The Scientific Component of Residency Training

Abstract

This article focuses on the role of veterinary teaching hospitals (VTHs) at public and private colleges and universities in the growth and nurturing of today's veterinary clinician scientists, who will assume the ranks of tomorrow's veterinary academic faculty. Virtually all residency programs offer some level of scientific education and training concurrently or sequentially with professional clinical training; approximately half (51%) include, or at least offer, the opportunity to obtain advanced scientific degrees (MS/MSc and/or PhD). If veterinary schools and colleges are the gatekeepers for the veterinary profession, then VTHs are the gatekeepers for the profession's scientific development, defining the future role of veterinary medicine in society. Although struggling to find their place in a financially challenging and competitive environment fueled by the demand for more and better clinical services, VTHs are in a potentially strong position to capitalize on the uniqueness of their faculty and academic resources and thus make an unparalleled contribution to the scientific evolution of the veterinary profession.