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Laboratory Animal Medicine

Laboratory Animal Medicine. A Key to A Very Bright Future. Name of LAM Vet presenting. Raise your hand if…. You have ever been vaccinated You have ever taken a medication You have ever had surgery/hospital stay You have ever donated or received blood

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Laboratory Animal Medicine

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  1. Laboratory Animal Medicine A Key to A Very Bright Future Name of LAM Vet presenting

  2. Raise your hand if…. • You have ever been vaccinated • You have ever taken a medication • You have ever had surgery/hospital stay • You have ever donated or received blood • You know someone who has had diabetes, cancer or other diseases

  3. Many current medical treatments depend on animal research. • Vaccines against polio, measles and smallpox “Iron lung used for polio victims, 1956”

  4. Open-heart surgery, coronary bypass, heart valve replacement • Diabetes therapies

  5. ...These treatments benefit not only people, but animals too!

  6. Pookie: Living with diabetes Maggie: Breast cancer survivor Lucy: After her kidney transplant Buddy: After his heart surgery

  7. But a lot of misinformation has been spread about animal research. • Some people do not realize the many benefits of animal research to both people and animals. • People do not always know that animals are treated humanely and with great respect.

  8. Despite these misconceptions, 2/3 to 3/4 of Americans support the need for animal research. • 6

  9. “One world, one health, one medicine” • While new diseases lie ahead for people and animals, animal research can help us investigate and treat these.

  10. What led me to become a laboratory animal veterinarian?

  11. Diverse career opportunities exist in laboratory animal medicine (LAM). • Clinical veterinary medicine • Administration • Research • Teaching and training • Pathology • Regulatory oversight

  12. Clinical LAM vets provide health care for a variety of species. • They may also: • Review research protocols to ensure animal welfare • Consult with scientists about model development • Provide technical support for research (perform ultrasound exams or surgeries) • No 2 days are alike!

  13. Administration • Manage budget and staffing issues • May write grants to improve the program or request equipment • Liaison to senior management to ensure support for optimal animal program

  14. Research • Veterinarians may head or contribute to research projects • Independent or collaborative research • Tremendous diversity of research • Infectious disease, physiology, biology, reproduction, surgery, cancer biology, pharmaceutics, neuroscience, biomedical instrumentation, toxicology…

  15. Teaching & Training • LAM vets teach in veterinary schools, veterinary technician schools, graduate programs. • Veterinarians can serve as trainers for other veterinary residents, graduate students, research staff, animal care staff. • A well-developed training program is an essential part of a good lab animal program.

  16. Pathology • Pathologists with laboratory animal expertise are in great demand! • They are required to help diagnose rodent strain abnormalities, drug side effects, and diseases in individual research animals.

  17. Regulatory Oversight • Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is mandated by USDA regulations • Must include a LAM veterinarian • Review all animal use protocols, and animal facilities • Investigate animal concerns

  18. Alternatives (3Rs) = Reduce, Refine, Replace • Reduce animal numbers • Better statistics, less redundancy • Refinement of animal models • Less invasive procedures, better analgesics and anesthetics • Replacement of animal models • Cell culture, computer modeling

  19. Environmental Enrichment Animals are also provided enrichment in the form of exercise, toys, music, group housing, videos and other food treats. 19

  20. What animal species will I work with? • Depends on type of program • ~95% of research animals are rats/mice. • Rodents, genetically-engineered. • ~5% other species • Domestic species (dogs, ferrets, pigs). • Nonhuman primates • Exotics – woodchucks, bats, fish, amphibians, reptiles, etc.

  21. LAM versus Private Practice • Clientele - pet owner vs. scientist – different issues. • Individual care vs. herd health – depends on study, some rare & valuable strains/species. • Diagnostics – pursue if you have time, money, tools – write up interesting cases. • Hours / Schedule – usually less weekend work!

  22. Must Work Well with Human primates too!

  23. Where are the jobs? • Anywhere biomedical research is performed • Academia – both large and small programs • Pharmaceutical Companies • Biotech Companies • Hospitals • Government-Military-NIH • Public Health • Throughout the US / world

  24. LAM has several advantages. • Diverse jobs • Flexible hours • Good pay

  25. ACLAM is the governing college for laboratory animal veterinarians. • ACLAM = American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine

  26. Other LAM organizations can also provide information. • American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners (ASLAP) • American Association of Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) • Charles L. Davis Foundation for the Advancement of Veterinary and Comparative Pathology

  27. Do I need to become ACLAM board-certified? • Maybe or maybe not for clinical jobs. • Mid-career veterinarians can be valuable LAM veterinarians due to their clinical, fiscal and “people” skills. • But salary range is higher if certified. • Board certification is usually required for higher-level administrative jobs.

  28. How do I become ACLAM board-certified? • Qualification to take board exams can be done via either • a traditional residency “training” route • or a nontraditional “experience” route • First-author research publication • Certifying examination

  29. The “training” route is very common, especially for recently-graduated veterinarians. • Residencies may have a: • Clinical focus: Learn LAM & administration of an animal research program. • Research focus (NIH): Pursue an MS or PhD • Combination focus

  30. How do I find a residency training program? • Visit the ACLAM web site • http://www.aclam.org/education-and-training/training-programs • Talk to a lab animal vet • Do an externship…more info later.

  31. Where are the residency programs located? Size of program varies from 1-2 trainees up to 10-12 trainees!

  32. Externships can introduce vet students OR practicing veterinarians to LAM. • 2-12 weeks, during summer or the academic year • Flexible experience depending on interest • Room and board may be covered • May receive a small stipend for living expenses

  33. Where can I find out more about externships? • Check ACLAM’s website: • http://www.aclam.org/career-outreach/career-pathways • Check ASLAP’s website: • http://www.aslap.org/careers • Consider academia, biotechnology, federal government, and primate centers.

  34. If a residency is not right for you, consider ACLAM certification via the “experience route.” • Small colleges and contract laboratories may employ you even if you don’t have LAM experience. • Part-time may be a good start. • But be sure to find an experienced LAM mentor to learn from!

  35. Work Hard but Have Fun!

  36. Questions?

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