Externship Environments

Academic Laboratory
Many academic institutions provide formal programs to train veterinary pathologists in diagnostic pathology leading to board certification and/or experimental pathology leading to a PhD degree. Diagnostic training provides a full range of experiences in surgical and necropsy pathology services for diagnosing disease in common domestic animals, exotic animals and birds, and laboratory animals. The development and application of novel technologies in experimental and diagnostic pathology are often pursued at academic institutions. Ancillary diagnostic tests, involving immunohistochemistry electron microscopy, molecular biology, special stains, toxicology, virology, and/or bacteriology, are frequently utilized in a comprehensive manner to aid in more accurate diagnoses, discovering new diseases, and teaching disease pathogenesis. There are also opportunities in research laboratories at academic institutions for veterinary students to focus on hypothesis-driven studies and learn more about specific graduate and research programs.

Diagnostic Laboratory
Private and public diagnostic laboratories provide pathology services for the diagnosis of animal health problems and disease to veterinarians, animal owners and livestock producers, often in cooperation with state governments. These laboratories can provide experiences in anatomic and clinical pathology, serology, microbiology, parasitology, immunology and toxicology. Opportunities exist in many laboratories to be exposed to a great variety of case material in a short amount of time.

Government Laboratory
The facilities and scientific staff of governmental laboratories are a national resource for studying animal and human health. Governmental research programs have a strong multidisciplinary and basic science orientation. Comparative biology of organ, tissue, cellular, and molecular responses to injury is an essential part of their studies. Laboratory animals frequently form a key element of their research. Collaborations with universities and private industry allow studies involving many species of animals. The use of both quantitative and molecular pathology creates a stimulating environment for study at the pre- and postdoctoral levels.

Industrial Laboratory
The purpose of an externship in an industrial laboratory is to expose the student to the role of pathologists in the development of products for commercial use. Specific laboratory settings may include contract research organizations (CROs) in addition to pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, or chemical companies. Many veterinary pathologists work in these multidisciplinary laboratories. Pathologists play key roles in interpretation of findings in research animals in tests conducted to answer scientific questions and to meet regulatory requirements. These laboratories are well staffed and equipped to meet regulatory and scientific needs. Students in this environment will be exposed to state-of-the-art technologies from multiple disciplines and will develop knowledge of toxicologic pathology in laboratory animals. Most industrial laboratories focus on commonly used laboratory animals (e.g., rodents), although opportunities exist for exposure to other species (e.g., primates).

Zoological / Wildlife Laboratory
Zoo and wildlife pathology externships offer veterinary students unique and exciting exposure to the field of comparative veterinary pathology. Unlike many setting where work may be limited to a single species, the sheer variety of zoo and wildlife species offers a daily challenge in comparative anatomy and histology. Although the case material may be exotic and unusual, students can apply their knowledge of diseases of domestic species in a different setting. Epidemiology and the behavior and biology of exotic species are key components of the work. Zoo and wildlife pathologists work as part of a team providing rapid diagnostic service in situations where one may encounter viral, fungal, parasitic, and other infectious diseases infrequently seen in traditional pathology settings.