The VMD/PhD Program at Penn
Program History
The VMD/PhD Program at Penn has been in existence since 1969 and is the most accomplished program of its kind in the nation. The VMD/PhD Program has been enormously successful. It was initially directed by Dr. Ralph Brinster, a pioneer in production of transgenic animals and reproductive biology. The Program has been continually funded by the National Institutes of Health via Penn's Medical Scientist Training Program, and more recently was awarded an NIH Training Grant (T32) for students in infectious disease disciplines. Additional funding comes from private sources such as Pfizer Animal Health and the Armour-Lewis Foundation. Program graduates are exceptionally well-qualified to integrate multiple levels of science ranging from molecular biology to whole animal physiololgy. More than 85% of Program alumni are in careers involving biomedical research. Penn Vet VMD/PhD alumni represent a rich pool of talented interdisciplinary scientists whose expertise greatly enriches the scientific community. Our graduates show a high level of achievement, a steady positive progression in seniority of academic faculty or industry positions, and command a collective funding base of over 100 million dollars.
Program Expansion
The National Academy of Sciences has published several reports demonstrating an acute national shortage of veterinarian-scientists needed for industrial, academic and government positions. To help meet this need, the VMD/PhD Program at the University of Pennsylvania has doulbed in size since 2002 and is projected to double again during the next five to eight years. Our applicant pool is expanding rapidly and we anticipate further increases in the future. We anticipate increasing our matriculant numbers to six to eight new students per year to generate a steady state of 45 to 60 students. This important and exciting expansion will provide a pipeline of talented scientists for industrial, government and academic positions, augment the biomedical enterprise and meet a pressing national need.
