| Overview of the program | The Mayo Clinic Department of Comparative Medicine (DCM) offers a two-week externship in laboratory animal medicine for veterinary students during their clinical training. DCM employs four board-certified laboratory animal veterinarians and six certified veterinary technologists who provide preventative and clinical medical care for animals used in research, in addition to over 40 animal care technicians working in five vivarium facilities. The Mayo Clinic is also one of the two sites that comprise the Minnesota Laboratory Animal Medicine Consortium (MLAMC), which is a three-year residency program in collaboration with the University of Minnesota. The program accepts one resident per year at each site. The scope of veterinary work is broad and includes provision of preventative health care, clinical care including post-operative recovery and support, surgical/anesthetic support for large animal projects, review of animal research proposals, and working with scientists on choosing the appropriate animal models. Externs can expect to spend a majority of the time actively participating in veterinary care with the residents and faculty. In addition, dedicated time will be scheduled for: shadowing animal care specialists performing rodent health rounds; participation in wetlabs to expand clinical skills in rodent and rabbit handling and experimental techniques; observation of large animal experimental procedures; and perioperative care of large animals. All externs attend IACUC meetings and gain exposure to the veterinary pre-review of animal research proposals. During the academic year, externs will participate in resident didactic training sessions including seminars, board review, and journal club. Externs interested in applying for the MLAMC residency program may have an opportunity to spend a day at the University of Minnesota during their externship. |