Institution TypePublic University
Is there a medical school?No
Is this a land-grant institution?Yes
Vivarium DirectorDr. David G. Baker
Program DirectorDr. Rhett W. Stout
Who to ContactDr. Rhett W. Stout
AddressSchool of Veterinary Medicine, Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA  70803
Phone(225) 578-9641
Fax(225) 578-9649
Emailrstout1@lsu.edu

Vivarium Information

Vivarium NameDivision of Laboratory Animal Medicine
Is the facility AAALAC accredited?Yes
Describe management structureCentrally administered
Describe the extent to which your facilities are centralizedAnimals housed in 2 distinct vivaria, one satellite for inhalations toxicology, and a farm.  All facilities are on the LSU Main Campus
Vivarium Square Feet50,000
Summarize the nature of the animal population and the predominant types of clinical activities

Veterinary school vivarium: dogs, cats, mice, rats, rabbits, gerbils, swine, horses, cattle, and fish. University vivarium: fish, amphibians, reptiles, psittacine birds, cats, rabbits, hamsters, and rats.  Farm: Horses, cattle, and goats.

Clinical activities include management of spontaneous medical conditions, surgical procedures, sentinel program, and routine examinations and dental prophylaxis.

Animals are housed in ABSL 1, ABSL 2, and ABSL 3 facilities.

Number of Veterinarians in program2
Number of ACLAM Diplomates in program2
Number of Boarded Pathologists4
Number of Other Boarded Veterinary Specialists30
Number of necropsies/week in the veterinary unit5
Number of surgical cases/week in the veterinary unit1

Training Program Details

Is this program recognized by ACLAM?Yes
Does this program participate in the Veterinary Internship & Residency Matching Program (VIRMP)?Yes
Number of concurrent residents1
How many residents/trainees have completed this program?28
Of these, how many have subsequently become ACLAM Diplomates?23, only 26 have taken the exam
In what year did the program accept its first trainee?1987
How many years are required to complete this program (residency only)?3 (see the two different programs offered)
Is formal coursework offered?Yes
Is a degree program associated with this residency?Yes
If yes, what degree(s)?MS
Which departments most commonly grant degree(s)?Degrees offered through all departments in the Veterinary School.  The most common departments are Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Pathobiological Sciences.
Give an overview of this program, describing its particular strengths and any unique aspects that are not addressed in any of the other sectionsCurrently, two different programs are offered.
1. Our traditional program is 3 years with a Master's Degree. The resident/graduate student provides clinical care for animals in a Veterinary School and University. These diverse environments provide opportunities to interact with a wide variety of animal species and research projects. Additionally, the resident spends at least 4 weeks at local primate centers and has the option of spending time at a local Medical School facility.

2. Residents with a prior Master's or PhD can enroll in a 2 year non-degree program. Prior first author publications are reviewed and if none meet ACLAM board requirements the resident will undertake a mentored research experience (non-degree) with the goal of at least 1 first author publication suitable for ACLAM board eligibility.

Weekly Colloquium is held which involves clinical rounds, didactic training, discussion, and journal review. Residents from other programs, as well as laboratory animal practitioners from surrounding institutions studying for boards, participate leading to a synergistic expansion of their laboratory animal knowledge base.
Describe any unique research interests of your facultyA variety of research opportunities exist within the served institutions.

Opportunities at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center offer the unique opportunity of working at one of the premier human nutritional research centers in the world. Most of the research conducted at the Pennington Center is at the molecular level.

Opportunities at the School of Veterinary Medicine include infectious diseases with human and/or animal pathogens with a strong emphasis in virology, parasitology, and vector borne pathogens. Other strong programs include cancer biology, inhalation toxicology, and stem cell research.
Give a few literature citations of publications completed by trainees during their tenure in this program1. Bova J.F. et al. 2015. Bupivacaine mandibular nerve block affects intraoperative blood pressure and heart rate in a Yucatan miniature swine mandibular condylectomy model: a pilot study. J Invest Surg. 28(1):32-9. doi: 10.3109/08941939.2014.971207. Epub 2014 Nov 13.
2. Pepping J.K. et al, 2013. Designer adiponectin receptor agonist stabilizes metabolic function and prevents brain injury caused by HIV protease inhibitors. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 9(3):388-98. doi: 10.1007/s11481-014-9529-1. Epub 2014 Feb 23.
3. Pepping J.K. et al, 2013. NOX2 deficiency attenuates markers of adiposopathy and brain injury induced by high-fat diet. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 304(4):E392-404. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00398.2012. Epub 2012 Dec 11.
4. Doyle L.A. et al. 2009. Physiological and behavioral effects of social introduction on adult male rhesus macaques. Am. J. Primatol., 70(6) 542-550
5. Lewis S.D. et al, 2008. Toll-like receptor 7 is not necessary for retroviral neuropathogenesis but does contribute to virus-induced neuroinflammation. J. Neurovirol, Nov. 17 : 1-11 August 3, 2009
6. Fahrig BM et al, 2006. Characterization and cooled storage of semen from corn snakes (Elaphe guttata). J. Zoo Wild. Med., 38(1) 7-12
7. Crisler-Roberts, R. et al. 2005. Evaluation of Helicobacter hepaticus bacterial shedding in fostered and sex-segregated C57BL/6 mice. Comp Med 55(6)515-522
8. Bates M.C and Tiersch T.R. 2005, Preliminary assessment of refrigerated and frozen storage of sperm of coppernose bluegill Lepomis macrochirus purpurescens. North American Journal of Aquaculture, 67: 187-192
9. Singletary K.B. et al. 2003. Optimal age at fostering for derivation of Helicobacter hepaticus-free mice. Comp Med 53:259-264.
Where will vacancies be advertised?ASLAP, VIRMP
What month does the program begin?July

Living and Working

Starting Annual Salary$46,000
To what extent is travel to meetings, etc. paid for?Generally, one trip to the Annual AALAS meeting is paid for by the program.  Any year in which the resident is accepted for poster or talk presentations, they will be sent to the meeting.  Thus, residents could go up to 3-5 times.
Is individual health insurance provided?Yes. Residents are employees of the university and have access to all health insurance options.  The university pays a portion of the premium while the resident is responsible for the rest.
Is family health insurance provided?It is available.  As above the university will pay a portion of the premium while the resident is responsible for the remainder.
Describe any fees or tuitionTuition is waived for graduate school, other fees required by the university are not covered.
Describe the residents' responsibilities for night, weekend, and holiday coverageThe residents share in emergency duty for the laboratory animal medicine program. Emergency calls at night or on the weekend are rare. Residents should expect to perform weekend medical treatments.  All DLAM personnel are considered essential to university operations in the event of disasters, natural or otherwise.
How many annual vacation days are given?Leave is accrued at a rate slightly more than 7 hours per month.  University holidays are separate and not counted in the accrual
How many annual sick days are given?Sick leave is accrued at a rate slightly more than 7 hours per month
Briefly describe the communityBaton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana. City population is > 500,000. There are two major Universities (LSU and Southern) in the city.
Institutional, facility, or training program web sitehttp://www.lsu.edu/vetmed/dlam/residency_program.php