ACVP Training Program Overview
| Name of Institution: | Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine |
| Address: | 2764 Vet Med Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine 1800 Christensen Drive, Ames, IA 50011-1134 |
Program Coordinators and Emails:
Anatomic Pathology Training Coordinator: Dr. Tyler Harm
Clinical Pathology Residency Coordinator: Dr. Cheryl Auch
Department Chair: Dr. Amanda Fales-Williams
| Resident Representatives and Emails: | |
| Clinical: | Anatomic: |
| Dr. Cheryl Auch | Dr. Tyler Harm |
Prerequisites Beyond DVM:
Veterinary practice experience and/or research experience is desirable but not required.
| Program Information: | |||
| Program | CP | AP | Combined MS/PhD |
| Program Options | Combined residency with PhD or MS | Combined residency/PhD | See adjacent columns |
| Full Time Residents | 1 | 6 | |
| Typical # of years for completion | MS 3 / PhD 5 | MS 3 / PhD 5 | |
| Money to go to one (1) meeting/year | yes / combined with money for books | yes / combined with money for books | |
| Money for books and supplies | yes / combined with money for travel | yes / combined with money for travel | |
| Independent research/publication required for program completion? | yes, as part of graduate program | yes, as part of graduate program | |
Comments:
Acceptance into a combined Graduate/Residency program is dependent on acceptance by the ISU Graduate College.
Position is a salaried appointment with benefits as a graduate research assistant position (50%; university guideline approximately 20 hours per week spent on assistantship duties = research) with required residency training (50%) for a total of full time work year round (12 months). Expectations of the program include graduate research, teaching, and diagnostic service. It typically takes 5 years to complete the combined program; most of our trainees pass the ACVP board exam during this time.
| Case Load: | ||||
| Small Animals | Large Animals | Exotic/Zoo Animals | Lab Animals | |
| Anatomic Pathology | ~5000 | ~400 | ~150 | ~125 |
| Clinical Pathology | ~2100 (cyto) | ~110 | ~30 | 2-10 |
Comments:
Our diagnostic case load comes primarily from the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center (the ISU-CVM teaching hospital), along with outside practitioners, the Blank Park Zoo and Prairie Meadows Racetrack.
| Required Coursework for Specific Programs: | |
| MS | For information on the graduate program in the ISU Department of Veterinary Pathology, please see this link: https://vetmed.iastate.edu/vpath/academics/graduate-program |
| PhD | For information on the graduate program in the ISU Department of Veterinary Pathology, please see this link: https://vetmed.iastate.edu/vpath/academics/graduate-program |
| AP | |
| CP | |
Comments:
Areas of research focus include infectious diseases, enteric, renal and neurologic diseases, and educational research. The opportunity exists to collaborate with pathologists and researchers at the USDA laboratories in Ames, which opens many more avenues for research. Residents that are interested in pursuing research in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning are encouraged to apply.
Other Opportunities:
Specialty Rounds: Radiologic Pathology rounds, Dermatology rounds, Gross Pathology rounds, Histopathology seminar rounds, JPC histopathology rounds, Veterinary Pathology Journal Club, Ophthalmology Rounds, Clinical Pathology Rounds, and Lab Animal Rounds.
All of the anatomic and clinical pathology faculty in our department are ACVP Diplomates.
Our department receives biopsy, necropsy, and cytology cases, along with hematology and serum chemistry cases from the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, multiple referral hospitals throughout the Midwest, Prairie Meadows racetrack, Blank Park Zoo, and private practices throughout the state.
| Percentage of Time Spent in Activities – Clinical Pathology: | |||||
| Service | Teaching | Seminar/Courses | Research | Other | |
| Year 1 | 30 | 5 | 25 | 40 | |
| Year 2 | 25 | 10 | 25 | 40 | |
| Year 3 | 25 | 5 | 20 | 50 | |
| Year 4 | 20 | 20 | 60 | ||
Comments:
For clinical pathology, resident/degree candidates are expected to complete 12-14 weeks of service diagnostic duty per year each year of the 5 years of the residency/PhD program. If in a MS program, the training weeks may be adjusted (increased) depending on the candidate’s competency level to meet the overall usual 60 weeks of duty and associated competencies for ACVP board eligibility that occur in the PhD program (12 weeks each year for 5 years). The time for the residency training will meet the minimum required for ACVP standard track training. Advancement in the residency training program will be based on competency milestones and not solely “time on duty”.
| Percentage of Time Spent in Activities – Anatomic Pathology: | |||||
| Service | Teaching | Seminar/Courses | Research | Other | |
| Year 1 | 40-50 | 20 | 20 | 10-20 | |
| Year 2 | 50-60 | 20 | 20 | 10-20 | |
| Year 3 | 35 | 10 | 10 | 45 | |
| Year 4 | 10-20 | 10 | 10 | 60-75 | |
Comments:
Over the 5 year period, we expect that trainees complete a minimum of 50 weeks of service.
Previous trainees have been supported by the ACVP/STP Coalition, NIH K08 grants, Fort Dodge Animal Health, and the Pfizer Animal Health / Morris Animal Foundation.
In Ames, there are unique opportunities available to engage in international work, zoological/aquarium studies, wildlife infectious diseases, and toxicology. Two federal laboratories are located in Ames (USDA-ARS National Animal Disease Center; National Veterinary Laboratory Services). Two medical colleges are nearby (University of Iowa, Iowa City and Des Moines University, Des Moines). In addition, the One Health Program is housed at Iowa State University.