Medical Training
When handling animals in everyday clinical practice and research, things don't always go smoothly – often, one has to deal with animals that can only be treated or moved using coercive measures. However, this carries a high risk of stress and injury for all involved. Medical training offers alternative solutions to these problems, enabling humans and animals to work together in cooperation and on a foundation of trust.
The aim of medical training is to increase the animal’s willingness to cooperate during medical examinations through positive reinforcement. Potential stressors affecting the animal should be identified and reduced in order to enhance the animal's well-being, reducing stress and suffering. In line with the principles of 3R education, ICAR3R has set the goal of establishing medical training as a core component of research and teaching.
Several elective courses and lecture content on medical training have been developed and delivered in the curricular teaching. Students are first made aware of the topic by deepening their knowledge of animal behavior and refining their skills in interspecies communication before engaging in non-invasive training methods.
In addition, ICAR3R offers workshops on the topic of medical training. These workshops may focus on specific animal species (laboratory animals, zoo animals, dogs, cats, etc.) or specific professional groups, such as certified animal caretakers, researchers, or animal care apprentices. The workshops present alternative solutions in the form of medical training to enable cooperation between humans and animals based on trust. It is demonstrated that even short-term training can provide quick relief, and practical, application-oriented tips are offered for implementation in daily work. Specific problems and challenges brought by particular professional groups or animal species can be discussed and addressed with individual solutions.
The theoretical knowledge gained is then applied and reinforced in practical exercises, developing the relevant practical skills. This ensures the transfer of knowledge into everyday practice. The possibilities (and limitations) of implementing and transferring medical training to laboratories and experimental animal science, with a focus on refinement and stress reduction, are explored and discussed.
© Pictures: Caroline Klopf
Past Workshops on the Topic of Medical Training
- September 25, 2019 Medical Training in Theory and Practice for Animal Care Trainees
- March 6, 2020 Workshop: Medical Training – From Practice to the Lab
- March 11, 2020 Clicker Training for Zookeepers
- November 11, 2020 Medical Training for Animal Care Trainees
- 2024 Medical Training in Theory and Practice for CSL Behring
- March 15, 2024 Introduction to Medical Training – Theoretical Basics
- April 12, 2024 Theory: Medical Training for Pigs and Rabbits
- April 26, 2024 Theory: Medical Training for Dogs
- June 6, 2024 Theory: Medical Training for Mice and Rats
- June 20, 2024 Practical Medical Training for Mice and Rats Part I
- June 21, 2024 Practical Medical Training for Mice and Rats Part II
- TBA Practical Medical Training for Pigs and Rabbits
Presentations
Krämer, Stephanie (2022): Medical Training for Laboratory Animals – Theoretically Good, but Practically Feasible? CSL Behring, 23rd Marburg Animal Welfare Seminar, 06.12.2022, Marburg.
Benner, Lea; Klopf, Caroline; Krämer, Stephanie (2021): New Horizons for 3R Research – Medical Training for Everyday Use, Online Symposium, 18.03.2021, DVG Animal Welfare Working Group, DVG.
Poster Presentations:
Benner, Lea; Hornung, Jessica; Frey, Katja; Kuhlmann, Meike; Krämer, Stephanie (2019): Dogs go 3R – Medical Training as a Refinement Tool in Veterinary Education. In: Bf3R Research Funding, Information Event of the German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals at BfR. Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. Berlin. 20.09.2019.