Residency Program
in Laboratory Animal Medicine
University of California, Davis |
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Objectives |
The Laboratory Animal Medicine (LAM) residency-training program at
the University of California Davis is designed to prepare veterinarians
for a career in LAM and fulfill partial eligibility requirements for
the certifying examination for the American College of Laboratory
Animal Medicine. As outlined in the ACLAM Role Delineation Document,
program objectives provide the training opportunities described below.
- Participate as the clinical attending veterinarian on the UCD campus
in the prevention, diagnosis, control and treatment of disease of
laboratory animals including, but not limited to, mice, rats, rabbits,
dogs, cats, pigs, ruminants and nonhuman primates.
- Provide and perform diagnostic services to campus investigators,
through participation in the Comparative Pathology Laboratory services
including anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, microbiology, serology,
and molecular diagnostics.
- Work with the campus veterinarian to provide consultation and advice
on compliance with animal welfare laws, regulations and standards
to campus investigators.
- Provide consultative services and instruction to campus investigators
and students on aspects of laboratory animal medicine and science
including, animal restraint, sample collection, aseptic surgery, anesthesia
and analgesia, and alternatives to minimize, alleviated or prevent
pain and distress.
- Participate as a member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use
Committee in animal use protocol preparation and review.
- Work with facility managers in the development and management of
animal husbandry programs and the design of animal facilities.
- Design, implement and publish an investigative project under the
guidance of a research mentor.
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| Justification |
| There is a great need and demand for veterinarians trained
in laboratory animal medicine and science to work in this ever-growing
profession. Laboratory animal veterinarians are important members of the
biomedical research team capable of providing a wide array of support
in the form of collaborative research, ensuring animal health and welfare,
model development, or regulatory guidance. The LAM residency-training
program is designed to prepare veterinarians for a successful career in
LAM and fulfill partial eligibility requirements for ACLAM certification. |
Qualifications |
| Applicants must have a DVM or equivalent degree.
Practice experience is considered favorable, but not a requirement. |
| |
| Duration |
| The duration of the residency program is three years.
Renewal for the second and third years are contingent upon satisfactory
performance.
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| General Scope and Nature of the Training |
First Year Program
Clinical Rotations
- Residents are assigned to the Laboratory Animal Health Clinic (LAHC)
for six months of the first year.
- Clinical assignments consist of rotations in the LAHC and in the
campus satellite facilities. Distribution of time spent in these two
areas varies based on caseloads and numbers of residents. Residents
gain experience in clinical laboratory animal medicine and provide
clinical care for the wide variety of research and teaching animals
housed in the campus-centralized vivarium. Supervision is provided
by the ACLAM certified senior laboratory animal veterinarian
- Residents are assigned as the consulting veterinarian for the campus
satellite animal facilities. These smaller facilities house mostly
rodent colonies, but also house significant numbers of other nontraditional
research animals such as birds, ferrets, and wild animal species.
This allows residents to work with a variety of investigators, research
projects, and animal models in different departments. Residents also
gain a working knowledge of animal welfare laws, regulations, and
policies regarding the use of animals in research through monthly
site visits. Supervision is provided by the senior veterinary staff
(LAHC and CPL veterinarians and ARS Director).
- Residents will work with the animal husbandry staff to evaluate
husbandry techniques and procedures.
- Residents are responsible for weekend and emergency coverage of
the LAHC on a rotational basis.
Comparative Pathology Laboratory (CPL)
Rotation
- Residents are assigned to the CPL for six months during the first
year.
- The CPL is a full service diagnostic laboratory that provides anatomic
pathology, clinical pathology, microbiology, serology, and molecular
diagnostics to campus and outside investigators. The CPL caseload
is heavily rodent based.
- Residents will have oversight of the UCD campus rodent health surveillance
program to ensure the health status of animals used in research is
appropriate. The residents will evaluate and interpret anatomic pathology,
histopathology, microbiology, parasitology and serology findings incurred
during the rodent health surveillance program. Residents will report
to investigators any abnormalities with recommendations. Supervision
is provided by the CPL veterinarians (one board eligible ACVP and
one board certified ACLAM).
- Residents will perform the above diagnostic test under the guidance
of the technical research staff at the CPL.
- Residents will participate in phenotyping genetically engineered
mice as part of the Mutant Mouse Regional Resource Center at UCD.
- Residents will design and implement diagnostic plans for research
animals that are submitted for evaluation. This includes sample collection,
test request and interpretation of test results.
- Using teaching materials available residents will learn how to identify
and describe anatomic and histologic pathology.
- Residents will get experience in molecular diagnostics. This includes
using the polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of disease.
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
(IACUC) Rotation
- Residents are assigned to the IACUC for six months during the first
year. Supervision is provided by the ACLAM certified campus veterinarian.
- Residents review animal care and use protocols and provide guidance
to investigators submitting protocols.
- Residents participate in the campus facility inspection process
and prepare inspection reports identifying deficiencies and providing
recommendations for improvement.
Didactic
- Residents participate in a two-hour, weekly seminar series conducted
by the residency training program staff to provide the resident with
the necessary background and knowledge to perform as a competent laboratory
animal veterinarian.
- Residents participate in the teaching of classes in Laboratory Animal
Medicine in the professional curriculum of the School of Veterinary
Medicine. They also teach a variety of campus laboratories focused
on the proper handling and humane use of research and teaching animals
and are involved in technician training. In this way, the successful
resident will have the opportunity to develop an effective teaching
style working with students at a variety of levels.
- Residents will critically evaluate the veterinary and biomedical
sciences literature to obtain the broad scientific base, which is
necessary to understand the challenges that arise when conducting
biomedical research.
- Residents are responsible for case presentations during weekly rounds
and are encouraged to attend departmental seminars.
Second Year Program
California Regional Primate Research
Center
- To gain experience in nonhuman primate medicine, residents are
assigned clinical rotations at the CRPRC for three months during the
second year. Supervision if provided by the CRPRC ACLAM certified
assistant director and staff veterinarians.
Optional rotations are available to
residents to gain additional experience in the wide variety of species
used in biomedical research. These include:
- UC Berkeley Office of Laboratory Animal Care, which houses a variety
of ectotherms.
- The Fish Health Diagnostic Services of the VMTH.
- The Targeted Genomic Laboratory, which is involved in the creation
of genetically, engineered mice.
- The surgical support service for campus investigators.
- The Zoological Medicine service at the Veterinary Medical Teaching
Hospital
Mentored Research
- Residents are given sufficient time during the final six to nine
months of the second year to begin a mentored research project that
was identified during the first and second year.
- Residents design and implement a research project under the guidance
of a research mentor. Residents are free to choose their mentor from
the many available on campus with permission of the investigator and
approval of the residency training program committee.
Didactic as described for the first year
Backup Coverage for the LAHC and CPL as
needed
Continued consultation to campus satellite
facilities
Residents are responsible for weekend and
emergency coverage of the LAHC on a rotational basis
Third Year Program
- Residents are given the majority of this time to complete their
mentored research project.
- Residents prepare the results of their research for publication
in a peer-reviewed journal and for presentation at House Officers
Seminar Day and a national scientific meeting.
- Residents continue participation in weekly rounds and seminar, backup
coverage for the LAHC and CPL as needed, and weekend and emergency
coverage of the LAHC on a rotational basis as described for the first
and second year.
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| Continuation into the second and third years is contingent
upon satisfactory performance. A residency certificate is conferred
upon successful completion.
Although this residency program is not part of the Veterinary Internship/Residency
Matching Program, selection will be made in accordance with the guidelines
of this program. For application procedures, salary and benefits, and
other information about the residency program, please see General
Information on the VMTH web site.
If you have further questions contact Michelle Swan (mswan@ucdavis.edu)
530 754-7288.
All residents are encouraged to obtain a California driver's license
within the first year of the residency
program. |