what does a veterinary pathologist do?

Started by Rosekiki
Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

Browse articles Compare schools My application plan Read Interview Feedback
Practice for interviews Ask an Advisor
Quite possibly the best thread ever! I am keeping my options open for persuasion (just in case something intrigues me in vet school that will sway me), but my interest is anatomical and research pathology. I've been an MT for 3 years now, and I've had my share of the clinical side! At this point, I'm thinking the PhD route, but I guess it depends on the residency where I am in life (meaning the amount of time of my life I am willing to spend as a student, I mean, I've already spend so much of my life studying I'd like to start living it a bit!)

WhtsThFrequency thanks for posting all of your wonderful incite. It is so great to read about my interest from someone who's going down the same path! Yeay!
 
Aww ty. I really like spreading info about a relatively mysterious specialty. Also, since I;ve been a resident, I've also really started to like teaching - so, I'm always up for giving advice!

And like I said, if anyone is ever interested in partial summer or rotation internships, I can totally hook you up. The people here are awesome. There's a reason why TAMU has a 90% pass rate when the natnl av is 30% for first time path board takers!! LoL. Actually we are not all "type A" AT ALL. I was voted most likely not to go to class for my senior year in vet school, hah. It's just a really chill place, and we all get along - which is so essential in residency.

Dude, you're in NOLA, awesome. I stopped there on my drive down in June - awesome area. Such interesting culture.
 
WhtsThFrequency said:
Aww ty. I really like spreading info about a relatively mysterious specialty. Also, since I;ve been a resident, I've also really started to like teaching - so, I'm always up for giving advice!

And like I said, if anyone is ever interested in partial summer or rotation internships, I can totally hook you up. The people here are awesome. There's a reason why TAMU has a 90% pass rate when the natnl av is 30% for first time path board takers!! LoL. Actually we are not all "type A" AT ALL. I was voted most likely not to go to class for my senior year in vet school, hah. It's just a really chill place, and we all get along - which is so essential in residency.
Click to expand...
I will definitely keep that in mind. The only residency I've really looked at so far is @ FSU, but with stats like that, I may just be able to handle Texas for 3 years! I did look at A&M as a possible vet school, but non-resident fees are killer and I don't want to leave ma state. Of course, I do have to do my stint in vet school first. I'm putting in my application this summer. I did have a meeting with the dean last month and he was very encouraging. He told me I could be very optimistic and that he was looking forward to my application. That really hasn't helped me to loosen up, because I am still a nervous wreck about the whole process. I have LORs from a MD pathologist that I've worked with at the hospital, the PhD I did my undergraduate research with and a veterinary surgeon that I have been shadowing since last August. I think that gives a well rounded source from all of my interests. Also, with an MT background, I already have knowledge of fluid counts, cell differentials and serum chemistry analysis, because that's my job (except now I work with human specimens). We shall see how it all pans out over the coming months.


WhtsThFrequency said:
Dude, you're in NOLA, awesome. I stopped there on my drive down in June - awesome area. Such interesting culture.
Click to expand...
Dude, NOLA is awesome! I love it here! I'm definitely not looking forward to having to move to the Red Stick for vet school. I've talked about commuting, but everyone says I'm crazy to even consider that. I just feel like I'd be leaving so much behind. I know that where ever I may end up, I will always come back here. One thing I do hate is that on street parking is a bitch and I hate driving around in the city on a weekend night. This past November I was dancing in a show and had to be at the club for 6 pm and it was Frenchman's Fest and some of the roads were blocked off and people were crowding the streets and when I FINALLY found a spot to park, I got out of my car only to be practically run over by a horse carriage! Only in New Orleans!
 
MT stuff is awesome. I worked as an after hours and emergency technician at my schools clinical pathology lab for a year and a half during vet school, and I know it definitely helped my resume even though I went anatomic.

Your letters of rec sounds extremely solid (and varied, which is also good). Do you have any research experience? Path and research go very well together, and they like seeing that on apps.

In addition, always be open to things in vet school - you never know when your mind will change! I came in wanting to do exotics, then switched to food animal medicine, and ultimately to pathology.
 
Finally joined the Path club less than a month ago and have already gone into Necropsy on two Sundays. Definitely into it. One Hemangiosarcoma dog and one Strongylus vulgaris horse. Man, working on a horse is back-breaking!
 
I have some research experience and published works under my belt. Plus it was an animal population/migration study (I got to play with little green lizards) so it doubles as animal experience.

I do have other interests so I am keeping my options open, but my main interest has been some form of pathological study for the last 10 years. The decision to go the veterinary route was due to the fact that I could diversify, if I wanted to (and enjoy whatever I decide because I am more my passionate/empathetic towards animals than I am towards people); while with a PhD in Pathology would only allow me to teach and conduct research. My ideal has always been to practice and conduct my own research then teach once I retire from practice. In know that I will not be happy with a DVM alone 😀 An uber nerd like me just has to take in further!
 
RadRadTerp said:
Man, working on a horse is back-breaking!
Click to expand...

No joke. One Christmas, Sponenberg threw his back out on a horse cause he was the only one on call with multiple big animal cases. Next Christmas (ironically when I was the only other one on with him), *I* threw my back out on a horse :laugh: As he said "This is the only job where you can get a pony for Christmas" :laugh:

The last few bulls I have had, I've been more careful. I strained my rotator cuff on a camel once. You gotta be careful, hah!
 
WhtsThFrequency said:
My summer experiences were pretty varied. I also had a lot of research experience left over from summers during college, including a third author pub.

I worked as an animal care tech for the teaching a research animals during school (on weekends) and for one summer. Horses, pigs, goats, rodents, dogs, everything. Basic feeding and cleaning but I got to get involved in some research projects - path looooves research.

Next summer I did an externship at the Wake Forest pathology program with their primates. I can give you contacts for that if you would like. Also check out www.acvp.org - they have a nice listing of programs that advertise summer externships. http://www.acvp.org/educators/Externship.cfm

Next summer I did an NIH-funded research project (you'll hear about it at VMRCVM - definitely try to do it). And throughout second and third year I also did the clin-path job.

In addition, I took multiple advanced pathology courses and got a few good path rotations at various places for my elective blocks. I especially recommend Purdue - I had a great time there.

I don't think working during school is absolutely necessary. I assume you are P/C track? If so, you'd have more time to do it than, say, an Eq tracker, but it's not everyone's cup of tea. Yes, I do think summer and break experiences plus excelletn LORs would be ok with no during-the-semester experience, because they know some people can swing working PT and some cannot.

And something I realize I may have glossed over - my acceptance into this program with my GPA is the exception, not the rule. Path DOES tend to be more forgiving, but you'd better have a helluva lot of experiences and good LORs to balance it if you have/had my GPA. Because although it is not the most important thing, it IS still an issue.
Click to expand...

Hey, just saw this wonderful thread and thanks for the info there!

Just to ask about the summer experience, when you mean by research, does it have to be pathology specific or is it good enough to just get experience in the general biomedical sciences or even molecular biology?

Also, regarding your externship at Wake Forest, are there any general/specific requirements for applying for such externships?

Thanks a million! 🙂
 
Hi mumin 🙂

Pathology involves a lot of molecular, immunological, etc diagnostics so any research having to do with general molec bio and the like is definitely fine. If you can work actual descriptive pathology in, great. My experiences were mostly lab benchwork or various disciplines, mostly cell culture, mouse work, Westerns, PCR, etc. Some were more path/vet based, but others were not.

In terms of requirements, some are very competitive, and others are more "Hey, could I come hang out with you for a couple weeks?" The ones that pay you as a temp. employee (like my WF one) are usually the ones you have to actually apply for - others will take you more easily, but for free. I.e. when I did a fourth year block at Purdue, I basically just asked if I could come.
 
hey thanks so much again! yeah, i am thinking of veterinary pathology as an option (the stuff you have described seems interesting), perhaps tending more towards the wildlife side (but seriously, i dunnoe how that will work out....); anyway, only in the first year of vet studies so i reckon there's still some time to figure out my plans, less they change somehow along the way.....anyway, thanks again!
 
Hey guys!
I am still an undergrad, but I'm very interested in vet pathology as a career. After working at a vet clinic, I decided I did NOT want to be a typical, clinical veterinarian (the owners drove me absolutely insane). So I've basically steered away from the prospect of vet school ever since. My husband and I are moving to Athens in August (he will be attending UGA for grad school). I know they have a vet school and they have a path dept. My question is, can I practice pathology with only a PhD? I am ultimately interested in staying within academia but I LOVE the field of pathology and the mystery of what's going on at the molecular level that the general practice vet can't figure out. Or is it something that you have to go to actual vet school for first, and then do a residency/phd? My main concern is the cost of vet school (and competition!). I know at uga, if you're a grad student in the path program, you get paid $30k a year in stipends, so student debt wouldn't be an issue after graduation. Please let me know your thoughts! Thanks in advance. 😀
 
To work as a veterinary pathologist you need a DVM, residency including board certification, and often a PhD in addition to both of those depending on if you go into academia, referral hospitals, industry, etc. A PhD in pathology would pretty much restrict you to the research world.
 
Last edited:
WhtsThFrequency said:
To work as a veterinary pathologist you need a DVM, residency including board certification, and often a PhD in addition to both of those depending on if you go into academia, referral hospitals, industry, etc. A PhD in pathology would pretty much restrict you to the research world.
Click to expand...
So I've decided to apply to vet school this cycle! I hadn't really planned on it, but after looking into the field, and your advice, I definitely need to pursue the DVM route. I am applying to UGA and Auburn. UGA will be my ISS. I am hoping that the fact that I don't want to do general practice will stand out to the adcom.
 
WhtsThFrequency said:
Sweet!

Two of my resident-mates did their DVMs at UGA and another one did hers at Auburn, how funny!
Click to expand...
Oh cool-- small world! The only thing that scares me about vet school is the debt and the job market. It is TERRIFYING. I try to be logical and practical, but I also know this is what I want to do and vet school is the road to get there. It seems like no matter what you want to do anymore, it'll put you in debt, the job market sucks, and current professionals in any particular field tell you to not go into said field.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.