Comparative Medicine
Chair:
Sherril L. Green, DVM, PhD
Department web site:
http://med.stanford.edu/compmed/
Faculty of Comparative Medicine:
http://med.stanford.edu/compmed/research/facultyprofiles
Courses offered by the Department of Comparative Medicine are listed under the subject code COMPMED on the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
The Department of Comparative Medicine is a clinical department that offers residency training in laboratory animal medicine for veterinarians. Its faculty offer courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Clinical faculty and basic science faculty in the Department of Comparative Medicine accept students to participate in research projects.
The discipline of Comparative Medicine studies the differences and similarities among species to elucidate biological and disease mechanisms.The research interests of faculty include neuroscience, infectious diseases, neuropathology, cancer, molecular genetics, and laboratory animal science.
Master of Science in Laboratory Animal Science
The MS in Laboratory Animal Science (MLAS) degree program in the Department of Comparative Medicine is a full-time, two-year graduate program designed for students who want to pursue advanced careers in biomedical research, focusing on animal modeling and bio-methodology, laboratory animal science, organizational management and facility design, regulatory and compliance, and animal welfare. The program’s academic courses were designed to build a solid foundation for a successful career in laboratory animal science or pursuit of higher degrees (MD, PhD, DVM, etc). The program was designed to give students the ability to customize their academic research experience.
Veterinary Externship for 4th Year Veterinary School Students
The Department of Comparative Medicine offers a 4-6 week externship to senior veterinary students interested in laboratory animal medicine. The program is provides externships opportunities to about 14 students per year.
The Department of Comparative Medicine (DCM) manages all animal facilities at Stanford. The Research Animal Facility (RAF) at Stanford University School of Medicine is part of a centralized system for laboratory animal care. The RAF complies with federal, state, and local guidelines for laboratory animal care and is accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) International. The RAF has 110,000 net square feet and an average daily census of 200,000 animals, including a wide variety of species. It contains a surgical suite consisting of five operating rooms and an Intensive Care/Recovery suite for postoperative care, staffed by veterinary technicians. The RAF also contains fully equipped and staffed clinical pathology and microbiology laboratories and an animal necropsy laboratory. These facilities support both the clinical requirements of the department and animal research projects outside the department.
Residency Program in Laboratory Animal Medicine
The Comparative Medicine Department at Stanford University sponsors a residency training program in laboratory animal medicine. Along with a research focus, this 3-year program emphasizes the clinical, pathological, regulatory, and administrative aspects of laboratory animal medicine. The training program is officially recognized by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM). Successful program completion satisfies eligibility requirements for specialty board certification.
Stanford University participates in the Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program (VIRMP) as do many other Laboratory Animal Medicine postdoctoral training programs within the United States. Submission requirements and deadlines can be found there. Questions related to training program content should be directed to Dr. Stephen Felt.
