The ECVP/ESVP summer school in veterinary pathology: high-standard, structured training for young veterinary pathologists

This article describes the ECVP/ESVP Summer School in Veterinary Pathology, a new annual two-week European training facility established by the European College of Veterinary Pathologists (ECVP) in collaboration with the European Society of Veterinary Pathology (ESVP). The aim of the Summer Schools is to provide Europe-wide, harmonized, top-standard theoretical and practical post-graduate training for veterinarians specializing in veterinary pathology. In particular, it aims to support trainees in veterinary pathology in their individual preparation for the ECVP certifying examination. Ultimately, it aims to provide young pathologists with the skills and knowledge necessary to participate in international, high-quality research and the tools for applying international standards to their own research and for independent study for the ECVP certifying examination, even if they do not work in comparable academic environments and do not have the same level of local support and training. The ECVP/ESVP Summer Schools take place in European countries, with local organization from a university department of veterinary pathology. Each event comprises modules provided by internationally recognized specialists in their specific fields of expertise on different organ systems, diseases of specific species, specific techniques, and specific topics relevant to pathology, forming a cycle of four events to cover all major topics. Every two years a mock exam is organized as a tool to monitor individual progress in preparing for the ECVP certifying examination.     

The European College of Veterinary Pathologists (ECVP): the professional body for European veterinary pathologists

The European College of Veterinary Pathologists (ECVP) was established in 1995 with the aim of advancing veterinary pathology and promoting high standards within the specialty in Europe. The ECVP is one of 21 European colleges recognized by the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS), which represents a quality-assurance system for European veterinary specialists. Until the ECVP was founded, there was no unified European system recognizing the specialty of pathology, and many European countries followed their own qualification systems, which varied in form and standard. The ECVP provides an annual certifying examination, the passing of which is required to gain membership (diplomate status) in the college. This qualification is now accepted on equal terms by the well-established American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP). In line with EBVS requirements, the ECVP has also established a standard continuing professional development (CPD) and re-registration system for its membership. Furthermore, it has promoted and unified European post-graduate training in veterinary pathology by setting up requirements for residency training programs and making registration and monitoring of these programs by the ECVP a prerequisite for approval of an institution as a training facility. The concurrent establishment, together with the European Society of Veterinary Pathology, of an annual summer school that trains residents for the certifying examination has further fostered European post-graduate training. Within 10 years, the ECVP has succeeded in establishing common standards and a unified approach to veterinary pathology throughout Europe. This article describes the evolution and organization of the ECVP.     

Veterinary pathology in Europe in the light of the congresses of the European Society of Veterinary Pathology in the last decade

This paper presents the main trends in the activity of European veterinary pathologists in the context of their oral presentations (plenary lectures and short presentations) and posters provided during annual meetings of the European Society of Veterinary Pathology (ESVP), in the decade 1997-2006. It was found that the issue that was most often brought up in the meetings was organ pathology (566 presentations). Infectious and parasitical diseases were only slightly less frequent (548 presentations). Oncology was another common issue (404 presentations). During this decade, 52 plenary lectures were presented, 765 oral presentations and 1 072 posters. Altogether, 1 889 presentations were made, which is between 127 and 238 per year. Research by Polish scientists accounted for 3.16% of all presentations. Additionally, the subject matter discussed at the annual meetings is analysed, and the trends in the development of veterinary diagnostic pathology and broad pathology education are indicated. It is shown that veterinary pathology enhances knowledge in the field of veterinary medicine by fulfilling a cognitive and diagnostic role.     

Veterinary specialization in Europe

The development of veterinary specialization in Europe is described, from its inception in 1989, through the establishment of the European Board for Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS) in 1996, to the establishment of the supervising European Coordinating Committee for Veterinary Training (ECCVT) in 2005. Currently there are about 1,500 European veterinary specialists in 21 different disciplines, which can be organ, species or discipline oriented. Each specialization is supervised by a college. Each college has representatives on the EBVS, which defines the rules, oversees procedures within the colleges, and deals with appeal procedures. The ECCVT, which consists of representatives from the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE), the Federation of Veterinarians in Europe (FVE), and the EBVS, is the supervising body that can approve procedures for the recognition of European veterinary specialists and acts as a liaison between the veterinary profession and relevant European and international bodies with respect to matters relating to post-graduate education.     

中美高校《兽医病理学》课程教学的区别

《兽医病理学》是研究动物疾病科学的一门基础兽医学课程,是基础兽医学与临床兽医学之间的＂桥梁学科＂。近年来,为了提升兽医执业专业毕业生能力,我国对《兽医病理学》课程教学进行了一系列的改革,取得了一定的进步,但实际教学效果与预期目标仍有一定的差距。以黑龙江八一农垦大学和美国康奈尔大学兽医专业《兽医病理学》教学为例,就中美兽医教育中该课程教学的区别进行阐述,旨在为我国兽医病理学教学改革提供借鉴。     

Establishment of the European College of Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ECVCP) and the current status of veterinary clinical pathology in Europe

After 5 years of development, the European College of Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ECVCP) was formally recognized and approved on July 4, 2007 by the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS), the European regulatory body that oversees specialization in veterinary medicine and which has approved 23 colleges. The objectives, committees, basis for membership, constitution, bylaws, information brochure and certifying examination of the ECVCP have remained unchanged during this time except as directed by EBVS. The ECVCP declared full functionality based on the following criteria: 1) a critical mass of 65 members: 15 original diplomates approved by the EBVS to establish the ECVCP, 37 de facto diplomates, 7 diplomates certified by examination, and 5 elected honorary members; 2) the development and certification of training programs, laboratories, and qualified supervisors for residents; currently there are 18 resident training programs in Europe; 3) administration of 3 annual board-certifying examinations thus far, with an overall pass rate of 70%; 4) European consensus criteria for assessing the continuing education of specialists every 5 years; 5) organization of 8 annual scientific congresses and a joint journal (with the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology) for communication of scientific research and information; the College also maintains a website, a joint listserv, and a newsletter; 6) collaboration in training and continuing education with relevant colleges in medicine and pathology; 7) development and strict adherence to a constitution and bylaws compliant with the EBVS; and 8) demonstration of compelling rationale, supporting data, and the support of members and other colleges for independence as a specialty college. Formal EBVS recognition of ECVCP as the regulatory body for the science and practice of veterinary clinical pathology in Europe will facilitate growth and development of the discipline and compliance of academic, commercial diagnostic, and industry laboratories in veterinary clinical pathology. Future needs are in developing sponsorship for resident positions, increasing employment opportunities, increasing compliance with laboratory, training, and continuing education standards, and advancing relevant science and technology.     

Prognostic and predictive significance of KIT protein expression and c‐kit gene mutation in canine cutaneous mast cell tumours: A consensus of the Oncology‐Pathology Working Group

One of the primary objectives of the Oncology‐Pathology Working Group (OPWG), a joint initiative of the Veterinary Cancer Society and the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, is for oncologists and pathologists to collaboratively generate consensus documents to standardize aspects of and provide guidelines for oncologic pathology. Consensus is established through critical review of peer‐reviewed literature relevant to a subgroup's particular focus. Subsequent acceptance and approval of the document by the OPWG membership at large establishes consensus. The intent of this publication is to help educate practitioners and pathologists on the value of diagnostics related to the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase for canine cutaneous mast cell tumours and to provide a guide for the use of these tests in veterinary medicine. This document represents the opinions of the OPWG and the authors and does not constitute a formal endorsement by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists or the Veterinary Cancer Society.     

The European system of veterinary specialization

Veterinary specialist diplomas were available in many European countries during the second half of the 20th century. However, such an early recognition of the importance of veterinary specialization actually delayed the concept of the European veterinary specialist in Europe, compared with the United States, where the first specialist colleges were established in the 1960s, because it was felt that the national system was functioning properly and there was therefore no need for a new structure in the European countries. The European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS) was established in 1996, and currently there are 23 specialist colleges with more than 2,600 veterinarians officially listed in the EBVS register as European specialists. The Advisory Committee on Veterinary Training (ACVT) approved the establishment of EBVS but never implemented a supervising body (with ACVT representation). Such a body, the European Coordinating Committee on Veterinary Training, was later implemented by the profession itself, although it still lacked a political component. Each college depends on the EBVS, which has the function to define standards and criteria for monitoring the quality of college diplomates. To become a European Diplomate, veterinarians must have gone through an intensive period of training supervised by a diplomate, after which candidates must pass an examination. Although the term European veterinary specialist still does not have any legal recognition, national specialist qualifications are being phased out in many countries because of the inherent higher quality of EBVS specialist qualifications.     

European veterinary education: a bridge to quality

The aim of this review is to provide an insight into the current state of, and future changes in, veterinary education within the European Community, as well as the role of the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) in evaluating and raising standards of education and training. It also describes the role of EAEVE in developing strategies for changes in the future. Veterinary schools have traditionally aimed at producing the omnicompetent veterinarian at graduation. Many have questioned whether this is possible, and a recent European Commission (EC) funded market survey has confirmed that this is indeed an impossible task and has identified the requirements of society within the European Union (EU) for veterinary services in the future. There is however a need to change the current 1978 European Directive. The current mechanisms which have been used by EAEVE to evaluate over 100 veterinary schools in Europe and their relationship with other systems of appraisal are described. The future of veterinary education within the context of higher education in Europe as part of the Bologna process and in relation to standards of veterinary education worldwide are discussed. Whilst the merits of standardisation of educational quality so that there can be mutual recognition of qualifications are supported, the need to preserve the strengths associated with the diversity of approaches and teaching methods is strongly advocated.     

The struggle toward a unified Europe in the area of veterinary medical education]

The recent years have been conspicuous by an unusually dynamic arrangement of political, social and economic relations among all European countries. Scientific community of nations on our continent concerns also our discipline-veterinary medicine-giving numerous examples of common aims, beginning from the 1st Veterinary Congress in 1863, Hamburg. The present changes occurring in Europe give priority to individual scientific, professional and productive integration also in our veterinary science and practice. It must be said, too, that international exchange of goods stimulates not only their standardization as for production conditions and assessment methods, but also the level of consciousness and objective knowledge of the parties warranting the quality of the product. This concerns particularly the food products as for which the parties interested take into account the technical and sanitary norms concerning the products at all stages of their production. Hence the tendency to unification of veterinary studies in all Europe has been approved by all four facilities in Poland. Accession of our faculties to the European Association of Veterinary Medicine Faculties direct by Prof. TOMA, as well as of Czechoslovak and Hungarian faculties, is a clear example of these countries being ready to integration. Similarly, the resolutions of the Association concerning standardization of diplomas and professional specializations of veterinary surgeons in European Community would inspire the veterinary education centres to comparing and following unified organization and programmes of studies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Evaluation of static telepathology in veterinary diagnostic cytology

BACKGROUND: Telepathology is the process of diagnostic pathology performed on digital images viewed on a display screen rather than by conventional light microscopy with glass slides. At present, electronic mail (e-mail) attachment is the most common communication medium for telepathology, because it is relatively simple and incurs minimal cost. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to test whether telediagnosis through Internet e-mail could be applied to veterinary diagnostic cytology. METHODS: Using 20 cytology cases, on which a consensus diagnosis was reached by 3 experienced pathologists, a total of 130 images were digitized and sent as e-mail attachments from the Unit of Anatomic Pathology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Naples to the Unit of Pathology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Messina, Italy. The images were reviewed at the Unit of Pathology of Messina, where the consulting pathologist formulated his diagnoses by visualizing the images on the monitor of a computer. The telediagnoses were compared with the consensus diagnoses and with the consulting pathologist's interpretation using conventional light microscopy at a later date. RESULTS: The median time to capture images was approximately 30 minutes for each case. The median time to make a telecytodiagnosis was a few seconds for each case. Overall, there was good agreement (85%) between the consensus diagnosis and the consultant's telediagnosis. In 100% of the cases there was agreement between the consulting pathologist's telediagnosis and conventional glass slide diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Telepathology by e-mail provides acceptable efficacy and a faster turnaround time than post and can be applied to veterinary diagnostic cytology.     

Best practices for veterinary toxicologic clinical pathology,with emphasis on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries

The purpose of this paper by the Regulatory Affairs Committee (RAC) of the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP) is to review the current regulatory guidances (eg, guidelines) and published recommendations for best practices in veterinary toxicologic clinical pathology, particularly in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and to utilize the combined experience of ASVCP RAC to provide updated recommendations. Discussion points include (1) instrumentation, validation, and sample collection, (2) routine laboratory variables, (3) cytologic laboratory variables, (4) data interpretation and reporting (including peer review, reference intervals and statistics), and (5) roles and responsibilities of clinical pathologists and laboratory personnel. Revision and improvement of current practices should be in alignment with evolving regulatory guidance documents, new technology, and expanding understanding and utility of clinical pathology. These recommendations provide a contemporary guide for the refinement of veterinary toxicologic clinical pathology best practices.     

ASVCP quality assurance guidelines: control of general analytical factors in veterinary laboratories

Owing to lack of governmental regulation of veterinary laboratory performance, veterinarians ideally should demonstrate a commitment to self-monitoring and regulation of laboratory performance from within the profession. In response to member concerns about quality management in veterinary laboratories, the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP) formed a Quality Assurance and Laboratory Standards (QAS) committee in 1996. This committee recently published updated and peer-reviewed Quality Assurance Guidelines on the ASVCP website. The Quality Assurance Guidelines are intended for use by veterinary diagnostic laboratories and veterinary research laboratories that are not covered by the US Food and Drug Administration Good Laboratory Practice standards (Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Chapter 58). The guidelines have been divided into 3 reports on 1) general analytic factors for veterinary laboratory performance and comparisons, 2) hematology and hemostasis, and 3) clinical chemistry, endocrine assessment, and urinalysis. This report documents recommendations for control of general analytical factors within veterinary clinical laboratories and is based on section 2.1 (Analytical Factors Important In Veterinary Clinical Pathology, General) of the newly revised ASVCP QAS Guidelines. These guidelines are not intended to be all-inclusive; rather, they provide minimum guidelines for quality assurance and quality control for veterinary laboratory testing. It is hoped that these guidelines will provide a basis for laboratories to assess their current practices, determine areas for improvement, and guide continuing professional development and education efforts.     

Teaching veterinary clinical pathology to undergraduate students: an integrated European project

BACKGROUND: Veterinary clinical pathology is a relatively new and emerging discipline in Europe that has gained momentum with the recent establishment of a specialty college. In this situation, veterinary faculties may face challenges in understanding and defining what clinical pathology is and how it can best be integrated into existing curricula. In addition, many schools in Europe may not yet have available a critical mass of suitably qualified faculty capable of teaching in all areas of clinical pathology. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this report is to describe the goals, procedures adopted, teaching material produced, and proposed future activities of a major European initiative designed to develop a veterinary clinical pathology curriculum. METHODS: Four working subgroups were formed to establish a list of course objectives and topics and prepare a series of lectures. These contents were reviewed and discussed several times at a series of general meetings. RESULTS: An undergraduate course on veterinary clinical pathology was designed with course objectives, a list of topics and a CD-ROM consisting of 24 lectures. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this project could be useful in the establishment or improvement of training programs in veterinary clinical pathology at the undergraduate level in Europe and in other places around the world. The provision of teaching resources for faculty could help to instill in veterinary students a strong understanding of the discipline and promote development of advanced training programs and career opportunities in clinical pathology in Europe.     

Toward harmonization of the European food hygiene/veterinary public health curriculum

Prompted by developments in the agri-food industry and associated recent changes in European legislation, the responsibilities of veterinarians professionally active in veterinary public health (VPH), and particularly in food hygiene (FH), have increasingly shifted from the traditional end-product control toward longitudinally integrated safety assurance. This necessitates the restructuring of university training programs to provide starting competence in this area for veterinary graduates or a sub-population of them. To date, there are substantial differences in Europe in the way in which graduate programs in FH/VPH are structured and in the time allocated to this important curricular group of subjects. Having recognized this, the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) recently instituted a working group to analyze the current situation, with a view to produce standard operating procedures allowing fair and transparent evaluations of universities/faculties constituting its membership and in concurrence with explicit European legislation on the professional qualifications deemed necessary for this veterinary discipline. This article summarizes the main conclusions and recommendations of the working group and seeks to contribute to the international efforts to optimize veterinary training in FH/VPH.     

North American veterinary pathology residency training programs: an overview of where they are today and where they were five years ago, with an analysis of trends

An e-mail/telephone survey of all active North American residency training programs in veterinary pathology was conducted in September 2005. The purpose of this survey was to determine current numbers of trainees, their program length and type, and salaries; to compare current numbers to five years earlier; and, finally, to gauge interest in expanding current programs. All 41 training institutions contacted responded to the survey. Briefly, the survey found that there are currently 235 veterinary pathology residents, for a mean of 5.7 residents per training program. The number of residents currently in training programs and the number of applicants for these programs has increased compared to five years earlier. There is widespread interest in further expanding capacity in these programs, and the coalition of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and the Society of Toxicologic Pathology is a well-known source of possible funding for additional residents. This survey report further documents the numbers of combined residency/PhD programs, average starting salaries for new residents, outside sponsorship effects on pathology training programs, and some of the common concerns regarding veterinary pathology training programs voiced by the respondents. While residency training capacity has expanded in the last five years, and there is widespread desire to further expand these training programs, a shortage of veterinary pathologists for future market needs will need to be addressed by increased funding from as yet unspecified sources.     

Rebar Named Dean at Purdue

veterinary Practice Publishing Company extends its congratulations to Dr. Alan H. Rebar on his appointment as Dean of Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, effective July 1, 1996. Dr. Rebar served for many years as the editor-in-chief of Veterinary Clinical Pathology.     

Introduction to the Swiss way of teaching veterinary pathology in the twenty-first century: application of e-learning modules

The teaching of pathology within the veterinary medical curriculum extends through the entire training period and has a dual role. General pathology deals with principles of disease processes as a basis for understanding the reactions of a multi-cellular organism to adverse effects; organ pathology builds on the principles of general pathology and explains the malfunctions of individual organs. Pathology is heavily image dependent and best taught in a highly interactive manner. The Institute of Veterinary Pathology, University of Zurich (IVPZ), has been actively developing concepts for teaching pathology in the new veterinary curriculum, which demands more active participation from students, with 20% of their study time devoted to individual study using traditional materials (books, articles, etc.) and e-learning modules. The Swiss Virtual Animal Pathologist is designed to cover and support the central elements of the Veterinary Pathology curriculum of the Vetsuisse Faculty. The needs of students and staff of the participating institutions for an interactive learning platform to supplement the existing face-to-face lectures and tutorials are the highest priority of this initiative.