ACVP Training Program Overview
| Name of Institution: | Texas A&M University |
| Address: | Department of Veterinary Pathobiology 4467 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-4467 |
Program Coordinators and Emails:
Anatomic: Dr. Brian Porter, [email protected]
Clinical: Dr. Mary Nabity, [email protected]
| Resident Representatives and Emails: | |
| Clinical: | Anatomic: |
| Dr. Sarah Jacobson Dr. Kathleen Hu | Dr. Ji Ann Greenberg Dr. Kristen Shekelle |
Prerequisites Beyond DVM: None
| Program Information: | |||
| Program | CP | AP | Combined MS/PhD |
| Program Options | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Full Time Residents | 3 | 8 | – |
| Typical # of years for completion | 3 | 3 | MS 3 PhD 5-6 |
| Money to go to one (1) meeting/year | Yes | Yes | – |
| Money for books and supplies | No | No | – |
| Independent research/publication required for program completion? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Comments:
The program consists of diagnostic service rotations, formal coursework, and a variety of regular diagnostic and research seminars. Residents are encouraged to complete the PhD degree, but those who decide not to pursue a PhD can earn a master’s degree (either thesis or non-thesis). Benefits include full tuition coverage, health insurance, travel to meetings, and retirement benefits.
| Case Load: | ||||
| Small Animals | Large Animals | Exotic/Zoo Animals | Lab Animals | |
| Anatomic Pathology | 60% | 34% | 5% | 1% |
| Clinical Pathology | 80% | 15-20% | <5% | 0% |
Comments:
Annual case load for anatomic pathology: Necropsies = ~900; Biopsies = ~1000
Annual case load for clinical pathology: Hematology = ~8,500; Chemistry = ~10,000; Cytology = ~2,500; Coagulation = ~1,200; Urinalysis = ~3,000; Blood bank = ~300
| Required Coursework for Specific Programs: | |
| MS | |
| PhD | |
| AP | 1. Systemic Pathology I 2. Systemic Pathology II 3. Histopathology Seminar 4. Mechanisms of Disease (general path) 5. Biomedical Ethics 6. Statistics in Research |
| CP | 1. Systemic Pathology I 2. Systemic Pathology II 3. Histopathology Seminar 4. Mechanisms of Disease (general path) 5. Biomedical Ethics 6. Statistics in Research |
Comments:
All residents take coursework during the residency, generally 3-5 credits per semester. Other than the three required courses, residents have the freedom to choose courses that fit their interests. The many diverse areas of faculty specialization within the department provide excellent opportunities for graduate study.
Other Opportunities:
Areas of research focus are: 1) infection, immunity, & immunology; 2) biomedical genomics & bioinformatics, 3) diagnostics & therapeutics, 4) toxicology & environmental health, and 5) physiology & developmental biology. Research centers include the National Homeland Security Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense and the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center. Research opportunities also exist at the Texas A&M School of Medicine and the Institute of Biosciences and Technology, a branch of Texas A&M in Houston’s Texas Medical Center.
| Percentage of Time Spent in Activities – Clinical Pathology: | |||||
| Service | Teaching | Seminar/Courses | Research | ||
| Year 1 | Full time resident: 40% Combined program: 40% | Full time resident: 20% Combined program: 20% | Full time resident: 40% Combined program: 40% | Full time resident: 0% Combined Program: 0% | |
| Year 2 | Full time resident: 30% Combined program: 30% | Full time resident: 20% Combined program: 205 | Full time resident: 30-40% Combined program: 30% | Full time resident: 10-20% Combined program: 20% | |
| Year 3 | Full time resident: 40% Combined program: 30% | Full time resident: 20%% Combined program: 20 | Full time resident: 35-40% Combined program: 30% | Full time resident: 0-5% Combined program: 20% | |
| Year 4 | Combined program: 0-10% | Combined program: 0-5% | Combined program: 10% | Combined program: 80-90% | |
Comments:
Regular rounds/seminars include weekly clinical pathology rounds, Histopathology Seminar (fall), Clinical Pathology Seminar (spring), journal club, and a departmental research seminar. Residents also have the option of attending small and/or large animal medicine rounds, ICU rounds, and mortality and morbidity rounds, as well as rounds for the anatomic pathology residents. Residents teach in small group settings and give didactic lectures in the professional curriculum. There is the option to do 1- to 2-week rotations in necropsy and surgical pathology or externships with outside referral diagnostic laboratories. Small research projects are encouraged, and there are opportunities to contribute to book chapters, case reports, retrospective studies, and/or research manuscripts. A yearly mock board examination is given.
| Percentage of Time Spent in Activities – Anatomic Pathology: | |||||
| Service | Teaching | Seminar/Courses | Research | ||
| Year 1 | Full time resident: 60% Combined program: 60% | Full time resident: 10% Combined program: 10% | Full time resident: 25% Combined program: 25% | Full time resident: 5% Combined program: 5% | |
| Year 2 | Full time resident: 60% Combined program: 40% | Full time resident: 10% Combined program: 10% | Full time resident: 25% Combined program: 20% | Full time resident: 5% Combined program: 30% | |
| Year 3 | Full time resident: 60% Combined program: 20% | Full time resident: 10% Combined program: 10% | Full time resident: 25% Combined program: 20% | Full time resident: 5% Combined program: 50% | |
| Year 4 | Combined program: 10% | Combined program: 0% | Combined program: 10% | Combined program: 80% | |
Comments:
Regular rounds/seminars include Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) Rounds, Neuropathology Rounds, Dermatopathology Rounds, Gross Pathology Rounds, Image Interpretation Quiz, JCP Wednesday Slide Conference Rounds, Ocular Pathology Rounds, Gastrointestinal/Liver Rounds, Cardiopathology Rounds, Histopathology Seminar, and a weekly departmental research seminar. Specialty diagnostic services in dermatopathology and nephropathology offer unique training opportunities. A yearly mock board examination is given.