Taking clinical skills workshop to China on a shoestring budget

Last year in China, while at Zhejiang University Veterinary Hospital, Hangzhou after winning the BSAVA Frank Beattie Travel Scholarship, I heard rumours of the use of experimental animals for practice by veterinary students. This included surgery.

By coincidence, back in the UK a few months later I picked up an old copy of VN Times, and there was a report on their use back in 2012, and a clinical skills workshop run by the University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, at Nanjing University.

I had already emailed to my supervisor at the hospital, details and photos of the clinical skills models we use for training here after visiting the University of Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, and I explained how vet students practise to gain competence in veterinary procedures, without invasive procedures being carried out on live animals.

It seemed to me I was in a very good position to try to influence the university about the advantages of clinical skills labs, and that live animals were neither desirable nor needed. I was friendly with the manager of the hospital and the professor who was head of the veterinary department, among others (very important in Chinese business to get things done), and familiar with the university and China. I also speak some Mandarin and have Chinese student friends (very useful for translation/practical and cultural aspects of China).

I contacted the university to see if I could hold a week of clinical skills labs, if I could raise enough money to fund it.

The university was extremely keen on the idea, so I did a quick calculation of approximate costs, which were in excess of £1,000, assuming I contributed a bit myself, used some airline vouchers I had, and taught skills that could use very cheap things manufactured mainly by myself, and light and small enough to all fit into hand luggage (in case the airline lost my hold luggage). Because I had to take an internal flight from Beijing to Hangzhou, the hand luggage weight was reduced to 5kg.

I decided on teaching intravenous access (with the luxury of buying an artificial dog’s leg IV simulator), fine needle aspirates, leg bandaging, surgical knots and suturing, finishing off with something very different – the advantages of good, humane kennelling.

My JustGiving appeal for £1,000, with a little help by me, just about made it, and an article in the local paper added a whopping £500.

Hence, in late May, off I went to teach four hours a day, for five days, to about eight students each day, in a room at the hospital – time and student numbers I had decided would be okay for a practical workshop, after negotiation with the university.

I almost had the leg confiscated when security opened my bag at Amsterdam airport, but managed to get away with it, and arrived at the hospital to set up my equipment.

I was not too surprised to find virtually all the consumable items I had requested, with careful photos often being emailed to ensure the university staff was sure about what I wanted, had not been obtained yet (this is China), so what should have taken a few hours on Friday took Saturday and Sunday mornings also, with some compromises. This included the room – the one offered first was totally unsuitable, so I commandeered the lunch room (lunch is important in China and is often eaten together on a large, communal table).

To my surprise, the workshops worked well, and I was told afterwards the students thought they were great – I think mainly because the friendly, casual approach was very different from their usual very formal slideshow lectures. I also think I was a bit of a novelty.

The room, though, was cramped and very hot, and four hours with just a small break (mainly for the students to check their mobile phones, which are very important to Chinese students) was a little long.

About mid-week, after teaching, I was approached by the hospital manager one day. He came up behind me on his motor scooter on the pavement, as I walked to Starbucks to chill out (this is China), who told me the professor wanted to set up a bigger programme for me to teach every year for the next three years – more students (20 per day, but a nurse helping) for two weeks (200 students). Three hours daily, a proper classroom in the university campus and money in a fund to pay for it. This was put more formally to me at a farewell dinner the staff gave me, after I was given gifts by the dean of the school and commemorative photographs.

I requested more details be sent to me in writing before I decided so I could be a bit clearer as to what was required of me – again, this is China remember, and things do not always work out as planned. But I believe perhaps I may have given them some thoughts on a better way of doing things than using experimental animals. I hope so.

Before I left I donated everything I had used to the school, except the artificial leg – though I left a spare vein I had for the leg, as this was the most important part, and could be used to make their own. I also left spare handouts lying around deliberately, as I knew other people would pick them up and read them.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Nottingham’s vet school, and the RVC for showing me around its clinical skills labs and giving me ideas of what I could use. Also, my colleagues at the Blue Cross Animal Hospital, Grimsby, for making the videos, collecting old giving sets and giving me ideas and contacts for the funds collection.