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Published April 17, 2009, 07:37 AM

Medical training at MeritCare with pigs questioned

An advocacy group says it wants to stop MeritCare from using live pigs in its trauma training and plans to ask North Dakota State University to stop approving the practice. Dr. John Pippin, an adviser for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, said his group was shocked at the practice of using live, sedated pigs in classes that teach doctors lifesaving emergency techniques.

FARGO (AP) — An advocacy group says it wants to stop MeritCare from using live pigs in its trauma training and plans to ask North Dakota State University to stop approving the practice.

Dr. John Pippin, an adviser for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, said his group was shocked at the practice of using live, sedated pigs in classes that teach doctors lifesaving emergency techniques.

A MeritCare spokeswoman said using pigs in the training is legal and is allowed by the American College of Surgeons. Officials say using the animals is at the discretion of the instructor and the institution where the course is taught.

An NDSU official said the program uses the medical community’s accepted standard protocol.

The physicians group said using the pigs violates federal law because there are equivalent non-animal alternatives.

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