We offer both a combined residency/graduate program and a certificate residency program, the availability of which varies from year to year (See ACVP web site for specific postings). The residency program is three years in duration, while the typical combined program lasts five years. Both programs are designed to meet eligibility requirements for board certification by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.
Courses Offered
Courses offered in this program include:
- Microscopic Pathology
- Veterinary Pathology
- Avian Pathology
- Diagnostic Oncology
- Cellular Pathology
- Pathology of Laboratory Animals
- Histopathology Seminar
Less formal preparatory sessions, such as Gross Review, Journal Clubs, and AFIP slide review, are also routinely offered. Residents are also required to rotate through the Clinical Pathology and Ophthalmologic Pathology Services. There are also opportunities to rotate through our Comparative Pathology service and the Emory University Yerkes Primate Center.
Diagnostic Service
The primary sources of case material supporting the residency training program are the College’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory necropsy service, and the Department’s mail-in, and Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology services. These sources account for roughly 3600 necropsy, biopsy, and zoo and exotic animal cases annually which ensures residents a robust experience in surgical and diagnostic pathology in a wide variety of species. Over the course of their program, residents are required to perform 24 weeks of necropsy duty, 27 weeks of biopsy duty, and nine weeks in the Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service. Residents work closely with faculty pathologists, performing necropsies and conducting histopathologic evaluations of necropsy and biopsy specimens. Eighteen anatomic pathologists and five clinical pathologists, including those with special interests in wildlife, aquatics, exotic animals, and poultry, are involved in instruction of residents.
Teaching, Presentations, and Publications
Residents are required to teach sophomore veterinary students in general pathology and systemic pathology laboratory sessions for at least two semesters. Yearly presentations in the histopathology seminar series and at the Southeastern Veterinary Pathologist Conference are also required. Residents are also highly encouraged to present at the ACVP or AAVLD conferences. At least one case report or other publication is also expected before completing the program.