Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine recently received a six-year, $1.7 million grant from Maddie's Fund for a program in shelter medicine.
Maddie's Fund previously has funded programs in shelter medicine at the University of California-Davis, Iowa State University, and Auburn University. The goal of the nonprofit organization is to support no-kill animal shelters.
The cornerstone of the Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell will be a three-year residency. The veterinary college will certify residents as proficient in shelter medicine at the completion of the three years, and residents will also complete training for a master's degree in epidemiology.
Veterinary students will be able to take two elective courses in shelter medicine. Two core courses will include material on shelter medicine. Also, students will be able to participate in an elective rotation and apply for externships in shelter medicine.
As diagnostic support, Cornell's Animal Health Diagnostic Center will provide diagnostic workups to evaluate populations at shelters. The workups will help identify the cause of problems, develop problem-specific preventive or control strategies, evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies, and identify the causes of outbreaks.
David Duffield, a Cornell graduate and founder of PeopleSoft Inc., and his wife, Cheryl, created Maddie's Fund in memory of their Miniature Schnauzer. |