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Principal Investigator: Janet Scarlett
Contact Information: E-mail: jms15@cornell.edu - Phone: 607-253-3574
Sponsor: Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust
Grant Number: N/A
Title: Defining the Core Elements of Residency Training in Shelter Medicine
Annual Direct Cost: $6,568
Project Period: 06/01/07-12/31/08
Since the late 1990's explosive growth of shelter medicine training courses and programs has occurred at veterinary colleges across the country. In 2001 Dr. Janet Foley and her colleagues at the University of California at Davis initiated the first comprehensive shelter medicine training program in the country, offering advanced residency training in the new discipline, as well as veterinary student education. In 2004 Dr. Brenda Griffin at Auburn University similarly launched a comprehensive program that included both residency and veterinary student instruction. In 2005 two new programs offering shelter medicine residency training arose in the veterinary colleges at Colorado State University and Cornell University. As of Fall 2006, five shelter medicine residents are in training (three at the University of California, and one each at Colorado State and Cornell Universities). Similar programs are in the planning stages at several veterinary colleges (Ohio State University, University of Pennsylvania, Iowa State University, University of Florida, Mississippi State University, and University of Wisconsin).
As courses and training programs have expanded, the need for better definition of the discipline and more standardization across programs has grown. While the approaches to residency training in current programs overlap considerably, differences exist in content and emphasis. These differences in programs reflect, at least in part, the expertise of the faculty member(s) developing the program and the availability of expertise at each offering institution.
There is general agreement that the shelter medicine specialist must derive knowledge and skills from a broad array of disciplines, including clinical medicine and surgery, diagnostic science, epidemiology, statistics and preventive medicine, forensic pathology, animal behavior, animal law, communication and others. The breadth and depth of mastery in each of these areas and the expectations for experiences relating to shelter medicine have not yet been defined.
The overall objective of this proposal is to seek funding to support two retreats for faculty (currently directing or planning a shelter medicine residency program) 1) to develop consensus on the core components of residency training in shelter medicine and 2) to create a document describing the foundation knowledge, skills and experiences that all residents will achieve before completion of their programs. The resulting document and collaboration will support the application for a board certified specialty in shelter medicine, greatly facilitating widespread acceptance of this new discipline among academics, veterinarians and shelter professionals.
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