The OSU College of Veterinary Medicine is collaborating with Oregon Health & Science University and the Oregon Primate Research center to form the Oregon Laboratory Animal Medicine Veterinary Residency Consortium. The Consortium is an American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM)-recognized residency program designed to prepare graduate veterinarians for careers in laboratory animal medicine as ACLAM Diplomates.
There is a critical shortage of veterinarians working in the public sector including in research laboratories where veterinarians not only conduct studies but also protect the welfare of the animals involved.
There are three new residents enrolled in the program:
- Jennifer Grossman, DVM, 2011, Oregon State University, College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Grossman is committed to a career in laboratory animal medicine. She participated in an OSU large animal research study for three years during veterinary school and worked as a summer research student in an OSU investigator’s laboratory. She recently completed a one-year small animal medicine internship at Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Service, Rochester, NY.
- Brandy Dozier, DVM, 2012, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. Dr. Dozier worked as a research associate for six years in a laboratory that used nonhuman primate models. She has a strong interest in laboratory animal medicine particularly nonhuman primate.
- Nathan Koewler, DVM, 2012, University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Koewler has several years of experience working in veterinary medical unit at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is focused on a career in laboratory animal medicine.
The program includes a total of two years focused on didactic training and supervised clinical experience and one year of mentored research. The program emphasizes comparative and preventive medicine and is designed to develop proficiency in clinical laboratory animal medicine and graduate level biomedical research. Clinical and pathology training include lectures and seminars by AVMA specialty-boarded veterinarians covering a range of pertinent topics in laboratory animal models, species biology and disease conditions, facility management and design, human resources organization, and regulatory affairs and accreditation oversight. This Consortium provides a unique collaborative opportunity for residents and ensures their exposure to a complete array of laboratory animal species, a wide-range of research projects, and a large faculty devoted to this program and the residents’ success.
The Consortium site director at OSU is CVM professor Helen Diggs who also directs the Laboratory Animal Resources Center.