Page 3 - RVC4Life - Alumni making a difference

HELPING STUDENTS IMPROVE EQUINE DIAGNOSTIC SKILLS
This simulator is more than the sum of its inflatable parts. It enables our teaching staff to get a really good view on how the students are doing and what support they still need; it gives our students the freedom to make mistakes and learn in a safe environment and really build their confidence before going out on rotation with our ambulatory teams visiting live horses often in terrible pain. And finally, at the heart of it all is the improved protection of our clients, experience and equine welfare.
We’d be delighted if you would help support our students by donating towards the £25,000 required to purchase this specialist horse – simply complete and return the form enclosed with this newsletter.
It can be terrifying for a student to bepresentedwithahorsewithcolic and a concerned owner looking on, expecting their examination to
be stress free, accurate and quick. Students face numerous testing situations throughout their course and this is a prime example of one where it is vital that they have the requisite confidence and skills.
Our Equine Practice and Clinical Skills Centre teams are looking to purchase a full size equine colic simulator to enable students to practice their skills in diagnosing equine colic using an anatomical model before they are faced with the real thing.
The simulator is supplied with four sections of inflatable gastrointestinal tract and the side panel of the horse can be removed which means the student
can receive immediate feedback on their technique from their instructor. Most importantly, the equipment acts as a perfect transition step, allowing students to refine their basic dexterity and practical skills before undertaking the procedures on live animals.
“The benefit of the simulator stems from its versatility. It can be used to help students get accustomed to the topographical anatomy of the equine abdomen, prior to practising on live animals. We are able to simulate a ‘real life’ situation, asking students to identify the problem and make recommendations on how to resolve the problem. It will allow students to learn in a safer, less stressful and more welfare- friendly environment whilst enabling us to seeexactlyhowwelltheyaredoingand help and advise accordingly”
Dr Michael Hewetson, RVC Equine Practice Vet and Senior Lecturer in Equine Medicine.
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