The Student Room Group

Can vets operate on people?

A vet operates on animals right? Well are humans not animals? If I got a veterinary medic degree and went to uganda and worked with chimps for a year, I doubt there would be much difference in operating on a different type of ape (humans)

I just ask, because if anyone has seen/read 3:10 to Yuma. The doctor who operates on the pinkerton's gun shot wound is in fact a vet, not a human doctor...


edit:

hmm, appears there is a rather significant lack of intelligence in this forum (it took a week before someone actually answered the question asked). Which is ironic as it is called 'the student room'.

I asked can vets operate on people. Not are they allowed to operate on people. If this is still puzzling you then read on:

By 'can' a vet operate, I meant if a vet would have the medical ability to perform medical actions on a human body. I do not care whether the law allows it or not as it was clearly a hypothetical question...
(edited 12 years ago)

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It's probably not advisable unless it's an emergency. Like...on a small boy who gets accidentally shot during a zombie apocalypse, and there's nobody around to operate on him to remove the bullet except for a vet...for example
Original post by PinkMobilePhone
It's probably not advisable unless it's an emergency. Like...on a small boy who gets accidentally shot during a zombie apocalypse, and there's nobody around to operate except for a vet...for example


Heehee. This. I was going to post exactly the same! :biggrin:
Reply 3
Well the anatomy of a human is pretty different to that of a horse or even a chimp, dontya think?
Original post by Cinnie
Well the anatomy of a human is pretty different to that of a horse or even a chimp, dontya think?


Loving the kitty avatar. :3

And yeah OP it isn't as simple as you described but as a last resort option, if only a vet is available then yeah they can have a go.
Something small e.g. emergency as forementioned zombie apocalypse is possible but concerning.
Something big is very unlikely and terrifying to even think about.
Reply 6
In Prison Break T-bag had his hand reattached by a vet... and look how well that went

Spoiler

Reply 7
Original post by bestofyou
A vet operates on animals right? Well are humans not animals? If I got a veterinary medic degree and went to uganda and worked with chimps for a year, I doubt there would be much difference in operating on a different type of ape (humans)

I just ask, because if anyone has seen/read 3:10 to Yuma. The doctor who operates on the pinkerton's gun shot wound is in fact a vet, not a human doctor...


The standards required are quite different - a surgeon's training is longer, far more specialised and far more scrutinised. A vet can operate, and may have a degree of success. Are they allowed to operate? Absolutely not.
Reply 8
Original post by Bromine
In Prison Break T-bag had his hand reattached by a vet... and look how well that went

Spoiler



yeah true, can't remember the conditions though? Was it not done in some kind of blackmarket style surgery? Find me a doctor that could save a hand in that conditions and I show you a hostpital that hires vets...

Original post by nexttime
The standards required are quite different - a surgeon's training is longer, far more specialised and far more scrutinised. A vet can operate, and may have a degree of success. Are they allowed to operate? Absolutely not.


hmmm, from what I remember, you could transfer from the vet course to the med course at UCD, so maybe not as different as you think, then again that was first year which is a pile of crap...


Also, I know that aren't allowed. By longer I assume you mean training after uni? I'm not sure how long either have to train after the degree to become completely qualified, but both are 5year courses.
Reply 9
Actually, it's not as cut and dried as you might think.

Can a medical doctor perform surgery on an animal? Absolutely not. The role of a vet is covered by statute law, and it is only legal for someone holding a veterinary degree to perform operations and procedures on an animal as covered in the relevant Acts of Parliament.

However, as to your question as to whether a vet can perform procedures on a human, the answer is YES! Strangely enough, the role of a doctor is overseen by their own professional body, the GMC, and not necessarily mandated by statute law, and, in effect, the GMC is essentially just an insurance guarantor should a claim be made against a doctor for malpractice etc. In fact, anybody can perform procedures on anybody else, as long as they have consent etc. To illustrate the point, many HCA's carry out clinical work that most junior doctor's might not even be competent at in their F2 training post, and yet the HCA doesn't need any qualification to do or insurance cover should something go amiss. It's a strange world.....
Reply 10
Original post by happyhands
Actually, it's not as cut and dried as you might think.

Can a medical doctor perform surgery on an animal? Absolutely not. The role of a vet is covered by statute law, and it is only legal for someone holding a veterinary degree to perform operations and procedures on an animal as covered in the relevant Acts of Parliament.

However, as to your question as to whether a vet can perform procedures on a human, the answer is YES! Strangely enough, the role of a doctor is overseen by their own professional body, the GMC, and not necessarily mandated by statute law, and, in effect, the GMC is essentially just an insurance guarantor should a claim be made against a doctor for malpractice etc. In fact, anybody can perform procedures on anybody else, as long as they have consent etc. To illustrate the point, many HCA's carry out clinical work that most junior doctor's might not even be competent at in their F2 training post, and yet the HCA doesn't need any qualification to do or insurance cover should something go amiss. It's a strange world.....


As a HCAmyself, example?
Reply 11
Yes in emergencies vets can operate on humans, it can actually be ok because they've studied so much comparative anatomy.
Original post by Bromine
In Prison Break T-bag had his hand reattached by a vet... and look how well that went

Spoiler



Love your signature. I literally laughed out loud. :rofl:
Reply 13
Original post by happyhands
Actually, it's not as cut and dried as you might think.

Can a medical doctor perform surgery on an animal? Absolutely not. The role of a vet is covered by statute law, and it is only legal for someone holding a veterinary degree to perform operations and procedures on an animal as covered in the relevant Acts of Parliament.

However, as to your question as to whether a vet can perform procedures on a human, the answer is YES! Strangely enough, the role of a doctor is overseen by their own professional body, the GMC, and not necessarily mandated by statute law, and, in effect, the GMC is essentially just an insurance guarantor should a claim be made against a doctor for malpractice etc. In fact, anybody can perform procedures on anybody else, as long as they have consent etc. To illustrate the point, many HCA's carry out clinical work that most junior doctor's might not even be competent at in their F2 training post, and yet the HCA doesn't need any qualification to do or insurance cover should something go amiss. It's a strange world.....


While this is nice to know, I simply asked if a vet can operate on people. Not are they allowed to operate. There is a huge difference.
Reply 14
Can a human surgeon operate on an animal?
Reply 15
Original post by Bromine
In Prison Break T-bag had his hand reattached by a vet... and look how well that went

Spoiler



Smashing sig, poppet.
A vet can, if he has treated a pig or a horse. They are really similar to us. :biggrin:
An old Clint Eastwood movie showed a vet removing a bullet from Clint himself :colone:
I think that in an emergency and with consent, you probably could (legally).

But as human lives are so much more important you'd really wanna know what you're doing!

The biological similarities would probably make it easier to do surgery on a human, coz of our body shape and lack of fur :wink:


Original post by mel0n
Can a human surgeon operate on an animal?


But that would probably be animal cruelty :wink:
If they drug and kidnap that human... yeah anything is possible.
Reply 19
Original post by Hearty_Beast
But as human lives are so much more important [...]

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