1. Careers in veterinary laboratory medicine
Ken Smith
Royal Veterinary College

2. Veterinary laboratory medicine
Why me?

3. What is veterinary laboratory medicine?
Veterinary laboratory medicine aims to apply scientific methods
to the diagnosis of disease – in academic, government and commercial diagnostic and research laboratories
to understand the beneficial and harmful effects of pharmaceuticals/ agrochemicals – in the pharmaceutical industry

4. What is veterinary laboratory medicine?
Veterinary laboratory medicine aims to apply scientific methods to the diagnosis of disease:
To establish an aetiology

5. What is veterinary laboratory medicine?
Veterinary laboratory medicine aims to apply scientific methods to the diagnosis of disease:
To establish an aetiology
To establish a prognosis

6. What is veterinary laboratory medicine?
Veterinary laboratory medicine aims to apply scientific methods to the diagnosis of disease:
To establish an aetiology
To establish a prognosis
To monitor response to therapy

7. What is veterinary laboratory medicine?
Veterinary laboratory medicine aims to apply scientific methods to the diagnosis of disease:
To establish an aetiology
To establish a prognosis
To monitor response to therapy
In industry
To detect pharmacological effects or toxicological damage

8. What do veterinary laboratory scientists do?
Analysis of fluid samples
Blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural fluid, peritoneal fluid, synovial fluid, fine needle aspirates
Analysis of tissue samples
Biopsy or post mortem tissues

9. What do veterinary laboratory scientists do?
Analysis of fluid samples
Blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural fluid, peritoneal fluid, synovial fluid, fine needle aspirates
Analysis of tissue samples
Biopsy or post mortem tissues
Working closely with veterinary surgeons,
pathologists (and toxicologists in industry)

10. Specialities within veterinary laboratory medicine
Haematology

11. Specialities within veterinary laboratory medicine
Haematology
Clinical chemistry

12. Specialities within veterinary laboratory medicine
Haematology
Clinical chemistry
Microbiology

13. Specialities within veterinary laboratory medicine
Haematology
Clinical chemistry
Microbiology
Virology

14. Specialities within veterinary laboratory medicine
Haematology
Clinical chemistry
Microbiology
Virology
Bacteriology

15. Specialities within veterinary laboratory medicine
Haematology
Clinical chemistry
Microbiology
Virology
Bacteriology
Parasitology

16. Specialities within veterinary laboratory medicine
Haematology
Clinical chemistry
Microbiology
Virology
Bacteriology
Parasitology
Pathology
Post mortem work

17. Specialities within veterinary laboratory medicine
Haematology
Clinical chemistry
Microbiology
Virology
Bacteriology
Parasitology
Pathology
Post mortem work
Histology

18. Specialities within veterinary laboratory medicine
Haematology
Clinical chemistry
Microbiology
Virology
Bacteriology
Parasitology
Pathology
Post mortem work
Histology
Immunohistology

19. What does the working day involve?
Preparation and examination of blood smears and other fluid samples

20. What does the working day involve?
Preparation and examination of blood smears and other fluid samples
Cross-matching blood samples for transfusion

21. What does the working day involve?
Preparation and examination of blood smears and other fluid samples
Cross-matching blood samples for transfusion
Chemical analysis of blood, urine and other fluid samples

22. What does the working day involve?
Preparation and examination of blood smears and other fluid samples
Cross-matching blood samples for transfusion
Chemical analysis of blood, urine and other fluid samples
Bacterial culture, virus isolation and/or PCR for infectious disease diagnosis

23. What does the working day involve?
Preparation and examination of blood smears and other fluid samples
Cross-matching blood samples for transfusion
Chemical analysis of blood, urine and other fluid samples
Bacterial culture, virus isolation and/or PCR for infectious disease diagnosis
Examination of parasitology samples (skin scrapings, faecal samples)

24. What does the working day involve?
Preparation and examination of blood smears and other fluid samples
Cross-matching blood samples for transfusion
Chemical analysis of blood, urine and other fluid samples
Bacterial culture, virus isolation and/or PCR for infectious disease diagnosis
Examination of parasitology samples (skin scrapings, faecal samples)
Preparation of tissue sections for histology and immunohistochemistry

25. What does the working day involve?
Preparation and examination of blood smears and other fluid samples
Cross-matching blood samples for transfusion
Chemical analysis of blood, urine and other fluid samples
Bacterial culture, virus isolation and/or PCR for infectious disease diagnosis
Examination of parasitology samples (skin scrapings, faecal samples)
Preparation of tissue sections for histology and immunohistochemistry
Performing necropsies in industry

26. What qualifications are needed?
Degree in biological science
On the job training or previous experience

27. What qualifications are needed?
Degree in biological science
On the job training or previous experience
A BSc degree enables entry at a more senior level

28. How does a career in veterinary laboratory medicine develop?

29. Where do veterinary laboratory scientists work?

30. Where do veterinary laboratory scientists work?
In university laboratories: e.g. RVC

31. Where do veterinary laboratory scientists work?
In university laboratories: e.g. RVC
In government laboratories: e.g. VLA

32. Where do veterinary laboratory scientists work?
In university laboratories: e.g. RVC
In government laboratories: e.g. VLA
In commercial laboratories: e.g. IDEXX

33. Where do veterinary laboratory scientists work?
In university laboratories: e.g. RVC
In government laboratories: e.g. VLA
In commercial laboratories: e.g. IDEXX
In pharmaceutical companies and contract research organisations: e.g. GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, AZ, Covance, HLS

34. How do I get more information?
Work experience placements

35. Any questions?