ICM Residency Program in Laboratory Animal Medicine

The Laboratory Animal Medicine residency training program at Columbia University is designed to prepare veterinarians for a career in laboratory animal medicine and fulfill eligibility requirements for American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) certifying exam.  Each year competitive resident applicants are selectively ranked through the Veterinary Internship & Residency Matching Program (VIRMP) for specialty training in laboratory animal medicine.  The application deadline for laboratory animal/comparative medicine training programs is earlier than other internship and residency programs to ensure sufficient time for programs to schedule interview with prospective candidates.  Applicants must complete applications on or before December 12, 2022. As this deadline is distinct from other residency specialties participating in the VIRMP, applicants are encouraged to contact their references and registrar to ensure letters of support and transcripts are submitted ahead of the December 12, 2022 deadline. Applicants must have Completion of a DVM/VMD and eligibility for a New York State Veterinary License.

 

This 3 year program covers a wide range of species and rotates through large and small animal medicine, surgery, quality assurance, and research, with substantial didactic and experiential components.  Each resident has an area of clinical care responsibility throughout the program.  The resident’s life is filled with clinical experience and increasing autonomy.  Residents will participate in journal clubs, educational seminars, research opportunities, and a variety of conferences.  ICM remains deeply committed to helping train future leaders in clinical medicine and biomedical research, and to support a vibrant research enterprise.

Experience:

Clinical Training

  • Residents serve as primary clinicians for clinical cases on their rotations under guidance of ACLAM clinicians. Meeting the 2000 hours of hands on experience requirement by ACLAM in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention; clinical and diagnostic pathology; administration of the institutional animal care and use program; interaction with investigators; and animal resource management

Didactic Training

  • Weekly resident seminar covers topics related to laboratory animal medicine using the ACLAM examination reference list.  Monthly journal club covers recent journal articles in JAALAS and Comparative Medicine. 

Regulatory Training

  • A regulatory rotation orients the new residents to the Columbia IACUC office.  Throughout the residency residents provide veterinary protocol consultation for investigative staff, serve as veterinary protocol reviewers, and attend IACUC meetings.  They participate in animal facility inspections with the IACUC, USDA, New York State Department of Health, and AAALAC. 

Mentored Research

  • Columbia University is an internationally recognized leader in the creation of new knowledge and therapies to improve health of individuals and populations.  Last year the institution received more than 400 million in NIH funding, making it the top funded medical center in New York. With many different research departments there is a broad range of research opportunities, as well as established relationships with laboratories for collaborations.   

Facility:

Columbia University is an AAALAC accredited institution with a decentralized facility composed of 9 vivaria serving 3 campuses. Total animal housing and support space is approximately 109,000 sq ft.  

Additionally, Columbia University has ABSL-2 and ABSL-3 housing, a state of the art zebrafish facility, large animal surgical suites and small and large animal non-invasive imaging (digital radiography, MRI, PET, CT, ultrasound, and Bioluminescence) modalities available. 

 

Rotations:

 

1 – Large animal (USDA covered non rodent species) – 1 year

Overview:

The primary focus of this rotation is the study of medicine and surgery of included species (nonhuman primates, rabbits, pigs, dogs, sheep, steers, etc.) as it relates to their use as animal models. The resident should develop a full appreciation for the normal behavioral, physical, and physiological characteristics of each species in the research facility environment, so that abnormal findings can be discerned.  The resident will develop an understanding of the processes and equipment used to meet the husbandry needs of these species. The resident should acquire the basic skills required to diagnose and treat common medical conditions and perform routine surgical procedures.

2 – Small animal (Rodent and aquatic species) and QA/Training – 1 year

Overview:

This rotation focuses on the biology, biosecurity, medicine, and surgery of the following small animal species: mice, rats, gerbils, guinea pigs, frogs, and fish as well as quality assurance and training. 

 

For the small animal portion of the rotation: The resident will gain an appreciation of the biological differences between species and how these differences affect housing, diet, and environmental monitoring.  The resident will develop an understanding of the processes and equipment used to meet the husbandry needs of these species.  The reproductive biology of each species will be taught and reinforced through observations of various breeding colonies.  The resident should become adept in handling these species as well as in the different methods of substance administration and sample collection. The resident should understand their primary uses in research and become familiar with their normal biology, nomenclature, and genetics of the species. The resident should be able to assess them clinically and should be sufficiently familiar with their diseases to institute proper treatment both on an individual basis as well as part of colony health management. He/she should understand the concept of preventive medicine and be familiar with zoonotic diseases associated with these laboratory animal species.  A sentinel surveillance program and enrichment program will be introduced and the resident will have first hand experience participating in these programs.  Concepts of preventive medicine, quarantine and the approach to clinical workups and treatment will be stressed.  Knowledge of zoonotic diseases, their diagnosis and prevention will be instilled along with the principles and activities for eliminating them from the workplace.  The resident should know how to properly anesthetize these species and be able to conduct routine surgical procedures. The resident should have knowledge of their nutrition as well as husbandry requirements. He/she should understand the concept of health monitoring, importation and quarantine and should acquire knowledge of the “Guide” PHS policy, AWRs and IACUC guidelines pertaining to rodents, amphibians, and fish. 

 

The main purpose of the quality assurance portion of the rotation is to gain an appreciation of quality assurance and how animal resource programs operate from an operations, veterinary, and administrative standpoint.  The resident will develop an understanding of the processes and equipment used to meet the husbandry needs of these species; will become acquainted with the various types of equipment utilized, their function, and their routine use and maintenance; review standard operating procedures (SOPs) to gain insight into the operating principles employed to limit cross contamination and in cases of disease outbreaks, special procedures employed for containment; be exposed to cost accounting principles, and budgeting; and understand how information systems are employed to manage animal resource program activities.  From a veterinary standpoint, the resident will perform routine health checks, evaluate and diagnose clinical cases, manage the sentinel and environmental monitoring programs, and manage the import/export/transfer of species to and from CU campus. For the quality assurance and training part of this rotation, the resident will assist in developing policies, SOPs, and guidelines, sanitation-validation of equipment, water quality testing, vendor approval, sentinel testing, development of training modules, skill assessment of researchers, training of husbandry personnel, and wet lab training.

 

3 – IACUC/Regulatory (2 weeks)

Overview:

The primary focus of this rotation is to observe the operations of the IACUC office in a large academic institution.  It will also include the study of all laws, regulations and guidelines that apply to the use of laboratory animals.  The resident should develop a full appreciation for management of protocol review in an electronic system and for handling of semiannual inspections.  Inspection processes will include scheduling, conducting, documenting and following up.  The resident will also develop an understanding of a robust post approval monitoring program by participating in compliance visits and observing post-visit communications.   The resident will also gain understanding of the protocol/grant congruence review process and will gain knowledge regarding the management of an IACUC operation in a large institution. 

4. Morningside/Barnard facilities (Fairchild, Schermerhorn, Milbank, and Altschul) and ZMBBI (1 year)

Overview:

This rotation focuses on the management of small animal facilities as well as the large neuroscience program facility which include the following species (peromyscus, mice, rats, naked mole rats, aquatics, birds, marmosets, and macaques).  The resident will develop an understanding of the processes and equipment used to meet the husbandry needs of these species. The resident should acquire the basic skills required to diagnose and treat common medical conditions and perform routine surgical procedures in these species.  Residents should acquire knowledge on commonly used behavioral tests and be able to advise researchers on best behavioral tests for their studies.

For more information please contact Dr. Rebecca Tierce rt2851@columbia.edu