Penn State Lab Animal Medicine Graduate Program

Graduate study in laboratory animal medicine consists of basic training in methodology and the development of scholarship and research capabilities within the specialty. The general plan is one that provides a broad, basic foundation upon which the individual can build a career in teaching and research and/or in the professional direction of research animal facilities.

The research orientation requires a basic knowledge of comparative medicine, which is taught in a core curriculum of lectures. These are designed to review and update fundamental concepts, provide new information, and guide assimilation of such material. Frequent student-faculty discussion supplements formal courses and enables students and faculty to evaluate course content and efficiency of presentation. Laboratory exercises are used as a method of emphasizing a concept or for the development of necessary technical skills. In addition, conferences, seminars, and discussions supplement all aspects of the program. The program normally requires a minimum of two years for completion and meets the educational requirements stipulated by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. More...