Veterinary school and primate medicine

First off, check out Careers in Primatology: Veterinary Schools which has contact information for a number of schools.

I've provided here: the top five schools mentioned by respondents (number in parentheses is the number of "votes" received); list of "honorable mentions"; selected comments regarding the top five programs; and some general advice offered by respondents about veterinary programs .

"Top Five" Veterinary Schools that are "primate-friendly":

[NOTE: the numbers of 'votes' are small, so take these with a grain of salt; this is a grainy snapshot of some opinions in 2001, no more, no less.]

1. University of California, Davis (10)
2. Louisiana State University (5)
3. Florida University (4)
4. University of Wisconsin (3)
5. Tufts University (3)

Honorable Mentions:

University of Georgia
Colorado State University
University of North Carolina
University of Missouri
Cornell University

UCDavis:

• Offers a course in primate medicine and a clinical rotation at the Primate Center. A student could spend 4 weeks or more in Primate Medicine.
• I guess I'd have to nominate UC Davis as #1 on the strength of the primate center and access to other departments that have primatology strengths.
• UCD VMTH has a course in primate medicine, as an option, in addition to other primate content courses. Also the Primate center there is an accessible resource for vet students providing both work related and other hands on experience associated educational opportunities with four species of non-human primates. They also have a residency in primate medicine for post-graduates.
• UC Davis has a primate medicine class that is offered to 3rd year veterinary students. They also have the California Regional Primate Research Center (CRPRC) on campus. The Center offers part time technician jobs (full time over the summer) to veterinary students with expanded case responsibility as students progress in their experience and education. CRPRC is also the only primate center that has a residency program in primate medicine.

LSU:

• With alliances with two of the countries largest primate centers, LSU would be a good choice - lots of possible independent studies possible. I know that New Iberia Research Ctr. does lectures for one of the courses every year. We have an established preceptor program here at Tulane RPRC.
• The vet school at LSU in Baton Rouge has a collaborative arrangement with the Tulane Primate Center where some students come and spend time at the Center. Kind of an internship. Not real sure how long the term is but I do know that they sit in on the IACUC review sessions. There are also a lot of nonhuman primates at Southwest Louisiana and they may also have some arrangement with the vet school.
• Although it does not offer training specific for primates, LSU has excellent optional exotic animal training with opportunities to work with primates in both a zoo and research setting. There is also a brief primate medicine section taught in the third year. There will likely be very little about environmental/ecological issues at any vet school unless they relate specifically to the practice of veterinary medicine.
• Louisiana State University has had a very strong lab and exotic animal program, sending typically 10% or so of graduates into lab animal specialty. It is within 1 hour's drive of the Tulane primate center and the USL primate center, and has had good working relationships with both.

Florida:

• I cannot speak to how good a program is available at the University of Florida, but they do have a wildlife program and they do see more exotic species than many other programs simply because of the proximity of things like Sea World, Disney World, and Silver Springs, all of which have many exotic species.
• Florida does have a "tracking" program that lets the student decide many of the courses they take. The last 2 years are definable by the student, within certain guidelines. For example, there is a wildlife track provided.

Tufts:

• Tufts does not have a primate course but they have probably one of the most flexible curriculums of all the vet schools. The last 14 months of school are clinics and the student can do whatever they want with a portion of that clinical year. If you really try, you can have up to about 18 weeks to go and do whatever you want. So my point is that if a student wanted to dedicate a lot of their clinical year working with primates, they could easily do so at Tufts. Also Tufts had a very large and organized International Vet Med Program.
• Tufts is one I've heard good things about. I'm 99% positive they have a certified animal behaviorist program--so there is exposure to something besides the medical aspects of veterinary care. In addition, it is my understanding that they do not do terminal surgeries and procedures to train the students (i.e. they don't operate on a dog just to operate, and then euthanize the dog.) To get a more in depth education students may want to do and internship followed by a residency in exotic animal medicine‹there are programs like this for veterinary specialties much like human medicine.
• If you are looking for a progressive school with concentration in environmental issues.....check out Tufts at www.tufts.edu/vet. We have the center for conservation medicine, the wildlife clinic, international programs, exotics, and the center for animals and public policy.
• [NOTE: This is just my (Jim Moore's) impression, but several of the people I have run into doing vet medicine in the field, especially at the junction of humans and nonhumans -- e.g., comparative parasite studies of human and nonhuman primates at a locality -- have been from Tufts; seems to be good place for such "unconventional" research."]

Wisconsin:

• Although no one provided any details about Wisconsin, three people mentioned it as a likely choice - as it's associated with a primate center. One noteworthy comment: "Since they have both cows and primates there, some people probably learn to appreciate the differences."

• If the person is really interested in primate medicine, I would recommend a "normal" vet degree and then an internship with one of the primate centers. Specialty training in lab animal medicine is also another option because many primates are used in research settings, so most lab animal vets have a fair amount of primate medicine training, and frequently go on to take special training in primate medicine.

• In short, I think the student may have to have a short-term goal and a long term one...get a DVM and then go for further training.

• The nice thing about lab animal medicine is there are formal training programs at various institutions that also pay a decent salary while attending school. As for the holistic approach, I am not sure any program does that too much, simply because of the lack of time to get all the medicine aspects in.

• One thing you might tell your prospective student is that his/her options for schools which he/she will be able to attend are limited. Most veterinary colleges are state schools. In general, they take the vast majority of students from their own states. Some schools have reserved spots for out of state students, but generally these are students from states that do not have their own veterinary schools.

• As far as a "holistic" approach, veterinary schools have a wide array of topics which they must cover to maintain their accreditation. Students must prepare for board exams which encompass many species. There is little time other than through externships or electives to cover other material.

• In the grand scheme of things, primates are a very specialized (if special) group of critters with very specialized needs. If you haven't been interested or trained in these matters, you just won't know about primate behavior, and won't get this training in vet school.

• All vet schools include training in "Exotics", usually formally as well as maintaining some kind of exotics clinic that interested students run.

• There are only 26 vet schools in the US, and, of course, any really interested student will forge their own way towards exotics in vet school, much financed and supported program or no.

• The best vet schools recognize compassion and respect for the complete animal first, in the admissions process, and do not attempt to inculcate it.

• Which brings us to the center of your question, and the traditional divide between behaviorists and vets which has driven me nuts for years, and which I don't really see a way around. The coursework in vet school is intense and unrelenting for 4 years. Behavior courses are oriented towards the behavior of domestic animals not wild ones, based though it is on their evolutionary histories.

• And tell them not to lose that respect for the animals, no matter what they end up doing. That's the important thing.

Again, I want to thank all who responded to my request. I know this information (and whatever may be added) will help a number of students planning a future in primate medicine.