Veterinary pathology

[mcfaddens]

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This one will probably end up as a dead thread, but I was wondering if we are allowed to do Vet pathology. I mean if you think about it most dogs cats ect have the same histologic entities as humans (besides infectious disease). Can we sign out these cases? Get paid cash, minimal malpractice risk? No Medicare to deal with. I’ve heard of medical centers where they have vet schools attached where do the specimens go? Also I don’t think there is an oversupply of veterinary pathologists. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[LADoc00]

This one will probably end up as a dead thread, but I was wondering if we are allowed to do Vet pathology. I mean if you think about it most dogs cats ect have the same histologic entities as humans (besides infectious disease). Can we sign out these cases? Get paid cash, minimal malpractice risk? No Medicare to deal with. I've heard of medical centers where they have vet schools attached where do the specimens go? Also I don't think there is an oversupply of veterinary pathologists. Anyone have any experience with this?

yes and no I dont want to talk about it... Its part of a secret plan I have brewing.

 

[BU Pathology]

This one will probably end up as a dead thread, but I was wondering if we are allowed to do Vet pathology. I mean if you think about it most dogs cats ect have the same histologic entities as humans (besides infectious disease). Can we sign out these cases? Get paid cash, minimal malpractice risk? No Medicare to deal with. I’ve heard of medical centers where they have vet schools attached where do the specimens go? Also I don’t think there is an oversupply of veterinary pathologists. Anyone have any experience with this?

I would be very careful about signing out cases when you do not have appropriate training. When I first started out in pathology I did sign out some veterinary pathology. As I reviewed these cases with a board certified veterinary pathologist it became apparent that while I had not made any mistakes, there were nuances that would have missed had they been present. Veterinary pathology is rather complex, the histologic reactions are not exactly the same as humans and they have a different spectrum of tumors. As just a minor example, the peripheral blood differential in rodents is very different than that in humans.

While it is true that you are not likely to be sued, and that the reimbursement is attractive, without training you are not likely to render the best diagnosis.

Dan Remick
Chair, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University

 

[LADoc00]

Indeed, if you have no formal training in vet path with correlative/comparative path instruction of some type, Ackerman's Surgical Path text will not cross over to even simple vascular lesions in canines let alone complex diseases in the large animal population.

But such instruction is fairly easy to pick up if you know where to go. NorCal has Davis luckily, which is probably the top program in the US.

 

[mcfaddens]

Indeed, if you have no formal training in vet path with correlative/comparative path instruction of some type, Ackerman's Surgical Path text will not cross over to even simple vascular lesions in canines let alone complex diseases in the large animal population.

But such instruction is fairly easy to pick up if you know where to go. NorCal has Davis luckily, which is probably the top program in the US.

I agree with LADOC, and Dan obviously some additional training is needed but it is within the scope of our original training. AS A COMPETENT PATHOLOGIST one must know their limits, and when to send the case out to a specialist. However in the effort of good patient care and a lack of vet path folks, I could imagine a good local pathologist could cover time sensitive needs and obvious diagnosis (with some additional training) that our over worked and understaffed vet path folks can’t meet. Again this is just an idea.

 

[mlw03]

this is an interesting discussion. the true vet pathologists out there - how do they get trained? is it a residency after the DVM?

as a counterpoint, no human would want a vet pathologist reading a human case unless they'd have more specific training. so like Dr. Remick i agree one would need to be cautious about signing out vet case. they may be animals, but they still are patients deserving the best diagnosis possible.

 

[Leukocyte]

this is an interesting discussion. the true vet pathologists out there - how do they get trained? is it a residency after the DVM?

My father is a Veterinary Pathologist. Yes. He did a residency in Pathology, after Veterinary school...years and years ago. I have the "pathology genes" in me, that is why I am chaoking as a Family Medicine resident. I H-A-T-E clinical medicine, and patient contact.🙁

 

[Logos']

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[Sean2tall]

this is an interesting discussion. the true vet pathologists out there - how do they get trained? is it a residency after the DVM?

as a counterpoint, no human would want a vet pathologist reading a human case unless they'd have more specific training. so like Dr. Remick i agree one would need to be cautious about signing out vet case. they may be animals, but they still are patients deserving the best diagnosis possible.

One of my friends is almost finishing vet school and considering vet path residency. As I understand it, they typically do either AP or CP in 3 years. Combined AP/CP is unusual, she tells me, perhaps nonexistent. Sometimes they do a PhD at the same time if they haven't already done it.

 

[LADoc00]

One of my friends is almost finishing vet school and considering vet path residency. As I understand it, they typically do either AP or CP in 3 years. Combined AP/CP is unusual, she tells me, perhaps nonexistent. Sometimes they do a PhD at the same time if they haven't already done it.

Yeah, the vet path training program is different than in human medicine. AP is pretty much a stand alone field, akin to AP in Europe.

Since you can get a PhD in Vet Pathology (and indeed you do go to AP sign outs for vet med if you pick the right program), an MDPhD who then does a Path residency would be uniquely qualified to sign out both.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Ditto above.

 

[VetPathGuy]

I am a veterinary pathologist. I do have some points to add to this discussion. One is the fact that although most vertebrate pathology is the same, there is enough species differences that can make diagnosis a little difficult for someone without specific training. The second is the pathology terminology can be completely different in veterinary pathology versus medical pathology; for example, the hemangiopericytoma in veterinary pathology is a completely different tumor that what it is in medical pathology. Thirdly, in some states, the practice of veterinary pathology is considered practicing veterinary medicine. Thus, one could run into the legal problem of practicing veterinary medicine without a license.

 

[LADoc00]

I am a veterinary pathologist. I do have some points to add to this discussion. One is the fact that although most vertebrate pathology is the same, there is enough species differences that can make diagnosis a little difficult for someone without specific training. The second is the pathology terminology can be completely different in veterinary pathology versus medical pathology; for example, the hemangiopericytoma in veterinary pathology is a completely different tumor that what it is in medical pathology. Thirdly, in some states, the practice of veterinary pathology is considered practicing veterinary medicine. Thus, one could run into the legal problem of practicing veterinary medicine without a license.

Yep, interestingly there is total disconnect for vascular lesions in vet vs. human path which to me says the entire field of vascular soft tissue lesions is likely very muddy atm. I blame all these self appointed soft tissue experts in Human path academia on the East Coast who tried to turn their varying classification schemes into $$$.

 

[goinda]

Hi all,

I´m a veterinarian and I´m about to finish my PhD. I was very interested in doing a residency in veterinary pathology in Europe. I graduated as DVM in Europe as well. My final goal is to get certified by the European College of Veterinary Pathology. Does anyone has any experience with residency programs in Europe?

Thank you,

G