AVC Class of 2023 benefits from donation of DASIE surgical models
Students in AVC’s Class of 2023 are taking a big leap forward in their veterinary education this semester when they begin their hands-on technical training. An important part of their training is developing and practicing suturing skills using DASIE surgical models donated by Boehringer Ingelheim.
“The DASIEs are great for our education as this year is really the beginning of the technical training we need to work in clinics,” said Joey Buzzell, president of the Class of 2023, thanking Boehringer Ingelheim for its donation. “Until now, we have been learning mostly foundational knowledge-based material. This semester, we really get to hone our skills and develop into the young veterinarians that we all hope to be.”
Melissa Hamel, RVT, teaching lab technician for the preclinical skills labs for veterinary students in first, second, and third year, described the DASIE as an instructional aid for teaching basic principles of sterile techniques, tissue handling, suturing, and abdominal surgery methods.
“The DASIE, which stands for dog abdominal surrogate for instructional exercise, is a hollow cylinder made of various layers of laminated foam rubber, which are designed to be cut, handled, and sutured individually, much like skin, subcutaneous tissue, and the various layers of the abdominal wall. Red strings within the subcutaneous layer simulate blood vessels that are transected by an incision. These “vessels” can be grasped with hemostatic forceps and closed off. A foam “intestine” is contained within each model. The intestinal tube can be cut and sutured or completely transected and reattached to model urogenital or gastrointestinal surgery.”
Dr. Cate Creighton, associate professor of anesthesia and analgesia, is coordinator of the second-year course that covers training in clinical skills. She thanked Boehringer Ingelheim for its ongoing generosity in donating DASIEs to the second-year students.
“The DASIEs allow the students to practice their skills outside of scheduled teaching time, which noticeably improves these fundamental skills. I love to see DASIEs become more used over the course of the semester as the skills and confidence of the students improve as well.”
This is the ninth year that Boehringer Ingelheim has donated DASIE surgical models and other products for the use of students at veterinary colleges across Canada, including AVC.
