The Department of Clinical Studies, Philadelphia plays a vital role in Penn Vet's three-part mission to educate veterinarians and the public about animal health, provide service to the public by treating sick pets and other small animals, and develop new approaches through research to improve companion animal health.
Teaching
Fourth-year students rotate through busy clinics staffed by Board-certified specialists in internal medicine, surgery, dermatology, special species, critical care, anesthesia, dentistry, radiology, neurology, cardiology, and oncology. The department also trains graduate veterinarians to become specialists and provides continuing education to veterinarians and the public through programs, seminars, and publications.
Service
The Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital is staffed by department faculty and staff, who see more than 31,000 patient visits each year, including more than 13,000 through the Emergency Service. The Ryan Veterinary Hospital is an established world leader in programs such as oncology, critical care, internal medicine and surgery. Many veterinary specialties now practiced internationally were initiated at Penn Vet. Innovative new programs for treating companion animal patients at the hospital include kidney transplant, a special-species program, animal behavior and nutrition. In addition, the hospital has the world's only animal bloodmobile. The interdisciplinary Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society, which studies the social, behavioral, and cultural interactions between animals and humans, is also based in the department.
Research
Penn Vet includes as part of its mission a commitment to advancing the frontiers of knowledge about animal health and disease in order to improve animal well-being. Faculty and staff in Clinical Studies - Philadelphia (CSP) operate the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital, where companion animals (pets) are seen as patients. Faculty in our department include some who have basic biomedical programs in traditional laboratories, and also many whose interests revolve around naturally occurring conditions that afflict pet animals (including but not limited to dogs and cats). These pets are brought to our hospital by their owners for diagnosis and treatment.
Our department's investigations are aimed at improving the health of our animal patients, and in many cases the results are also relevant to humans with the same conditions. The department is structured into Sections that specialize in particular treatments or disease conditions. Many of our faculty are members of research centers. At any time, a number of clinical trials aimed at treating, diagnosing or preventing particular conditions of pets are in progress in CSP. If you are interested in knowing about clinical trials for a specific condition and are unable to find the information, please contact Veterinary Clinical Trials at 215-573-0302 or 215-573-3885 or via email vcic@vet.upenn.edu