William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

Vet Med Teaching Hospital

Residency Programs

Residency Program in Laboratory Animal/Primate Medicine

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.

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 29 months long. Residents are evaluated by the training program coordinators at 6, 12, and 24 months with continuation contingent upon satisfactory performance.

General Scope and Nature of the Training
Months 1 - 12 of Training Program:

Core Clinical Laboratory Animal Medicine Training
The first year of the residency provides general training in the multiple diverse disciplines of a laboratory animal veterinarian. It is divided into three blocks of three months each, followed by a 2nd three month block at either Campus Veterinary Services (CVS) or the California National Primate Research Center (CPRC). One block is dedicated to the CVS and IACUC, one block in diagnostics and pathology, and one block to the CNPRC. During the first year of rotations, residents complete the objectives of each as outlined below.

Block 1a. Clinical Rotations in the CVS. Residents are assigned to CVS for three months of the first block. Residents have clinical assignments that consist of rotations in CVS 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 vivaria (CLAS) as well as all animal housing units that use CVS for veterinary care needs. Supervision is provided by the ACLAM certified senior laboratory animal veterinarian. Residents provide emergency and on-call veterinary care after hours, weekends and holidays on a rotational basis with other residents and staff veterinarians.

Residents may be assigned to consult with various projects to provide the resident with the opportunity to acquire experience in problem solving, to develop skills in working with investigators and research staff, to learn about investigative methods, and to participate as a fully-contributing professional member of a research team. This gives the new resident time to identify an area or areas of interest to pursue in development of a resident project.

Residents are assigned as the consulting veterinarian for the campus satellite animal facilities (not affiliated with the Center for Laboratory Animal Science). These smaller facilities house mostly rodent colonies, but also house significant numbers of other non-traditional research animals such as birds, ferrets, and amphibian/aquatic 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. In addition, residents will work with the animal husbandry staff to evaluate husbandry techniques and procedures.

Block 2a. Comparative Pathology Laboratory (CPL) Rotation. Residents are assigned to the CPL for two months during the first block. 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 ACVP).

Residents will perform the above diagnostic tests under the guidance of the technical research staff at the CPL and get experience in molecular diagnostics. This includes using the polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of disease.

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. Finally, residents will participate in phenotyping genetically engineered mice as part of the Mutant Mouse Regional Resource Center at UCD.

Block 2b. CNPRC Pathology
Rotation. Residents are assigned to the Primate Center Pathology service for one month. The CNPRC Pathology Service is a full service diagnostic laboratory dedicated to support the CNPRC mission. Supervision is provided by the CNPRC veterinarians (one board eligible ACVP and one board certified ACVP). Residents will perform necropsies, tissue collection, and histopathology as it relates to nonhuman primates to gain a better appreciation for disease of nonhuman primates.

Block 3. California National Primate Research Center-Residents are assigned to the CNPRC for three-six months during the first year. Training here provides the resident clinical and surgical experience in nonhuman primate models. The CNPRC maintains 5200 nonhuman primates representing three species, and several small rodent colonies. Residents have primary clinical responsibility at the CNPRC Therapeutics Clinic with an average daily caseload of 150 hospitalized patients and approximately 120 outpatients daily. Responsibilities include: on call service, research support as well as clinical care (preventative medicine, general medicine, emergency medicine, intensive care, neonatal care, radiology, ultrasound, anesthesia, endoscopy, and surgery).

Block 4. Repeat rotation 1 or 3. Trainees can select traditional laboratory animal medicine, nonhuman primate medicine or scientific research. During this time, under guidance from the training program faculty, a research mentor for their project is selected.
Months 13 - 29 of Training Program:

Specialized Training including Mentored Research Project
The next 17 months are designed to provide the resident with a more specialized training in laboratory animal medicine. Residents selecting traditional laboratory animal medicine or nonhuman primate medicine will have 6 - 9 months to complete their research project. Residents with a primate medicine emphasis typically have 6 months to complete their projects; their projects are usually clinical in nature. Completion of a research project is required to complete the residency program. Residents are required to finish their residency project, present the results at the veterinary school's House Officer Seminar Day and submit their residency project paper to an ACLAM recognized journal before the end of their residency program. During this time residents complete the objectives of each as outlined below.

Traditional Laboratory Animal Medicine Focus--Residents participate in the programs provided by CPL as outlined for their first year but lasting 4 months. In addition, residents are assigned to the Mouse Biology Program for a two to four month block. Training here provides the resident with experience in all aspects of genetically engineered mice including the design, construction, generation, genetic and phenotypic analysis, and colony management.

Residents may gain experience if they choose in nontraditional laboratory animal species by completing 1 - 2 month rotations at either UC Berkeley Office of Laboratory Animal Care, or aquatic medicine or at the Fish Health Diagnostic Services of the UCD Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

In addition, trainees are expected to begin their research project with their mentor during the remaining 6 months of year two.

Nonhuman Primate Medicine Focus--Residents participate in the programs provided by the CNPRC as outlined for the first year. Residents review animal care protocols submitted to both the CNPRC Research Advisory Committee and the Campus Animal Care Committee. Residents participate in weekly Laboratory Animal Medicine Rounds with residents, weekly CNPRC Clinic Rounds, biweekly Radiology and alternating gross and microscopic Pathology Rounds.

During these months the following responsibilities continue:

Didactic Training
The program includes clinical rounds, seminars, and classes to allow the resident the opportunity to acquire the knowledge necessary to perform as a competent laboratory animal veterinarian. Each service meets for 1 - 1.5 hours each week for rounds. This occurs within each of the services. During this time residents present clinical and diagnostic cases and medicine or diagnostic topics related to laboratory animal medicine. Rounds, seminar and classes provide approximately 50-75 hours of didactic experience per year.

During the first two years, residents participate in the weekly two hour laboratory animal medicine seminar. Also, in the first and second year, residents are expected to attend classes in Medical Primatology, Experimental Mouse Biology (I and II) and Pathology of Laboratory Animals. All coursework in these classes and tests must be completed with a passing grade for completion of the residency.

A residency certificate is conferred upon successful completion of the 29 month program.

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. To learn about programs participating in the Uniform Application program that our resident training program is now participating in, please see aslap.org. Application deadline is October 15, 2011 with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2012. In addition to the UAP form, applicants must submit a CV, copies of veterinary school transcripts, a letter of intent describing interest in the program and career goals, along with three letters of reference with contact information. All information can be submitted electronically to Kari Christe or Terry Hewett (contact information is below). Applicants must be able to be licensed in one state in the U.S.A..

If you have further questions, contact Kari Christe (klchriste@ucdavis.edu) 530 752-2514 or Terry Hewett (tahewett@ucdavis.edu) 530 752-1390.

All residents are encouraged to obtain a California driver's license within the first year of the residency program.