ACLAM Program Structure

The 36-month program consists of approximately 27-33 months of intensive faculty mentored clinical rotations and 3-9 months of dedicated research. The didactic portion of the program is scheduled to minimize disruption to the clinical and research rotations, but participants are expected to participate in this portion during the entire 36 months. Faculty-mentored clinical rotations constitute 75% of the 1st year, with 25% remaining to explore available research opportunities. In the 2nd and/or 3rd year of the program, the participant will commit to a research-intensive effort in which he/she will design, conduct and write up a research project. Participants’ research efforts are expected to result in a first-author peer-reviewed scientific journal by the winter of their final year, if participants have not yet published such an article upon starting the residency program. This publication serves as one of the requirements for participants to be eligible to take the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) board examination at the end of the training period. In cases where participants successfully publish their research in their first 2 ½ years of the program, the final 6 months of their final year may be comprised of clinical rotations or perhaps smaller research projects. The timeline (figure) below shows the proportion of clinical, research and didactic commitment during a typical participant’s training program.

 

Objectives of the Laboratory Animal Medicine Educational Program

  • Prepare veterinarians for scientific careers in laboratory animal medicine in biomedical, academic and research centers.
  • Provide practical training through a program of supervised clinical and laboratory experience.
  • Provide hands-on research experience of either collaborative or independent nature resulting in appropriate publications and public presentations at national scientific meetings.
  • Prepare trainees through didactic courses and mentored clinical and program experience to seek board certification by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.

 

Created October 18, 2021