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Cervinka M, Rudolf E, Cervinkova Z. Alternatives to animal experimentation in undergraduate curricula at medical schools – analysis of current trends in the Czech Republic. ALTEX. 2006;23(Special Issue):46-50

Experiments with animals continue to be a part of curricula at many medical schools. We believe that all undergraduate medical students should be both theoretically and practically informed about the existence of alternatives to the use of animals in research and in education. Therefore we have prepared a course based on the 3Rs concept. This course takes place in the first and the second study year. During the course students learned and practically mastered, among others, the following topics:

- The 3Rs concept – scientific background, ethical and legislative considerations.

- Mammalian cells cultivated in vitro as an alternative to experiments on animals.

- Non invasive students self-experimentation.

- Invasive (volunteered) self-experimentation.

- Screen-based alternatives (interactive computer programmes).

We prepared a written anonymous questionnaire to evaluate student’s opinions about the course and their attitudes towards the alternatives. Results of the survey showed that our students were generally satisfied with the course and it seems that both experiments with cells in vitro and human experimentation could be a suitable alternatives in medical education.

Due to the fact that we organised the similar survey in 1995 and 2000 years, it was possible to analyse changes in the students’ attitudes during the last 10 years. One general tendency is obvious, students are currently less strict in their opposition against animal experimentation, and substantial part of our respondents even required animal experimentation. Reason behind these changes will be discussed.

This work was supported by Czech Republic Ministry of Education Research Project MSM 0021620820.
 

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