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Veterinary externs acquire clinical and pathology experience in laboratory animal medicine by participating in our post-doctoral training program ("residency") during

their externship period. Externs attend all of the didactic seminars in biology and diseases of laboratory animals, staff and clinical conferences, and research or necropsy case presentations that are offered during their externship period. These presentations are given and attended by the 8 residents and 8 faculty veterinarians of the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM). Externs acquire clinical experience by examining clinical cases with the clinical residents, faculty clinicians, and veterinary technicians, and diagnosing and treating conditions that arise spontaneously or as a complication of the research protocol. Externs also gain experience in the clinical and anatomic pathology of laboratory animals through assisting with necropsy cases with the residents, the faculty pathologist, and the medical technologist. The University of Michigan has all of the classic laboratory animal species (mouse, rat, etc...), as well as nonhuman primates, sheep and pigs, degus, and pigeons. Completion of a library research project on some aspect of laboratory animal medicine is expected for the longer externships (5 weeks or greater), and the results are presented in a seminar at the end of the externship period.

Unique Education Experience

The veterinary extern is exposed to laboratory animal medicine as performed at one of the top ten NIH-funded medical research institutions in the country. The animal facilities are decentralized and provide exposure to a variety of unique construction models for animal housing. The extern would also be exposed to the fundamental operations of our residency program in laboratory animal medicine for graduate veterinarians.

Non-practice Experience

In our laboratory animal medicine externship, the extern would experience clinical practice as it relates to the care of animals used in biomedical research projects. The extern will also gain an understanding of the laws and regulations which govern the care and use of laboratory animals in the United States, the design and operation of facilities which house animals such that they are appropriate research subjects, the concept of specific-pathogen free animals for use in biomedical research, the evaluation process for written applications to use vertebrate animals in research, and the research process itself, e.g., hypothesis testing, choice of animal models, and technical procedures.

Lesley Colby , DVM – Clinical Assistant Professor, ULAM
Melissa Dyson, DVM – Clinical Assistant Professor, ULAM