Shelter Medicine Program Core Content
The Tufts Shelter Medicine Program is committed to raising awareness about the needs of shelter animals and the sheltering community among all veterinarians. Therefore part of our program includes elements of the core veterinary curriculum which is required for all veterinary students.
DVM Core Content
- Human Animal Relations
- Survey course for first year veterinary students
- Two hour lecture/discussion: Introduction to Shelter Medicine and the Veterinarian's Role in Shelters
- Two hour lecture/discussion on associations between human and animal victims of violence
- Problem Based Learning
- Veterinary Medicine and the Law
- Course for second year veterinary students
- Two hour lecture on animal cruelty laws, the role of human law enforcement and how to report animal abuse
- Ethics in Veterinary Medicine
- Semester long course for third year veterinary students
- Two hour lecture including TNR controversy from wildlife perspective
- Two hour lecture on rescue puppy transport and regulation
- Two hour lecture/discussion on ethical issues in shelter medicine
- Two hour lecture discussion on the ethics of reporting animal cruelty
- Euthanasia Seminar
- Eight hour seminar for third year veterinary students
- One hour lecture on euthanasia in shelter setting. In this lecture students learn how shelter euthanasia can differ from private practice euthanasia as well as the current best practice protocols for euthanasia within a shelter setting.
MAPP Core Content
The companion animal module of the core class Animals and Society examines issues surrounding pet ownership, our responsibilities towards homeless animals, the way that humans have manipulated animals through selective breeding, and the use of animals in sports and hobbies. The course includes an in-depth look at the history of pet overpopulation and how it affects animal shelter policy today, as well as policy considerations that address causes and solutions to pet overpopulation.