Master of Science - Veterinary Sciences - Veterinary Clinical and Translational Sciences

The Master of Science - Veterinary Sciences - Veterinary Clinical and Translational Sciences program in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (VCS) at Washington State University is a plan of study preparing the resident for certification in his/her area of clinical assignment. The objectives of the program are to promote high standards of scholarly creativity, proficiency in a clinical discipline and professional service, experience in teaching, and independent and critical research. Areas of service and research may include: internal medicine, cardiology, ophthalmology, anesthesiology, neurology, surgery, radiology, clinical pathology, theriogenology, equine exercise physiology, exotic animal medicine, epidemiology, mastitis, and production medicine.

 Learning Outcomes:

Enable students to develop as successful professionals for highly competitive positions in academia, industry and government, the program provides a variety of experiences that  help students to:

• Develop broad expertise in appropriate concepts, theories, and emerging methodologies to effectively conduct research across the disciplines represented in  Veterinary Clinical Sciences. To fully understand “health” and appropriate interventions at population and individual levels through studies ranging from the  molecular (genetics, molecular epidemiology, bacterial genome characterization), cellular (mechanisms of tumor cell resistances), systems (orthopedics,  theriogenology), populations (gene flow within populations, disease rates, clinical trials).
• Develop quantitative skills to assess clinical and research literature, relate population level diagnostic and clinical research to clinical practice, relate population genetic structures to herd and animal level response to interventions.
• Present research to local, regional, national, and international audiences through publications in professional journals and conference papers given in a range of  venues, from graduate seminars to professional meetings.
• Participate in professional organizations, becoming members, attending meetings, and, where appropriate, taking leadership roles.
• Broaden professional foundations through teaching, outreach, fellowships, and grant applications.

To prepare students to be effective researchers within the disciplines represented by Veterinary Clinical Sciences the program provides a variety of experiences that help students to:

• Become independent, self-motivated researchers with the ability to recognize problems in their field of expertise and formulate solutions to the problems.
• Develop comprehensive knowledge of previous and current research in their field of expertise and be able to demonstrate that knowledge through literature  reviews.
• Generate viable questions within their field of expertise and pose problems or hypotheses related to those questions.
• Apply sound research methods to problems in their discipline and describe the methods effectively.
• Perform statistical analyses of research data and present the results in a way that makes clear sense of the data.
• Discuss the solution to the research problem or the support or lack of support for the hypothesis in a way that effectively documents the contribution of the  research to the area of study.
• Communicate their research clearly and professionally in both written and oral forms appropriate to the field.
• Enhance the national and international visibility of graduate education and research in WSU CVM Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences.
• Attract, secure, and retain high-quality students.
• Enhance doctoral education by creating advanced courses, providing more support –resources for fellowships, research, travel to conferences, etc. – for doctoral  students, and providing effective mentoring that encourages students to graduate in a timely manner.
• Facilitate placement of graduates into competitive positions in academics, government, and industry.