and ethics in animal experimentation have become standard components of the veterinary medicine curriculum (Herzog 2002;Russow 2002;Lord et al 2010).…”