Comparative Medicine and Pathology Training

Project Summary/Abstract The Comparative Medicine and Pathology training program was initiated in Fall 2003 and over two decades has consistenUy provided state-of-the-art research training to veterinarians as a pathway to careers as veterinarian-scientists. Five years of continuing support are requested in the present application, including support for six postdoctoral trainees in each program year. It is anticipated that most of these individuals will have completed a residency in veterinary medicine, surgery, or pathology prior to entering the training program. Selection criteria will include 1) a strong interest in research and a desire for a career in academic veterinary medicine; 2) academic credentials and performance during clinical training/residency; and 3) desirable personal characteristics, including integrity, perseverance, and oral and written communication skills. The training program is located in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota and is directed by Drs. Molly McCue, Cathy Carlson, and David Brown. Thirty-four faculty mentors, all members of the Comparative and Molecular Biosciences (CMB) and/or Veterinary Medicine (VMED) graduate programs, will participate in the training program. These individuals represent a diverse group of disciplines, including pharmacology, cell biology, infectious disease, neurobiology, kinesiology, genetics, molecular biology, and orthopedics. Trainees without a PhD degree will pursue a PhD degree in either the CMB or VMED graduate program; both are well-organized, multidisciplinary programs created to focus graduate education efforts by faculty interested in comparative biomedical sciences and the molecular mechanisms responsible for human and animal health and disease. The goals of our training program are to provide students with broad-based scientific knowledge, superb communication skills, and advanced research training essential for a career as an independent investigator.