College of Veterinary Medicine

Residency Training in Anatomic Pathology

INTRODUCTION:

The residency training program in veterinary pathology in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, University of Florida is designed to prepare individuals to take and pass the certification examination given by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) and to provide a conceptual and practical foundation for more advanced studies in experimental pathology culminating in the awarding of the PhD. Three tracks are possible upon admission into the residency program:

• Three-year residency program in anatomic pathology.
• Two-year residency program in anatomic pathology, followed by a third year of residency based at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
• Residency in Anatomic Pathology (typically two years) linked with PhD degree program in experimental pathology

While development of diagnostic skills is stressed during the residency, there is emphasis from the outset on use of clinical material for academic purposes and on the application of newly acquired diagnostic skills as research tools. Publication of original findings is encouraged and supported as a part of the training. One research project and the presentation of results in oral and written form is required. Residents and graduate students in a variety of programs rotate through the veterinary pathology laboratories. Qualified residents who have an interest in acquiring basic research training are encouraged to continue their career development through enrollment in a broadly based graduate studies program in experimental pathology. Because the ACVP currently requires three years post-DVM training under a Board Certified Veterinary Pathologist, graduate students continue attending resident seminars in order to accrue time towards board eligibility after completion of the two year residency. Because of these many facets, residency training undertaken at the University of Florida can be the beginning of a stimulating career in modern veterinary pathology. Few other institutions offer a similar range of opportunities for such academic growth and development.

OBJECTIVE:
The objective of this program is to prepare veterinarians for the anatomic pathology board certification examination given the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, as well as to introduce them to concepts of research in experimental pathology. Residents completing the program will be skilled diagnostic pathologists capable of participating in service-oriented pathology laboratories, as well as in interdisciplinary research and testing programs commonly encountered in governmental and industrial situations. They will also be prepared to undertake advanced degree training in experimental pathology, if they choose to do so.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

1. General characteristics:
During the first year, residents will begin to acquire proficiency in anatomic pathology by studying case material submitted to the necropsy and surgical pathology services. Accessions are distributed among the domestic, wildlife/exotic, avian and laboratory animal species, resulting in exposure to a broad spectrum of diagnostic material.
During the second year, in addition to participating in the general diagnostic pathology services, residents may, as time permits, rotate through selected laboratories and specialized services at the University of Florida. These rotations allow residents to become familiar with advanced techniques such as electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and molecular diagnostic techniques. Publication of results from the study of a series of cases or from a small research project is expected during the second year, and oral and written presentation of results of at least one research project is required.
The third year is a continuation of the second year of training. There is greater opportunity to study for the ACVP certification examination and to complete resident research projects with the culmination of a research publication.
Qualified residents who have an interest in acquiring basic research training are encouraged to continue their career development through enrollment in a broadly based graduate studies program in experimental pathology. Residents can transfer to the Graduate Program in Infectious Diseases Pathology at the end of the second or third year of residency training. Continued training in anatomic pathology is encouraged through seminar attendance and occasional rotation on VMC services. Because the ACVP currently requires three years post-DVM training under a Board Certified Veterinary Pathologist, graduate students continue attending resident seminars in order to accrue time towards board eligibility after completion of the two year residency.
Residency training in veterinary pathology at the University of Florida is designed primarily to prepare individuals to take and pass the certification examination given by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. While development of diagnostic skills is stressed during the residency, there is emphasis from the outset on use of clinical material for academic purposes and on the application of newly acquired diagnostic skills as research tools. Publication of original findings is encouraged and supported as a part of the training. One research project and the presentation of results in oral and written form is required. The Health Center setting of the program, with six geographically contiguous health related colleges, allows interested residents to pursue comparative studies through the numerous specialty conferences and seminars that are available.
2. Diagnostic Services:
a. Necropsy: Residents are usually assigned to the necropsy service for one week per month. They are responsible for either doing or supervising complete necropsy examinations that are performed during their period of assignment. The resident is responsible for preparing a complete gross description of both normal and abnormal tissues, procurement of appropriate tissues for histopathologic and pertinent ancillary examinations, trimming and submission of tissues for preparation of slides for microscopic examination, and microscopic examination of tissues. After the slides have been examined, a complete microscopic report is prepared by the resident. The gross and microscopic findings are then reviewed by the staff pathologist who supervised the case. Thoroughness and precision are stressed, both to ensure that accurate, timely diagnoses are obtained and also to produce a complete archival record that will be of maximal clinical research value if it is needed for future retrospective studies. Completion of necropsy cases usually requires an additional 7-10 days after the service week has ended.
b. Surgical pathology: Biopsy specimens for histopathological examination are submitted from the Veterinary Medical Center and from practicing veterinarians. The usual resident assignment on this service is also one week per month. When assigned to the surgical pathology service, the resident is responsible for preparing a gross description of submitted specimens and for trimming specimens to be processed for microscopic examination. The slides are interpreted and a detailed histologic description is written the following day. Each case is then reviewed with the pathologist on duty and a final written report is prepared.
3. Seminars:
a. Histopathology conference. This seminar is presented using a variety of materials taken both from departmental files and from such extramural sources as the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP). The purpose of this seminar is three-fold. First, residents have the opportunity to gain experience presenting histopathologic descriptions in front of a small, critical audience. Emphasis is placed on precision, proper nomenclature and proper presentation technique. Second, it is designed to give residents experience composing histologic descriptions similar to those that are required on the certification examination given by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. Third, residents are exposed to case material that might not otherwise be encountered during the training period.
b. Gross pathology seminar. The purpose of this weekly, one-hour seminar is to teach residents to interpret gross lesions accurately, as presented in projected photographs, as is expected on the ACVP examination. Again, precision and proper nomenclature is stressed.
c. Daily necropsy rounds. The objective of daily rounds is to expose residents to as many fresh gross lesions as possible and to the discussions of pathogenesis that regularly arise at this forum of clinicians, residents, and students.
d. Laboratory pathology seminar. This weekly one-hour seminar introduces residents to the pathology of commonly encounter laboratory animals. Emphasis is placed on the recognition of common diseases and pathogenesis.
e. AFIP slide seminar. This weekly seminar utilizes material drawn from the extensive archival collection of Wednesday Slide Conference presentations. Residents are taught descriptive techniques and scenarios they are likely to encounter during the ACVP exam.
f. Infectious Disease and Pathology Departmental seminars. These weekly or biweekly seminars are sponsored by the Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology. Faculty members, residents, and graduate students present their research findings.
Attendance at the first three of these seminars is mandatory for pathology residents. Numerous other specialty seminars (including ophthalmic pathology, dermatopathology, zoo/wildlife/exotic pathology and neuropathology) are available, but optional.
g. Veterinary Medical Center Resident Seminars. Annually, each resident in the VMC is required to prepare and present a one hour seminar on a topic of their choice. Usually these topics are an in-depth review in a focused area within the resident's special field of study. The purpose of this seminar series is to provide experience in public speaking and to foster interaction between residents and faculty members of other disciplines.
h. Southeastern Veterinary Pathology Conference. Each year, residents select an interesting case for presentation at the Southeastern Veterinary Pathology Conference held in Tifton, Georgia during the month of May. Residents gain experience in case presentation at professional conferences and are able to meet and exchange ideas with other pathologists and residents in training.
4. Teaching responsibilities:
a. Veterinary medical students. Residents in anatomic pathology teach third and fourth year veterinary medical students standardized necropsy technique and how to properly describe and interpret gross lesions. These objectives are accomplished through interaction with groups of up to six students as they rotate through the necropsy laboratory.
b. Sophomore veterinary medical students. Residents assist the faculty in both the general and systemic pathology laboratories.
c. Other residents. Several outside training programs (e.g., surgery, clinical pathology, dermatology) require that their residents be exposed to the discipline of anatomic pathology. Residents in anatomic pathology assist the faculty in providing such individuals with the level of understanding of gross and microscopic pathology that is appropriate for each of their areas.

SELECTION OF RESIDENTS AND FUNDING OF RESIDENT POSITIONS:
The application deadline is in the Fall of each year (see JAVMA advertisement and ACVP Training Center website http://www.acvp.org/career/training_center.php for exact deadline). Selection is announced by, or about, the following January 31. Starting date is July 15.
Either two or three postdoctoral (DVM or equivalent degree) residents are admitted each year, bringing the total complement of residents in the program to five. Candidates are preferred who have an academic career interest in pathology and intend to pursue graduate training when they complete their residencies. Ideally, they should have one or two years of experience in clinical practice and should have taken the Graduate Record Examination if they intend to continue on to graduate school. They must have a good scholastic record and should otherwise be acceptable to the Graduate School of the University of Florida.
Residents are selected from a pool of applicants by vote of the faculty. Selection is based on academic record, postgraduate (DVM) experience, professional recommendations, and a written statement of career objectives by the applicant. Application materials should be submitted to: Dr. Lisa Farina, Resident Coordinator, P.O. Box 110880, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611- 0880. Applicants need to submit a statement of career objectives, curriculum vitae, professional and graduate school transcripts, and three letters of recommendation.
Resident salaries are provided by the Veterinary Medical Center throughout the two years of residency training. Foreign applicants must have a visa which allows them to become VMC employees (e.g., H1). Residents are not usually registered students during the two-year program. In addition to salary, each resident receives a small stipend (currently $500 per year) for educational expenses, such as those associated with conference visits, publication costs, or textbooks. Access to a copy machine and all routine office supplies are supplied by the department. Each resident is also supplied with a personal computer and access to a shared printer.
Should a resident elect to pursue graduate training in experimental pathology, additional years of support are available in the form of teaching assistantships and training grants, as well as individual fellowships. Graduate students in experimental pathology have the option to select their mentors from either the veterinary or human pathology faculties. They continue to attend resident seminars until they have achieved board eligibility (3-year requirement).

TRAINING FACILITIES:

The College of Veterinary Medicine is part of the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center complex, which also contains colleges of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and health related professions.
The Veterinary Medical Center of the College of Veterinary Medicine serves as a major referral center for the diagnosis, treatment and study of animal diseases in the southeastern United States, especially northern and central Florida. Approximately 2,500 large animal and 10,000 small animal patients are seen annually. In addition, clinicians and students in a rural ambulatory medical service care for food animals on an out-patient basis. The VMC is administratively organized along traditional service lines, which include both small and large animal facilities, medicine, surgery, radiology, pathology, clinical pathology, anesthesiology, theriogenology, laboratory animal and zoo/wildlife services.
Anatomic pathology facilities include a well equipped necropsy laboratory and surgical pathology facilities. Anatomic pathology residents share an office. An individual microscope and computer are made available to each resident. Additional instruction is available in the laboratories of the department and college, such as cytology, clinical microbiology, hematology, etc. A complete medical library is part of the Health Center complex, and a well appointed reading room with current journal and textbook collections is available in the Veterinary Academic Building.

FACULTY:
Supervision of residents is provided by faculty as they rotate through the department's diagnostic services. Thus, residents work closely with all faculty members in developing cases, reviewing gross and microscopic findings, and in interpreting special ancillary diagnostic information. In this manner, the diversity of interests and disciplinary expertise represented in the faculty is made available to each resident. Currently, the department is comprised of 31 faculty members. Seven board certified Veterinary Pathologists, and additional parasitologists, microbiologists and basic scientists consult on problem cases and help in the development of those cases which have research potential.

Past residents in Anatomic Pathology:
*IVERSON, William O. (1978-81), Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., Martinsville, NJ

*GROSS, Thelma Lee (1979-82, Chief Resident, 1982-83)
Idexx VS/CDS, West Sacramento, CA

NGUYEN, Hai Thanh (1979-82)

*GAMBLE, David A. (1980-83)
South Huntington Station, NY
 
NICHOLSON, Andrew C. (1980-83)

*SHORT, Brian G. (1981-84)
Director of Toxicology, Allergan, Inc. Irvine, CA

*HINES, Stephen A.  (1982-84)
Dept of Veterinary Microbiology & Pathology, Washington State University
College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, WA

*REINHARD, Mary K. (1982-85)
Associate Professor, University of Florida, Department of Animal Care Services, Gainesville, FL

*COOLEY, A. James (1983-85)
Mississippi State University, Diagnostic Lab Services, Starkville, MS 

*LIU, Sylvia H. T. (1983-85)
Ethicon, Inc. Somerville, NJ

*CROWLEY, Ann (1984-86) 
Newport, NSW, Australia

*PINSON, David M. (Chief Resident 1985-86)
Director, Laboratory Animal Resources, Kansas City, KS

*CAMPBELL, Gregory A.  (1985-87)
Idexx, Stillwater, OK

*CANTOR, Glenn H.  (1985-87)
Principal Veterinary Pathologist, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co,Princeton, NJ

SPALDING, Marilyn G.  (1985-87)
University of Florida, Dept of Infectious Disease and Pathology, Gainesville, FL

*BOLON, Brad N.  (1986-1988)
President, GEMpath Inc, Cedar City, UT

DOWLING, Susan C.  (1986-1988) 

*HOMER, Bruce L.  (Chief Resident 1987-88)
Pfizer Global R&D, Chesterfield, MO

*BRADLEY, Gregory A.  (1987-89)
Tucson, AZ

*WELLS, Michelle R.  (1987-89)
Powell, OH

*LAYTON, Arthur W.  (1988-1990)
Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Bozeman, MT

*UHL, Elizabeth W.  (1988-1990)
Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, GA

*KOOISTRA, Linda H. (1989-1991)
Charles River Laboratories, Pathology Associates, Cary, NC

SMITH-MEYER, Brenda  (1989-1991)

*GINN, Pamela E.  (1990-1992)
Associate Professor, Univ of FL College of Vet Med, Dept of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, Gainesville, FL

MOHAMMED, Fawzi M.(1991-1992)

*GARNER, Michael M.  (1991-1993)
Northwest Zoopath, Monroe, WA

WESTHOUSE, Richard A.  (1991-1993)
Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 

*McELHANEY, Mary R. (1992-1994)
IDEXX Veterinary Services, Woodland, CA

*PAPENDICK, Rebecca E. (1992-1994)
Zoological Society of San Diego, Dept of Pathology, San Diego, CA 

FOX, Jonathan H. (1993-1995)

*LAROCK, Richard G. (1994-1997)
Covance Laboratories, Inc. Madison, WI 

*WOLF, Jeffery C. (1994-1996)
Pathologist, EPL, Inc. Sterling, VA

*SHEPPARD, Barbara J. (1994-1996)
Clinical Associate Professor, University of Florida, Dept of Infectious Disease and Pathology, Gainesville, FL

*CHANDRA, Sundeep (1995-1997)
GlaxoSmithKline, Dept of Safety Asmt, Research Triangle Park, NC 

*RICHEY, Lauren J. (1996-1997)
Veterinary Pathologist, Tufts University, Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Boston, MA

*PATTERSON-KANE, Janet C. (1996-1998)
Professor of Veterinary Pathology, University of Glasgow

ADJIRI-AWERE, Alfred (1997-1998)
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Crops and Livestock Research Centre
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

*PHILLIPS, Lynette A. (1997-1999)
Principal Veterinary Pathologist, Medtronic PRL, Minneapolis, MN

*TERRELL, Scott P. (1997-1999)
Veterinary Pathologist, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Veterinary Services, Bay Lake, FL

*DUNMORE, Daniel E. (1998-2000)
Diagnostic Veterinary Pathologist, Keystone Veterinary Pathology, PA

*SCASE, Timothy J. (1998-2000)
Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Pathology, University of Cambridge
Department of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom

*MEISNER, Rene (1999-2001)
Senior Scientist, Veterinary Pathologist, Stem Cells, Inc., CA 

*KOLENDA-ROBERTS, Holly (2000-2001)
Pathologist, Contractor for NTP Archives, Experimental Pathology Laboratories, Inc., Research Triangle, NC

*LOPEZ, Alric M. (1999-2001)
Pathologist, HLS, WI

BISCHOFF, Karyn (2001-2004)
Director, Analytical Toxicology, Pop Medicine & Diagnostic Sci, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

EMBURY, Jennifer E. (2001-2003)
College of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Gainesville, FL 

*FARINA, Lisa L. (2001-2003)
Clinical Assistant Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Dept of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, Gainesville, FL

*TAYLOR, David P. (2001-2003)
Pathologist, Symbion Vetnostics, Australia

*CHILTON, Jennifer (2003-2005)
Pathologist, Charles River Labs, NV

*POWE, Joshua (2003-2005)
Pathologist, Millenium Pharmaceuticals, Cambrisdge, MA

*DECKER, Joshua (2003-2006)
Veterinary Pathologist, Abbott Laboratories, Buffalo Grove, IL

*WARD, Jennifer (2004-2006)
Pathologist, Specialty VETPATH, Seattle, WA

KIMBRO, Jason (2005-2007)
Anatomic Pathologist, IDEXX Laboratories, MA

CONWAY, Julia A (2006-2008)
Instructor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Dept of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, Gainesville, FL

ORIGGI, Francesco (2006-2008)
Open (recently completed position at Disney's Animal Kingdom)

MAHAPATRA, Debabrata (2007-2009)
College of Veterinary Medicine, Dept of Infectious Diseases and Pathology and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Veterinary Services, Bay Lake, FL

*Board certified by ACVP in anatomic pathology