FURTHER DETAILS

DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY AND PATHOGEN BIOLOGY

Senior Clinical Training Scholarship

in Veterinary Clinical Pathology

Ref: CTS/PATCP/13

Summary of the Scholarship:

The three year clinical training scholarship in clinical pathology provides advanced instruction in the areas of haematology, coagulation, cytology, surgical pathology, clinical chemistry, endocrinology, urinalysis, and laboratory management and quality control while also providing adequate time for self-directed learning. The programme has a track record of training candidates who are successful in specialist Board examinations.

Objectives of the Scholarship:

The programme’s objectives are to:

  • To prepare residents to successfully complete the clinical pathology certifying examination administered by The American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP).
  • To educate residents so they obtain a solid understanding of the laboratory methods and pathologic bases of diseases to prepare them for careers as veterinary clinical pathologists.
  • To prepare residents to conduct clinical research projects and produce conference and peer-reviewed journal publications from these.

During this training programme the scholar will be expected to:

  • Perform diagnostic work (clinical pathology).
  • Undertake a research project in clinical pathology and produce a publication from this.
  • Enrol for the Master of Veterinary Medicine (MVetMed) degree.
  • Participate in Clinical Scholars Journal Club and other discussion groups.
  • Prepare for publication a case report or case series, as first author, in a peer-reviewed journal.
  • Present a poster or oral presentation in at least one international meeting.
  • Contribute to undergraduate training by participation in clinical rotations, small group teaching, class practicals and seminars.
Duties of the Scholar:

Residents will have an incremental role in the diagnostic services provided by the clinical pathology laboratories at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). Close supervision by specialist clinical pathologists will occur throughout the 3 years of the residency, with more independence afforded to third year residents. Participation in the after hours service is expected, once the desired level of competence is attained, and will be shared by all clinical pathologists and residents.

Teaching commitments at the RVC include instruction of clinical pathology to undergraduate veterinary students via small group tutorials in a rota system, and assistance with practical laboratories.

A small research project forms an important component of the programme. The SCTS will be provided with supervision and funding to conduct a prospective or retrospective project in the field of clinical pathology, which will result in the submission of a manuscript for publication by the termination of the three year contract.

Finally, attendance at a variety of weekly discussion sessions and seminars is mandatory for clinical pathology rounds and journal club, and highly encouraged for internal medicine seminars, departmental research seminars, surgical biopsy case reviews, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology slide review sessions, and coursework (where approved by the clinical pathology supervisor). Participation in a national or international conference on clinical pathology is also offered (subject to approval by the clinical pathology supervisor).

Supervision and Assessment:

At the beginning of the programme, the Scholar will register as a student of the RVC Graduate School and enrol for the MVetMed degree. The head of the clinical pathology residency programme is Dr. B. Szladovits who will act as the scholar’s overall supervisor in collaboration with the other clinical and anatomic pathology specialists of the Department. The head of pathology is Prof K C Smith and the head of department is Prof D McKeever. Progress and planning meetings between the supervisor and the scholar will occur every 6 months. The formal assessment process is monitored by the RVC Graduate School, and involves an assessment conducted by senior members of the College at 6, 12 and 24 months after the beginning of the programme.

Qualifications And Experience Required Are:

A veterinary qualification and Membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons are essential. Recent graduates will be considered for this position. Experience of working in general or specialist veterinary practice is an advantage.

Please note that to support this training programme, the Department meets the cost of tuition fees at the RVC Home/EU rate. The attached document outlines criteria for eligibility for this rate.

Selection Criteria

1.Holds a veterinary degree which is registrable by the RCVS

2.EU Citizen or right to abode in the UK

3.Meets English language requirement

4.Experience of clinical pathology (e.g. an intercalated degree or extern visits to pathology laboratories)

5.Experience of research (e.g. research projects, publications)

6.Personal statement (please describe your motivation to undertake clinical pathology training, your expectations for the training programme and your future aspirations)

Application procedure:

For further information and to apply online, please visit our website: or email: quoting ref: CTS/PATCP/13

Terms and Conditions:

You should note that:

  • Closing date for the applications: 17 May 2013
  • Interviews for the shortlisted candidates are scheduled for 3 June 2013
  • The earliest date the scholarship can commence is the 1 of July and is of 3 years duration.
  • The tax-free stipend will start at £16,902 per annum, increasing by annual increments to £18,222. National Insurance contributions are the responsibility of the individual scholar.
  • Continuation of the programme is subject to the Scholar attaining satisfactory performance in the review process.
  • Stipend/PG fees will only be paid for Home/EU applicants who satisfy residency criteria
  • The College has a “no smoking” policy and smoking is only permitted in certain designated areas of the College.
  • Non-Home/EU fee eligible applicants are welcome to apply for any Scholarship. We are keen to find the best candidates regardless of their nationality and currently have several non-Home/EU fee eligible SCTS; however, the funding model for these posts is weighted towards Home/EU fee eligible applicants, hence when candidates are equal, Scholarships are offered to Home/EU fee eligible applicants

For further information on fee status please visit the RVC website:

Further Information:

For further information on this position please contact Dr.Balázs Szladovits (+44 (0)1707 666364; )or Miss Kate English (+44 (0) 1707 666033 or ).

Residency Programmes

Department of Pathology and Pathogen Biology

Background

The Royal Veterinary College is the oldest veterinary school in the English speaking world and is the largest veterinary school in the UK. A detailed history of the College and details of all facilities can be found by visiting the web site: The College was awarded topgradings in both the Research Assessment Exercise, 2001, and in its most recent Teaching Quality Assessment exercise. It is the only veterinary school in England that has received Accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association. The College offers not only a course of study leading to the award of Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine but also a range of other undergraduate courses including Bachelor of Science degrees in veterinary science, veterinary nursing and an intercalated BSc(Hons) degree in veterinary pathology (see below). In addition, the College runs a wide range of Masters degrees (including those in pathology-related subject areas), has many PhD students, and has over 40 Residents in the clinical and pathology departments.

The College is situated on two campuses, one at Camden Town in North London (the Camden campus) and the other on a 230 hectare site in the attractive Hertfordshire countryside near Potters Bar (the Hawkshead campus). The two campuses are about 15 miles apart and both accessible by road and rail. Pathology residencies are based at the Hawkshead campus.

The Hawkshead Campus mainly houses the Department of Clinical Sciences and Services and the Department of Production and Population Health, which two departments encompasses the following sections: small animal medicine and surgery, equine medicine and surgery, population medicine, the reproduction unit and the divisions of epidemiology and public health. Part of the Departments of Pathology and Pathogen Biology and Comparative Biomedical Sciences are also based at the Hawkshead campus. The campus is also home to The Sefton Equine Hospital, The Queen Mother Hospital for Animals (currently being expanded), the Large Animal Practice and the Mill Reef Pathology Building. A Learning Resources Centre (The Eclipse Building) which includes an improved library facility and houses the College’s administrative offices was completed in September, 2003 and the Large Animal Clinical Centre was completed in October, 2003. The LIVE! Centre for veterinary education was opened in 2006 and the College’s Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases(CEEED) opened in 2008. An adjacent site at Boltons Park houses the College’s working farm.

The Department of Pathology and Pathogen Biology is one of four academic departments in the College, the others being Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Department of Production and Population Health and Department of Clinical Sciences and Services. The Head of Department of Pathology and Pathogen Biology is Professor Declan McKeever MVB PhD MRCVS. The Department has over 30 members of Faculty staff and a similar number of post-doctoral assistants. It has several extensive and active research programmes in areas that include bovine viral diseases (BVD, FMD), human and animal rotavirus disease, canine, porcine, ovine and equine respiratory diseases (viral and bacterial), human tuberculosis, Newcastle Disease in chickens, protozoal and helminth parasitology, new strategies for parasitic detection and control, innate and adaptive immunology, and prion diseases. The diagnostic services provided by the Department include the full range of clinical and anatomical pathology services and it receives submissions from the College’s own hospital services, general and referral practitioners and various zoological and wildlife centres. Farm animal submissions are made through the RVC-VLA Veterinary Surveillance Centre. The service conducts around 3000 cytologies, 6000 haematologies, 7000 clinical chemistry cases in the clinical pathology section and around 1000 necropsies and over 3500 biopsies in the anatomic pathology section per year.

Currently (April 2013), the academic pathologists are:

Clinical Pathology:

Balazs Szladovits DVM, Diplomate ACVP

Kate English BSc, BVetMed, FRCPath

Pippa McLaren, BVMS, MASVCP (from June 2013)

Michael WatersBVSc, MSc (Wild Animal Health)

Anatomic Pathology:

Ken Smith BVM&S PhD FRCPath

Norelene Harrington MVB MVetMed
Henny Martineau BVMS MVM PhD

Simon Priestnall BVSc PhD FRCPath

Sonja Jeckel DVM DrMedVet PhD

All of the RVC pathologists contribute to Resident training.

DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY AND PATHOGEN BIOLOGY

Facilities

The Departmental laboratories at Camden conduct research on bacterial, viral and TSE pathogenesis. Established Category 3 containment laboratories are available for research into diseases such as BSE and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. There is also access to modern FACS analysis of normal and infected tissues, and thus appropriate immunological clinical parameters may be developed for use in research or clinical assays. A range of monoclonal antibodies for many of the cellular sub-populations of the different veterinary species is available.

At Hawkshead, there has been considerable investment in the building and staffing of veterinary pathology. The Mill Reef Pathology Building provides the most advanced facility for morbid and anatomical pathology within the UK. It was provided through a single donation to the college of £2.2 million by Mr Paul Mellon and is named after his favourite horse. It was officially opened May 1995 by the Chancellor of the University, the Princess Royal. The building comprises a state-of-the-art post mortem hall with annexed containment and specialised areas, a 200 seat lecture theatre that has both direct and video links with the main hall, and houses the clinical pathology laboratories (cytology, hematology, biochemistry), and further diagnostic pathology service laboratories (histopathology, immunochemistry and molecular pathology). The first floor of the building is dedicated to both undergraduate and postgraduate level teaching with a microscope room with an image analysis suite and a facility that provides a dedicated seminar room for the BSc(Hons) in veterinary pathology and also for post-graduate pathology tutorials and CPD.

A further building provides the link between the Mill Reef Pathology building and the existing clinical block. Within the link are Molecular Pathology research laboratories providing fully equipped laboratories for immunopathology, molecular biology and high containment rooms for tissue culture/virology. The provision of these laboratories and associated offices has been a considerable boost to establishing molecular pathology research at Hawkshead. Further expansion is occurring in 2008 with the development of more specialist laboratories and offices within a new Centre for Veterinary Infectious and Zoonotic Disease Control. There is also a dedicated demonstration room, with a 14-headed microscope and LCD/video projection, for clinical and anatomic pathology case presentations and diagnosis or research discussions, presentations and clinical research.

Pathology research has been further strengthened by the completion of a large animal experimental unit with the Biological Services Unit at Hawkshead. This building has been designed to provide large animal housing and isolation, of high specification, for studies primarily on the development of new vaccines. The College has also constructed new large animal experimental units to provide purpose built, secure accommodation for infection studies with large animals. These units are being designed in accordance with GLP and GCP requirements. Large animal accommodation for non-infective studies is also provided at Bolton’s Park within the Hawkshead Campus.

Teaching

The Department teaches veterinary students in all five years of the course. In Year 2, Foundation courses in immunology and general pathology are taught through lectures and small group directed learning and practical classes. Year 3 and 4 teaching comprises a similar format with all pathological and microbiology disciplines taught through Foundation courses (bacteriology, virology and parasitology) and through integrated modules based on systems (e.g. respiratory, enteric etc).

After this time in Year 4 and 5, all the clinical teaching is on a small group, problem-solving or case-orientated basis with the students moving through a series of rotations, including pathology. Students in their clinical years specialise in an elective subject; the Department presently offers elective courses in Pathology/Clinical Pathology (general pathology and equine and farm animal specialities) and small mammals, birds and reptiles, and zoo and wildlife species.

The Department is re-launching, in 2013, an intercalated degree in veterinary and comparative pathology. It is anticipated that this course will attract 10 or more veterinary and bioveterinaryundergraduates from UK and European veterinary schools and will engage the students’ curiosity in the pathology and pathogenesis of disease through lectures, small group seminars and a research project.

The Department is also involved with the teaching of principles of pathology, microbial pathogenesis and infection/immunity and disease control on the 3 year BSc (Bioveterinary sciences) degree at the Camden campus.

Within the Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, there is a commitment to providing professional expertise in pathology to the teaching of undergraduates, to the clinical departments and to outside referral requests. There is a team of established and excellent veterinary pathologists within the department who undertake clinical and teaching responsibilities, with some engaged in original and/or collaborative research. The present undertaking of the department is to create a series of pathology residents to integrate closely with the clinics and with clinical research. Existing and newly appointed residents are crucial to the post-graduate pathology training programme.

Residency programmes in Veterinary Pathology

The Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases offers residency programmes in both clinical pathology and anatomical pathology. Currently (April 2013) there are twoResidentsin Clinical Pathology, and threeResidents in Anatomical Pathology.

The residency programme in clinical pathology has a structured programme of study in haematology, cytology, clinical chemistry, urinalysis and quality assurance leading to the Board Examination of ACVP and FRCPath. The residency programme in anatomical pathology is similarly structured, and Residents may sit the Board Exams of ACVP or ECVP or examinations leading to FRCPath. The RVC is a recognised training centre for all three examinations. Each Departmentally funded Resident is funded for three years. During this time, they are also expected to conduct a research project relevant to their field of interest. Residents play a full and active role in the relevant diagnostic rota(s) once their level of knowledge and practical skills have reached the required standards.

The residency programme in clinical pathology includes the following activities:

  • Diagnostic service:

The high case load of the laboratory provides a broad experience in clinical specimens (including exotics, small and large animals). The first phase of the diagnostic training involves one-on-one training on multi-headed microscopes by a pathologist through the regular case work ups. Both microscopic and report writing skills are emphasized (2-6 months). Second phase involves close supervision of the resident’s work on the daily cases (18-22 months). Last phase involves more independent diagnostic work with professional responsibility (supervision on an as needed basis) (12 months).

The diagnostic training includes cytological assessment of aspirates and imprints, haematological assessment of blood smears, bone marrow aspirates and core biopsies, interpretation of clinical chemistry (including endocrinology) results and performing and interpreting urinalysis.

Histopathologic training is also provided by the anatomic pathologists of the department. The residents are expected to evaluate histopathologic sections of routine surgical biopsy specimens.