EMS FOR VETERINARY STUDENTS
Day one skills are essential, but unfortunately very few newly qualified vets feel confident performing a castrate and less a spay. On qualifying we have a vast amount of knowledge, however very limited surgical exposure, many veterinary students excited to start their surgical rota, only to be disappointed on what surgeries they are allowed to perform and some even describe the 10 minute rule, where they are allowed to operate for the first 10 minutes and then someone takes over.
I was lucky enough to qualify pre 2000, as a new grad you joined a practice and partners devoted their time in helping you with general surgery and neuters, these were the days when profit margins were high, unfortunately this has now changed and due to the economic demands of the practice, they have little time to spend assisting new graduates with surgery. Many newly qualified vets contact me, desperate to get neutering experience, as ops tend to get booked in with experienced vets and they only get chance to perform the odd one now and then, when someone is available to help if needed.
On moving to Spain and becoming a member of the Malaga veterinary college, I use to spend my days bulk neutering dogs and cats, which belonged to charity organisations, I was performing around 30 neuters a day for several years. This was a perfect opportunity to help vet students gain that essential surgical experience, I myself on qualifying had performed one cat spay and parts of a bitch spay (the easiest parts!), so neuter clinic was born.
Students perform the surgery start to finish and assistance is given when or if needed, many students have taken part in for example a bitch spay, however have done the essential difficult parts. This unfortunately can give a false sense of security, we concentrate on making sure that students.
- Can incise safely into the abdomen
- Able to find the uterus, especially in preseason dogs
- Can exteriorise the ovary safely, and are confident in breaking the suspensory ligament, we teach differing methods of doing this , but often students find the easy way the best.
- Good tight ligatures, easier said than done sometimes, this is essential, learn to use the Miller's surgical knot, especially in the obese spays
You perform the surgery from the start, we closely watch, nudge and guide in a relaxed atmosphere, with no ticking clock.
As well as surgical experience, you will be placing catheters, inducing, monitoring and also probably giving some encouragement to your colleague operating. We pair students up, one anaesthetist, the other surgeon and then alternate, we tend to find this works well, as it gives you a rest between surgeries
As well as performing neuters, there tends to be a high number of rescued dogs and cats which require dentals. This gives students the opportunity to perform surgical extractions of canines and molar teeth.
Other additional surgeries can be performed, as needed by the refugios, this can include stitch ups, cherry eyes, mammary tumour removal, entropions and even GDVs
