California National Primate Research Center: Education & Training

A variety of educational and training opportunities are available for individuals at all skill levels.

Undergraduate Training

Training is provided to qualified students at UC Davis through formal coursework, in which laboratory classes may be held at CNPRC, as well as through research internships, for which students receive graduation credits. Students can contact individual scientists, or send a general inquiry to cnprc_info@primate.ucdavis.edu.

Graduate Training

Training at the graduate level is available through the UC Davis's campus Office of Graduate Studies (http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/). While CNPRC does not have its own degree granting programs, nearly all of the Staff Scientists are affiliated with one or more Graduate Groups on campus.

Clinical Externships

Primate Medicine has clinical externships available for 4th year veterinary students. A minimum of three weeks and preferably four is the recommended length of time for an externship in order to give the student a sufficient exposure to the CNPRC, and to the primate medicine and research service provided here.

To arrange for an externship, please send:

A copy of your academic transcripts
Curriculum Vitae
A letter stating your career goals
Two letters of recommendation
Dates and duration of time of your externship, as well as a couple of possible alternate dates.

These materials can be sent to:

Kari Christe or Jenny Gunter
Primate Medicine
California National Primate Research Center
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616-8542

RESIDENCY PROGRAM IN PRIMATE MEDICINE

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 with 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.

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. Renewal for the second and third years are contingent upon satisfactory performance.

GENERAL SCOPE AND NATURE OF THE TRAINING

First Year Program

Clinical Rotations

Residents are assigned to the Laboratory Animal Health Clinic (LAHC) for four 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 four 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 four 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.

California National Primate Research Center

To gain experience in nonhuman primate medicine, residents are assigned clinical rotations at the CNPRC for four months during the first year. Supervision is provided by the CNPRC ACLAM certified senior laboratory animal veterinarians.
Clinical assignments consist of rotations in the hospital and out patient areas.
Residents gain clinical experience while providing clinical care for approximately 5,000 nonhuman primates. Care includes preventive medicine, general medicine, emergency medicine, intensive care, neonatal care, radiology, ultrasound, anesthesia, endoscopy, laparoscopy and surgery.
Residents are responsible for weekends and emergency coverage with a staff veterinarian on a rotational basis.

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 and Third Year Program

Mentored Research

Residents are given sufficient time during the second and third year for a mentored research project. 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.
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.

Didactic as described for the first year.

Backup Coverage for the LAHC and CPL or CNPRC as needed.

Continued consultation to campus satellite facilities.

Residents are responsible for weekend and emergency coverage on a rotational basis.

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

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 Kari Christe (klchriste@primate.ucdavis.edu) or Jenny Gunter (jlgunter@primate.ucdavis.edu) 530 752-9510.

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