The proposed Program will help address the shortage of veterinarians who are trained for independent research. It will support veterinarians during the first three years of their PhD training. It will draw applicants by advertising in part with methods that have been successful in attracting students from veterinary schools from across the country to participate in our T35 Summer Research Fellowship Program. Veterinarians will apply through Stanford University's flexible admissions process and choose a home program in the biological sciences from one of the twelve that are already established. We expect most students to join one of three large, interdepartmental programs: Cancer Biology, Immunology, and Neurosciences. We will accept one trainee per year. Trainees will enroll in the curriculum of their established home program and choose a PhD advisor from one of the 19 faculty in the proposed Comparative Medicine Program. The faculty of the proposed program reside in ten departments within the Medical School, and all share a commitment to the discipline of Comparative Medicine. Trainees will have both a research mentor (basic scientist) and a comparative medicine mentor (veterinarian). Trainees will be required to participate in regular meetings, seminars, journal clubs, and research symposia in the Department of Comparative Medicine, which will serve as the """"""""glue"""""""" that maintains and develops their veterinary professional identity as they immerse themselves in basic science research. Research facilities in the Department of Comparative Medicine include the Veterinary Service Center, Diagnostic Laboratory, Histology Laboratory, and Microscopy/Morphology Core. The research opportunities and facilities at Stanford University are substantial and will help trainees succeed in their quest to become independent researchers.
