Research

The research component of the residency is an important part of the residency training program. Residents work with Comparative Medicine Residency program faculty to identify research areas of interest and potential research mentors. Projects are designed to aid residents in the creation of new knowledge and the completion of a first-author paper. This publication is designed to fulfill the publication requirement of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM).

The program is designed so that a resident can obtain a published paper in time for the December 15* deadline of their third year of residency. This allows residents the opportunity to take the ACLAM certification examination upon the completion of their final year of training (June/July).

* Note: Prior to the COVID pandemic, December 15 has historically been the certification examination application deadline. For the 2022 examination, the ACLAM Board of Directors approved an application date is March 15, 2022.

Research Timeline

A typical research timeline for residents is as follows:

Year 1
Semester 1: Get to know research areas available on campus. Identify a research area of interest.
Semester 2: Choose a research mentor and project. Identify potential MS degree committee members.
Year 2
Semester 3: Finalize MS committee membership. Begin the research project.
Semester 4: Finish data collection, write and submit the manuscript
Year 3
Semester 5: Address reviewer concerns, publish the final paper. Apply for the certification examination.
Semester 6: Defend MS Thesis. (The first-author paper entails the bulk of the MS Thesis)
June/July after semester 6: Take the ACLAM certification exam (i.e., assuming all other requirements have been met).