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AAVLD Laboratory Diagnostic Medicine

DVM Experiential Opportunity in Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories

The Center for Public Veterinary Medicine (CPVM) has partnered with the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) and its individual member veterinary diagnostic laboratories to provide experiential opportunities for veterinarians. A one-to-four (1-4) week in-person experience for veterinarians is available, supporting career exploration into veterinary laboratory diagnostic medicine. 

This experience will allow a veterinarian to assess interest in veterinary diagnostic laboratory medicine. At the same time, the participating veterinary diagnostic laboratory will be able to appraise a possible future employee. 

Duration: 1 to 4 weeks, unpaid. One week is the minimum commitment.

Locations and facilities: AAVLD will identify individual veterinary diagnostic laboratories across the country that are participating. Click to view details for each of the participating laboratories:

  • Location: St Paul, MN and Willmar, MN
  • Description: The UMN-VDL is a full-service, all species lab located on the College of Veterinary Medicine campus in St. Paul. The MN Poultry Testing lab is located in Willmar. We are the official lab for the MN Board of Animal Health. Rabies vaccination is required.
  • Maximum time: 4 weeks.
  • Additional information: There are also long-term (1-2 year) fellowship opportunities, via APHL-CDC.

  • Location: Auburn, Alabama
  • Description: This is a State Diagnostic Lab within the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries. If interested, participants may also be able to join field activities with the poultry division. Rabies vaccination is required.
  • Maximum time: 2 weeks
  • Additional information: The lab shares the necropsy facility with Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary students will also be on site.

  • Location: College Station, Canyon, Center and Gonzales, Texas
  • Description: The Texas VMDL is a TX state agency that operates under the TX A&M University System. The labs located in College Station and Canyon are full-service, all species labs; the Center and Gonzales labs are poultry only. Rabies vaccination is required.
  • Maximum time: 4 weeks.
  • Additional information: Additional information on the labs can be found at tvmdl.tamu.edu.

  • Location: Hopkinsville, Kentucky
  • Description: The Breathitt Veterinary Center is the state diagnostic lab, associated with Murray State University. The disciplines include bacteriology, virology, molecular diagnostics, serology, necropsy, and toxicology. Rabies vaccination is required.
  • Maximum time: 4 weeks.

  • Location: Orono, Maine
  • Description: The University of Maine VDL is part of the University, under the umbrella of Cooperative Extension and located with the Diagnostic and Research Laboratory. The VDL is a small lab offering necropsy service, histopathology, microbiology, parasitology, molecular testing and environmental surveillance for Salmonella enteritidis. The lab works closely with the state agriculture, wildlife services and extension, and could potentially offer field and outreach activities. Rabies vaccination is required.
  • Maximum time: 4 weeks.
  • Additional information: The VDL is not a reference laboratory, samples are frequently sent out of state for confirmatory testing. Persons seeking regulatory veterinary diagnostics and reportable disease diagnostics should seek experience at a reference lab within the NAHLN network.

  • Location: Warrenton, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg and Wytheville, Virginia
  • Description: The VDACS labs are the official state laboratories. The labs located in Harrisonburg and Wytheville can also facilitate veterinary field work and meat inspection tasks. Rabies vaccination is required.
  • Maximum time: 2 weeks.
  • Additional information: There may be an option for low-cost housing, if needed.

Veterinarian Eligibility:

  1. A veterinary degree is required – an active license is NOT required 
  2. Individual diagnostic laboratories may have their own requirements, such as whether they can support an international visiting scholar, or specific requirements for vaccination

Structure:

The veterinary diagnostic laboratory will supply a mentor who will aid and assist the participating veterinarian in identifying areas of interest and/or project(s). The mentor will provide guidance and oversight for the participating veterinarian’s scheduled experience at the lab (on-site) and be available for follow-up questions. The participating veterinarian will compile a list of core and specific learning objectives. The core learning objectives will include a familiarization with the overall activities of the veterinary diagnostic laboratory. Additional objectives will be formulated to accommodate the veterinarian’s specific interest areas or any related projects that may be occurring at the time.

Potential activities:

  • Interact with, observe, and assist diagnosticians as permitted in a variety of settings, including sample receiving/accessioning, and within the various laboratory sections, such as bacteriology, virology, serology, parasitology, toxicology, molecular diagnostics, cytology, histopathology, and necropsy
  • Observe how veterinary diagnostic laboratories operate daily, including sample preparation and testing 
  • Observe case coordination within the laboratory and evaluation of test results 
  • Observe how diagnosticians interact with field veterinarians
  • Assess biosecurity protocols and laboratory safety practices
  • Participate in meetings with State, Federal, or University authorities to learn about outbreak response tactics
  • Participate in weekly calls with NAHLN and monthly calls with FDA Vet-LIRN
  • Participate in case rounds
  • Attend seminars and other regular teaching activities
  • Learn about quality control and quality assurance
  • Learn about AAVLD and other aspects of laboratory coordination and collaboration with other diagnostic laboratories

Feedback Survey: 

Each participating veterinarian will be able to assess their experience. This survey will allow the laboratory and the CPVM to assess and improve the experiential opportunities for others.

Application Process

To complete your application for the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory DVM Experiential opportunity, please send the following information to CareerT@vt.edu:

  1. Resume/CV 
  2. Letter of Interest briefly describing why you would like to participate in this opportunity, and what you hope to learn
    • Include your preferred dates/timeframe for the experience
    • Include a minimum of 1 laboratory (from the list of participating laboratories) that you would like to visit
  3. Professional letter of recommendation – this can be a short letter from someone you know professionally who can verify your interest and intent
  4. Your US state license number (if licensed) or an unofficial transcript from your veterinary degree-granting program