National Need and Priorities for Veterinarians in Biomedical Research (2004) / Chapter Skim
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3. The Future of the Comparative Medicine Veterinary Workforce
3. The Future of the Comparative Medicine Veterinary Workforce
Pages 27-42
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From page 27... ...
For these reasons, the authoring committee was not able to create simulated projections of the future of the comparative medicine veterinary workforce. The committee was thus prompted to recommend that the AVMA utilize its current methodology for surveying their membership and recent graduates of veterinary medical schools and extend that methodology to (1)
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From page 28... ...
Since then, there has been no federal support of veterinary residency programs, and academic institutions have had to bear the costs of their residency programs, although several pharmaccutical companies have begun supporting training positions within academic institutions (Bennett, 19941. Laboratory Animal Medicine Residencies The number of ACLAM-accredited laboratory animal medicine residency programs has not changed since 1995: 32 active programs were known to exist in 1995 (Weigler et al., 1997)
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From page 29... ...
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine aNO individuals completed the ACLAM-recognized residency program from 1996 to 2002. bRecently obtained ACLAM recognition.
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From page 30... ...
Rockefeller University also had not trained any individuals from 1996 to 2002, but has recently reorganized its program into the Tri-institutional Program, with Weill Medical College at Cornell University and Memorial SIoan-Kettering Cancer Center, and has reapplied and received ACLAM certification. In an effort to ascertain how many individuals had completed laboratory animal medicine residency programs, ACLAM surveyed recognized residency programs in early 2003 (ACLAM, 2003~.
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From page 31... ...
In addition, the decline seen in the number of individuals completing ACLAM residency programs may not translate into a decline in the number of individuals obtaining board certification for another three to five years. Another alternative is that some portion of those individuals completing ACLAM residency programs are not obtaining board certification, but rather an approximately equal number of individuals are fulfilling their board requirements through work experience, rather than completing a residency program.
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From page 32... ...
This indicates that a larger percentage of the laboratory animal medicine veterinary workforce is being trained through ACLAM residency programs at academic and corporate institutions. As indicated in Figure 3-1, the overall number of graduates of ACLAM residency programs is also decreasing, which would indicate that the number of graduates of ACLAM residency programs with the uniformed services is declining at a faster rate than any decline in the number of graduates that may be occurring at ACLAM residency programs at academic and corporate institutions.
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From page 33... ...
Additionally, more than one-third of programs indicated that candidates believe their residency programs are too long (the majority of programs were identified as three-year residencies, see Figure 3-21. Research Training Programs The AAVMC identifies 30 US veterinary medical colleges or schools and departments of veterinary science or comparative medicine that offer PhD programs in comparative medicine, biomedical sciences, pathology/ pathobiology, or laboratory animal medicine (Table 3-21.
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From page 34... ...
the broad knowledge of veterinarians in whole animal-based biology, coupled with specialized research training provided by this program in comparative medicine, pathology, molecular biology and other biomedical areas, will equip trainees with strong foundations for research careers in biomedicine. Because of their unique training and expertise in veterinary medicine, graduates of the institutional training programs are often required, in addition to their activities as research scientists, to assume responsibilities that require a working knowledge of various animal resource-related issues.
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From page 35... ...
. From 1998 through 2002 (when the number of NIH competitive grants utilizing animals increased)
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From page 36... ...
Assuming that even half of the 142 potential T32-trained researchers achieve success as independent researchers who obtain RO1 funding, the percentage of RO1 grants utilizing animals that are led by DVM principal investigators will still be less than 7°/O. ~ ADDITIONAL FACTORS AFFECTING FUTURE DEMAND FOR COMPARATIVE MEDICINE VETERINARIANS Agroterrorism and Bioterrorism Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the dissemination of anthrax through the US Postal Service in the ensuing months, enormous resources political, personnel, and fiscal have been marshaled to prepare for bioterrorism attacks targeted directly at the American population or at its food supply.
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From page 37... ...
Of the 18 identified biologic terrorism agents, 11 are agents of zoonotic diseases; that is, animals are the natural reservoir of the agents, which can be transmitted to humans. That not enough veterinarians are trained in public health or in the diagnosis and control of TABLE 3-4 Biologic Terrorism Agents Lista Zoonotic Agent Category A diseases/agents Anthrax (Bacillus antI7racis)
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From page 38... ...
stating that "there is a need for experts in comparative medicine who are well trained in laboratory animal medicine and in research methodology." Comparative medicine veterinarians are particularly well suited for comparative medicine research in that their veterinary-school training is oriented to multiple species and they often receive both clinical and research postgraduate training. Postgraduate research-training programs that are funded by NRSA: Institutional Training Grants (T32)
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From page 39... ...
Regulatory Requirements Another reason for the increased need for comparative medicine veterinarians is the growing regulatory requirements related to the use of animals in biomedical research. In fact, the rapid growth in demand for laboratory animal medicine veterinarians during the mid- to late 1980s (Figure 2-3)
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From page 40... ...
All that effort leaves little time to direct independent research projects or to collaborate with researchers on issues outside basic animal care and use. Those realities have contributed to the division of laboratory animal specialists into those who focus on clinical, regulatory, and administrative matters and those who focus predominantly on academic activities and research.
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From page 41... ...
An increase in the research rodent population not only would cause a strain on the pool of laboratory animal medicine veterinarians providing medical care for the rodent population, but also would require laboratory animal medicine veterinarians to train the many scientists who have little or
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From page 42... ...
It is also conceivable that as the genomes of other laboratory animal species are decoded, the demand for laboratory animal medicine veterinarians with specialized knowledge of dogs, cats, rhesus macaques, and other common laboratory animal species will increase. Comparative medicine veterinarians are integral to the successful development and assessment of transgenic animals.
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