Department of Comparative Medicine

Clinical Medicine Rotation

Clinical rotations are spread out over the entire three years of the program.  The trainees have exceeded the ACLAM requirements in hours of clinical training (2000 hours) by the end of two years of training.

Mentoring: One senior clinical veterinarian with primary responsibility for one trainee.  Interacts on a daily basis with mentor to discuss cases, see cases together, or participate in clinical and pathology rounds.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • To provide a basic core of knowledge, to acquire skills, and to develop attitudes, which will enable the resident to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases of experimental animals in a biomedical research and teaching environment.  The trainee works closely with a senior clinician on a daily basis to learn not only the medicine, but the other vital practical parts required to work as a laboratory animal clinician, including diplomacy and cost-accounting.
  • Primary responsibility for disease diagnosis and treatment, disease surveillance, and clinical care of all species (fish, mice, rats, frogs, salamanders, chickens, birds, rabbits, dogs, cats, pigs, ferrets, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, sheep) at the University of Washington except for non-human primates.
  • Consultation on research protocol development occurs during each rotation.
  • Clinical training at the WaNRPC is required (a minimum of one month), but additional time spent with NHPs is dependent on the interest of the trainee (species include macaques and squirrel monkeys). Attendance at clinical seminars given in conjunction with the WaNPRC is required.