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Residency Program in Laboratory Animal/Primate Medicine

Residency Program in Laboratory Animal/Primate Medicine

The Laboratory Animal/Primate Medicine Service will have 2 open positions; One (1) Laboratory Animal Medicine focus and One (1) Primate Medicine focus

Recruitment will be through the Veterinary Internship/Residency Matching Program (VIRMP).  To register and receive information about the matching program, please visit: www.virmp.org.

The application deadline for laboratory animal/comparative medicine training programs is earlier than other internship and residency programs to ensure sufficient time for programs to schedule interviews with prospective candidates. Therefore, applicants MUST complete their applications on or before December 11, 2023 in order to ensure that the program has ample time to schedule and complete interviews with prospective candidates. As this deadline is distinct from other residency specialties participating in the VIRMP, applicants are encouraged to contact their references and registrar to ensure letters of support and transcripts are submitted ahead of the December 11, 2023 deadline.

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 eligibility requirements for the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) certifying examination.  The program objectives provide the training opportunities described below (for additional details refer to the ACLAM Role Delineation document). 

 

The Program’s Objectives:

  1. Participate as the clinical attending veterinarian on the UCD campus in the prevention, diagnosis, control, and treatment of disease found in laboratory animals including, but not limited to, mice, rats, rabbits, cats, dogs, pigs, ruminants, and nonhuman primates
  2. Provide and perform diagnostic services to campus investigators, through participation in the Comparative Pathology Laboratory and the Primate Pathology Laboratory services including anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, microbiology, serology, and molecular diagnostics
  3. Work with the campus LAM veterinarians to provide consultation and advice on compliance with animal welfare laws, regulations, and standards to campus investigators under the guidance of the campus attending veterinarian
  4. Provide consultative services and instruction to campus investigators, staff, and students on varying aspects of laboratory animal medicine and science including animal restraint, sample collection, aseptic surgery, anesthesia and analgesia, as well as alternatives to minimize, alleviate, or prevent pain and distress 
  5. Participate with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) staff in animal use protocol preparation and review
  6. Work with facility managers in the development and management of animal husbandry programs as well as animal facility design
  7. Design, implement, and publish a hypothesis driven research project under the guidance of a faculty and project support mentors

 

The Laboratory Animal Medicine Training Program is traditionally a 36 month program with a focus in either traditional laboratory animal medicine or nonhuman primate medicine; however, a 24 month program will be considered for clinical trainees who have previously completed or enter into a PhD program in which they complete an expanded hypothesis driven research project.  Participants that successfully complete required core rotations (clinical rotations, coursework, presentations, grant application, research project, and publication) within their first 29 months, may schedule supplemental clinical rotations and/or smaller research projects for the final months of their residency. Additionally, if a clinical trainee had their research project submission accepted in a peer-reviewed journal before December 15th, they will receive their residency certificate and thus, may be eligible to take the ACLAM board examination scheduled the following year.

Courses and Activities:

The combined LAM Residency Training Program (including both Traditional Laboratory Animal and Nonhuman Primate Medicine focuses) incorporates rotations at Campus Veterinary Services, Comparative Pathology Laboratory (CPL), California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC), Primate Pathology, and the Mouse Biology Program (MBP), along with options to take approved externships.

Clinical duties vary with the clinical trainee’s focus, either in traditional laboratory animals or nonhuman primates; however, the equivalent of full-time clinical service for 17 months in the area of the clinical trainee’s focus is required to meet the requirements of this training program. In addition to the regularly assigned duties on each rotation, clinical trainees are typically on-call for evening, weekend, and emergency clinical support at least one week/month.

Clinical trainee didactic coursework includes medical primatology, nonhuman primate zoonoses, mouse biology, LAM seminars, and Resident Training Days (RTDs). LAM Seminars consist of board preparatory presentations (2 hours/week, 32 or more weeks/year). RTDs (monthly for 8 months or more per year) are coordinated with other LAM programs in the region (UCSF, UCB, Stanford, etc.) and their trainees when possible; the goal is to facilitate comradery with learning and involves seminars, touring facilities, participation in wetlabs (surgery, anesthesia, ultrasound, dentistry, handling in a number of species from rodents to nonhuman primates), etc. Additionally, clinical trainees attend weekly clinical rounds, IACUC protocol review, pathology rounds, and biweekly comparative pathology rounds. Clinical trainees are assigned to assist the IACUC staff with veterinary pre-reviews of newly submitted animal use protocols. Supervision is provided by the ACLAM certified Attending Veterinarian as well as other veterinarians participating in the reviews. During this time, clinical trainees review animal care and use protocols and provide guidance to investigators submitting protocols, and participate in the campus facility inspection process. They can review inspection reports identifying deficiencies and may assist the IACUC staff in their follow-up communications with facility managers and their supervisors. Clinical trainees are also encouraged to attend various rounds and seminars at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and/or the School of Medicine.  Moreover, clinical trainees practice teaching knowledge/topics and skills to veterinary students on elective laboratory animal and primate medicine rotations, undergraduate students, classroom continuing education for animal care staff and veterinary technicians, along with presentation of assigned materials for the LAM seminars and RTDs.

Certification Requirements:

In order to meet program requirements to obtain a UCD LAM Residency Certificate, the following must be completed:

1. Satisfactory performance evaluations as determined by the faculty involved with training the clinical trainees during their clinical activities.
2. Achievement of participation and passing grades in all required didactic courses which may include: Laboratory Animal Management Animal Science (ANS 140), (Medical Primatology (VME 413), Zoonoses of Nonhuman Primates (PHR 420), Pathology of Laboratory Animals (PMI 287), Journal Seminar (VME 442R), +/- Statistics (MPM 402), +/- Fish Health (VME437R)
3. Instructing veterinary students and technicians both clinically and didactically.
4. Submission of a grant application (travel, training, research, or intramural)
5. Presentation of their research project at the House Officer’s Training Day sponsored by the UCD, School of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
6. Conference presentation(s), at the California Laboratory Animal Medicine Society (CLAMS) or District 8 typically during the first year, and AALAS and/or APV in the second or third year
7. Completion of a research project, submission, and acceptance of its subsequent publication.

Structure and Organization: 

The program is organized around a series of block rotations in the first 15 months, while the remainder of training allows for more flexible duties to execute a research project, write the results, and/or to obtain additional clinical or nonclinical knowledge and experience as determined and approved in consultation with the co-Directors.

The first year of the residency provides general training in the multiple diverse disciplines of a laboratory animal veterinarian. It is divided into rotations such as: 3-6 months of traditional lab animal medicine, 3 months of rodent diagnostics and pathology, and 3 months of medical primatology. 

The second and third years are designed to provide the clinical trainee with more specialized training in laboratory animal medicine as well as to develop, oversee, complete, and submit for publication a hypothesis-driven research project.  Clinical trainees will have approximately 6 months to complete. Completion of a research project and submission of their research findings in a peer-reviewed (ACLAM approved) journal is required to complete the residency program (papers are typically submitted by September so they can be accepted by December to qualify for the ACLAM board exam the following year). 

Evaluation process:

Rotation objectives are discussed and evaluated on a monthly basis during clinical rotations.  UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital resident evaluations are scheduled at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months.  Continuing appointments after the first and second years are contingent upon satisfactory performance during the preceding year.

 

Please Note: Candidates should be US citizens, US permanent residents, or foreign nationals eligible for a J1 scholar visa (and at the time of application not be subject to holds, bars or in-country rules) or Canadian/ Mexican citizens eligible for a TN visa. We will NOT pursue other visa categories. Candidates will be expected to pay for their visa fees. The offer of a residency may be withdrawn if written evidence of a visa is not provided by July 1, 2024.
https://siss.ucdavis.edu/scholars_depts/j_visa/index.html

 

Please Note: December 11, 2023, is the deadline for Lab Animal Primate Program Application Submissions

SPECIAL NOTE: The California Veterinary Medical Board requires all veterinarians working at the University of California, Davis with primary patient care duties to hold a special University license. To obtain this University license, veterinarians that are not licensed in the state of California will be required to take a 3-day course on regionally important diseases and a short open-book jurisprudence test, in addition to being background checked. The course will be given on-site at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine early in the course of your training program (dates to be determined). The cost of licensure will be the responsibility of the trainee (currently $950). This limited license only permits individuals to work in California as veterinarians for University-related practice. Although veterinarians that do not have hands-on patient care duty (e.g., anatomic pathologists, clinical pathologists) are not required to hold this license, obtaining the license is encouraged whenever your activities may have an impact on animal-owning members of the public. If in doubt, please contact the Office of the CVMO for clarification.

This position is a critical position and subject to a background check. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of background investigation including criminal history and identity checks.