CDC Launches Veterinarian Training Program

In an effort to help address a national shortage of veterinarians certified to work with laboratory animals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun a new residency program in laboratory animal medicine. The program began in July of 2008 and combines 200 hours of academic coursework at Emory University’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center with 2,000 hours of hands-on experience in CDC’s high containment laboratories. Graduates will be proficient in the operations of BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories, the use of animal models, and laboratory animal management. The program was accredited in June of 2008 by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM). Trainees will work at CDC for at least two years following the program.