Purdue University

Program

 The Department offers a rigorous yet flexible graduate program in a stimulating learning environment through formal courses, seminars, journal clubs and one-on-one interactions with productive and highly motivated scientists. Collaborations with faculty in other departments and institutes at Purdue University and the Indiana University School of Medicine create excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary research and training. The Department of Comparative Pathobiology also engages in diagnostic and outreach activities that serve the welfare of animals, people and the environment in the State of Indiana and beyond. 

Purdue University Building 1

 

Facilities

The Purdue Veterinary Teaching Hospital, established since 1959, is the only veterinary teaching hospital in Indiana. It provides general and specialized veterinary services for both small animals and large animals. The VTH serves as a primary referral center for veterinarians in the State of Indiana. General services include internal medicine, surgery, and wellness care, as well as specialized sections within the hospital which include Anesthesiology, Behavior, Cardiology, Clinical Pathology, Dentistry, Dermatology, Diagnostic Imaging, Neurology, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Pharmacy, Radiation Oncology, and Theriogenelogy. These areas provide support services for all species. The Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory is housed at Purdue University (ADDL) and serves the people of Indiana by diagnosing disease in livestock, poultry, companion animals, and wildlife, as well as providing blood testing of animals for federal disease programs.

Purdue also has adjunct faculty from the pharmaceutical industry who participate in seminar and other core courses to expose residents to toxicologic pathology and laboratory animal pathology. 

 

Purdue University Building 2

Curriculum/Degree Requirements

The MS-Residency program in veterinary pathology combines a 3-year residency in diagnostic anatomic pathology (based in the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, the Clinical Pathology Laboratory in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, and the Department of Comparative Pathobiology) and graduate courses in pathology and other subjects leading to a non-thesis MS degree. A student successfully completing the 3-year program is eligible for the certifying examination of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and may seek to continue in a PhD research program at Purdue University or another location. For students pursuing both pathology training leading to ACVP eligibility and research training leading to the PhD, this plan temporally separates these goals.

Case load

  • Small 41%,
  • Large 41%,
  • Exotic/Zoo 13%,
  • Lab Animals 5%

Specialty Rounds

  • Teaching Hospital/Diagnostic Lab Histopathology,
  • Neuropathology, Ophthalmology

Unique opportunities

Share facilities with Dept. of Natural Resources (wildlife)

Required Course Work

PhD

Determined by graduate student and PhD committee

Courses Credits
Anatomic Path  
Adv Vet Anat Path  
Adv Path Seminar  
Research Seminar  
Avian Path  
Lab Animal Path  
Carcinogenesis  
Cell Injury  
Immunology  
Infectious Diseases  
Inflammation  
Neoplastic Diseases  
Ultrastructural Path  

Percentage of Time Spent in Activities For Combined Pathology/PhD Training

Anatomic Pathology Service Teaching Seminar/Cources Research Other
Year 1 Combined Program 50 10 30 0 10
Year 2 Combined Program 25 40 25 0 10
NIH Dissertation Research 0 0 10 90  

Service – residents will regularly rotate through necropsy and surgical biopsies, and be exposed to clinical pathology via courses, rounds and seminars. While on service, residents will be under the supervision of a senior pathologist.

Teaching – Residents will assist with instruction of students in the pathology clerkship through Service duty and classroom instruction.

Staff

Links

Disclaimer: This information is provided as general background only, is not specific program policy and is subject to change. Since graduate education is highly individualized you are advised to check with the university program directly for up to date information and requirements.