training: career possibilities in veterinary pathology

There is now a new web site at www. vetpathcareers.com, with some comprehensive information but here is a short synopsis:

  1. work as a veterinary pathologist for DEFRA, either in a regional Veterinary Laboratory or at VLA Addlestone, Surrey, UK This work concerns predominantly large animal pathology and may involve research on transmissable spongiform encephalopathies and bovine tuberculosis. In the state-funded veterinary diagnostic laboratories, veterinary officers will be involved in diagnostic pathology as well as disease surveillance.

  2. work as a toxicological pathologist for a pharmaceutical company or a contract research organisation. This work involves reading generally mouse, rat, primate and dog studies to determine whether the test compound has produced pathological lesions.

  3. teach veterinary pathology to undergraduates and postgraduates at a veterinary school. Here you will be responsible for formal lectures on pathology, practical sessions for students in the Post Mortem Room, routine post mortems on all domestic species and reading surgical biopsies generated from the veterinary hospital at the veterinary school (and from vets in practice). You may have the opportunity to develop a research interest and to help train veterinary residents.

  4. be an independent veterinary toxicological pathology consultant to the industry. Here you will set up your own business and evaluate studies for pharmaceutical and other companies (e.g. contract research organisations), advise on problems and conduct peer review, do locums for universities and institutes and possibly act as an expert witness in legal cases which involve veterinary pathology.

  5. work in a commercial veterinary pathology laboratory. Here you will look at the slides from numerous surgical biopsies sent in by vets all over the country. The majority of the surgical biopsy specimens will come from dogs and cats. You will write concise individual reports and provide feedback to the vets in practice.

  6. work as a veterinary pathologist in a research environment. Here you will provide veterinary pathology skills to a variety of different research projects. You may be expected to help set up in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemical laboratories.
Jobs in veterinary pathology are advertised at the following websites:

BSTP

European College of Veterinary Pathologists

Veterinary Record

Contact Careers CD-Rom if you would like to receive a CD-Rom on "Careers in Veterinary Pathology"