The ACVP/STP Coalition for Veterinary Pathology Fellows Adapts to Changing Employment Demographics

Abstract

In late 2004, the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) and Society of Toxicologic Pathology (STP) partnered to form the ACVP/STP Coalition for Veterinary Pathology Fellows. The purpose of the Coalition was to provide a unified mechanism to solicit and allocate funds for new training positions in response to the well-documented shortage of veterinary anatomic and clinical pathologists at that time. Sponsors and training institutions enthusiastically responded to this educational initiative; to date, the Coalition has established 29 new training positions at 16 North American universities, supported by >$6.8 million in financial commitments from sponsors, as detailed in the following table. Notwithstanding the Coalition’s efforts, the shortage of veterinary pathologists remained until relatively recently. In a 2007 North American veterinary pathology supply and demand survey, training programs reported 278 graduates in the past 5 years and 258 currently enrolled trainees, and employers reported 142 job openings and an additional 370 anticipated openings in the next 5 years, 2008–2012 (http://www. toxpath.org/acvp_workforce.asp). Despite this relatively optimistic employment forecast, continuing mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations within industry, and state and federal budgetary restrictions imposed on academia have clearly affected traditional job opportunities for veterinary pathologists in recent years. These changes in employment demographics, as well as the scope of investigations and introduction of new diagnostic tools, have required the Coalition to continue to enhance training opportunities in veterinary pathology to supply traditional and emerging markets. The purpose of this communication is to highlight 3 recent efforts that reflect these adaptations. First, owing to its experience in implementing new training positions, the ACVP asked the Coalition to administer fellowships created through the generosity of 2 recently deceased prominent veterinary pathologists, Drs Charles Capen and Linda Munson. Accordingly, the Coalition is in the process of implementing the ‘‘Charles and Sharron Capen Fellowship in Veterinary Pathology’’ and the ‘‘Linda Munson Fellowship for Research in Wildlife Pathology Research.’’ These 2 fellowships are unique for several reasons; they are the first to be supported with funds other than from industry, they require specific areas of PhD dissertation research, and they require cost sharing by the training institution. It is hoped that other