Zebrafish are seen in tanks at the Penn State College of Medicine Zebrafish Functional Genomic Core. Several fish are seen in detail at left in focus, with an out-of-focus background of their tank and neighboring tanks framing them at right.

Department of Comparative Medicine

Comparative Medicine at Penn State College of Medicine

The mission of the Department of Comparative Medicine is to promote animal welfare and improve the quality and integrity of animal-based research by engaging in independent and collaborative research, providing state of the art training to researchers and veterinary specialists, and by offering a broad range of fully-integrated professional services.

The Department of Comparative Medicine is an academic department within the Penn State College of Medicine staffed by veterinarians specialized in laboratory animal medicine and veterinary pathology.

We provide comprehensive health care for six to 10 different species of laboratory animal patients that are used by more than 120 scientists with the College of Medicine and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Ronald Wilson, VMD, MS, DACLAM, is Chair of the Department of Comparative Medicine at Penn State College of Medicine. He is pictured in a white lab coat, light blue shirt and light blue patterned tie against a blue background.
Ronald Wilson, VMD, MS, DACLAM, Chair, Comparative Medicine

Services include animal care and husbandry; clinical veterinary medicine; gross and microscopic veterinary pathology; surveillance of spontaneous animal diseases; post-operative and intensive care; training in animal handling and procedures; and technical assistance for scientists and students. We promote animal welfare and support biomedical research by providing training to researchers and maintaining expertise in laws and regulations that pertain to the use of animals in research.

Our department also offers a three-year training program in Laboratory Animal Medicine to graduate veterinarians. The program provides a broad foundation upon which an individual can build a career in research, teaching or in the professional direction of animal research programs.

I invite you to explore our newly updated website for more detailed information regarding the opportunities and services available within the Department of Comparative Medicine.

Ronald P. Wilson, VMD, MS, DACLAM
Comparative Medicine Department Chair
Penn State College of Medicine

Contact us to find out more

More about Comparative Medicine @ Penn State

Faculty, staff and students in the Penn State College of Medicine Department of Comparative Medicine are seen in 2014.
Faculty, staff and students in the Penn State College of Medicine Department of Comparative Medicine are seen in 2014.

Comparative Medicine Spotlight

Residency Program

The Laboratory Animal Medicine MS Program at Penn State College of Medicine is a residency program for graduate veterinarians offered through the Department of Comparative Medicine.

The Laboratory Animal Medicine MS Program at Penn State College of Medicine is a residency program for graduate veterinarians offered through the Department of Comparative Medicine. The 2015-16 residents pictured are, from left, Rebecca LaFleur, Regina Munden, John Knouse and Krista Hernon. LaFleur and Munden are now third-year residents in the program, and Knouse and Hernon have graduated.
The 2015-16 residents in the Laboratory Animal Medicine MS residency program pictured are, from left, Rebecca LaFleur, Regina Munden, John Knouse and Krista Hernon. LaFleur and Munden are now third-year residents in the program, and Knouse and Hernon have graduated.

Accreditation

The laboratory animal medicine programs at Penn State College of Medicine are accredited through a number of major organizations, including AAALAC International, AALAS, ACLAM, ASLAP, AAVMC and PSBR. The logos for these six organizations are seen in two horizontal rows of three.

The laboratory animal medicine programs at Penn State College of Medicine are accredited through a number of major organizations, including:

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