This news item from Popular Science is about: Like pilots, surgeons need to practice before they can fly solo. For veterinarians in the making and in their last year of school, that means learning by watching an actual procedure on a real animal, and perhaps actually getting to perform a part of it on their own. Another option is hands-on work with a dog cadaver, which comes with its own drawbacks, including making sure they're defrosted at the right time.