No, an internship is not required for applying to lab animal residency programs. Specific internships in LAM do not currently exist (although one was in development at UGA- not currently active due to lack of funding). That being said, some LAM residencies prefer that applicants have at least one year of SA general practice experience under their belt prior to entrance. In fact, such programs will (unofficially) not even consider an applicant without said experience. LAM residencies vary wildly with respect to program design, % research appointment, duration, and selection criteria.
I had not heard of this preference, do you know which programs are looking for that?
The 2 places I've been that have LAM residencies did not mention this preference at all, and at one it was even hinted that you'd have a better shot coming straight from vet school (or if you did work, worked in a lab animal position, or somehow demonstrated that you actually are interested/committed in the field as opposed to just throwing in an application because it sounds interesting - apparently this happens now that they're in the match program). That's why I find it interesting that you posted it.
Thanks for the alternative perspective. I wasn't planning on going GP following vet school. I was certainly going to try my hand at an LAM residency straight out of the gate. With respect to the advice I was given, I suspect his point is that some practice experience is better than what you actually receive during clinics in vet school. For example, dogs and cats are used in research. Dogs and cats are dogs and cats, whether they're in a research environment, or living with a family. It's true that experimental conditions complicate that comparison a bit, but I can see his point. I'm actually unclear how to evaluate residencies in terms of what I should be looking for. I was advised to 'set up' experiences during my summers and fourth year at programs where I'd be interested in completing a residency. The programs are so varied. I recognize that some focus more on research than others (despite the ACLAM requirement of 1, first authored pub in a lab animal journal in order to be board eligible). The roles of a lab animal vet are so varied, that it's difficult to know what to target in a residency. Is it...Species diversity? Vivarium size? Number of boarded lab animal/pathology vets on staff? Emphasis on research? Environment (government vs. private sector vs. academia). Do you have any opinions? I'd be curious to hear them. Also, congrats on the ASLAP position. Where are you at? I'll be applying next year. Any recommendations for placements??The 2 places I've been that have LAM residencies did not mention this preference at all, and at one it was even hinted that you'd have a better shot coming straight from vet school (or if you did work, worked in a lab animal position, or somehow demonstrated that you actually are interested/committed in the field as opposed to just throwing in an application because it sounds interesting - apparently this happens now that they're in the match program). That's why I find it interesting that you posted it.
I'm doing an ASLAP summer fellowship right now and I will ask them what their thoughts on the matter are. I for sure would not have assumed it was de facto requirement, at this point I'm going to assume it's very program specific.
I also find it weird because I don't really think GP's are necessarily good generalists, the places I've been it's like you see the same things over and over and so you get very good at doing those things.
PS - Just so you know they do mock ACLAM exams all over the US
So I had a chat with some of the post doc residents here and it sounds pretty hit or miss. Basically their impression was that, if the vet did some GP work before doing their residency or joining lab animal, they think that its a good idea to do it, and if they didn't they don't have that preference. Obviously that's just a generalization, but made me feel better nonetheless.
That's exactly it, the more places you can visit and check out for yourself, the easier it will be to figure out where you want to apply for residency. I've only been to 2 places so far, but the differences are night and day, and it's definitely impacted how I feel about the programs as opposed to just reading about it on their websites.
That is definitely something to consider. I'm lucky enough to already have a first authored publication (and it doesn't have to be a lab animal journal: "Serving as first author of an original research article demonstrates application of the scientific method in the biological sciences or other scientific areas relevant to laboratory animal medicine. This article must be published in a peer-reviewed journal and be fully accepted at the time of application"). So for me, a lot of research isn't really necessary, and I'm more interested in the clinical side of things so I'm looking for a program that reflects that.
Honestly, at this point my biggest focuses are looking for more clinically-based programs (with less of a research emphasis) as well as looking at the numbers or percentage of people who complete the program and subsequently become ACLAM boarded. Some of the programs are really focused on their residents becoming boarded at the end, some are not (and to me, why go through the pain of a residency if not trying to get boarded?).
I'm currently at the University of Illinois at Chicago. My recommendation would be to look into the program websites and what they offer and compare it to what you're looking for in a program. I was really looking for some primate experience as well as some good hands on clinical experience, which are both pretty highly emphasized here.
