Abstract
After 15 years of existence, the ACVP/STP Coalition for Veterinary Pathology Fellows will dissolve, primarily due to lack of renewed financial sponsorship. While in operation, the Coalition organized 32 new training position for veterinary pathologists, supported by $7.4 M from sponsors, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research organizations, private individuals and allied veterinary pathology support groups. All residual funds will be donated to ACVP and STP with the understanding that the two organizations will use these funds to enhance training by collaborating on outreach efforts, thus maintaining the legacy and spirit of the Coalition.
Rick Adler, Elizabeth Clark, Mark Cline, Michael Conner, Torrie Crabbs, Stacey Fossey, David Malarkey, Emily Meseck, and William Vernau
Susan Tornquist
Kevin McDorman
Susan Rees
Gary Cockerell
History and Objectives
The Coalition was formed in late 2004 to provide a unified mechanism for the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) and Society of Toxicologic Pathology (STP) to solicit and allocate funds to establish new training positions for veterinary anatomic and clinical pathologists. Oversight was provided by ACVP council and STP executive committee. Strategic leadership was provided by a 10-member Board of Governors, with representatives from academia and industry, appointed by Council and Executive Committee to serve 3-year terms. In addition, current presidents of the ACVP and STP served as ad hoc members. A director and administrative manager were responsible for implementing and administering Coalition activities; Gary Cockerell and The Rees Group, respectively, have served in these capacities since inception.
The 3 main objectives of the Coalition were to: Receive and maintain funds and, as appropriate, disburse principal and income therefrom in support and furtherance of the purposes of the Coalition; Promote the development of new veterinary pathology fellowships in established colleges of veterinary medicine; Enhance opportunities for communication among those parties who employ, educate, or participate in the educational opportunities surrounding veterinary pathology, such as pharmaceutical companies, the business community, educational institutions, fellowship candidates, and students of veterinary medicine.
Accomplishments
In pursuit of its objectives, the Coalition accomplished the following:
Raised US$7.4 M from 29 different financial sponsors (pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research organizations [CROs], private individuals, and allied veterinary pathology support groups) to support new training positions
Established 32 new training positions (19 anatomic pathology residencies, 3 clinical pathology residencies, and 10 post-DVM PhD graduate programs) at 17 different North American academic institutions that train veterinary pathologists as one of their primary functions
Created additional opportunities for Coalition trainees to experience careers in the biopharmaceutical industry through externships
Published 7 articles (in addition to the current article) in biomedical and educational journals detailing Coalition activities 1 –7
Convened 5 Coalition Scientific Conferences at ACVP or STP annual conferences for Fellows to present results of their training
Presented posters and/or platform talks at ACVP and STP annual conferences, 2004 to 2016
Challenges
With the onset of the economic recession in 2008, subsequent mergers, acquisitions, and reorganizations in the biopharmaceutical industry, and increased stringency on how industry allocates funds to external entities, it became increasingly difficult to obtain financial support for the Coalition. Despite repeated requests for support, only 3 new training positions have been established since 2011, and 2 of those were created as cost-share partnerships between universities and the Coalition with residual Coalition funds provided by sponsors in previous years. A compounding factor has been the economic pressure on new veterinary graduates due to increased educational debts. The trend for new veterinary school graduates to find rapid workplace revenue streams has disincentivized their additional pursuit of veterinary pathology residency, ACVP certification, and PhD training. Paradoxically, the combination of all these credentials continues to be in demand in the biopharmaceutical industry.
In view of these developments, the Board of Governors decided in 2017 to suspend further requests for funding until the future direction of the Coalition could be determined. The Board then conducted telephone surveys in mid-2019 to obtain feedback on: (1) the supply and demand for veterinary pathologists; (2) the ability of industry to fund new training positions; and (3) the need for career advancement opportunities such as externships, specialty sabbatical training in toxicological pathology and other forms of training in lieu of, or in addition to, fellowships that had been funded through the Coalition.
Input from industry was sought by surveying hiring managers and department/global heads of pathology, including 16 participants from CROs, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology companies. Principal responses of survey participants were as follows:
100% indicated that there is limited feasibility of continued financial support for the Coalition in the current corporate environment
Feasibility of financial support is even lower given increased outsourcing and proportionally decreased internal need for pathologists in the biopharmaceutical industry
Contract research organizations do not have the profit margin or the resources to assume financial support for the Coalition in the place of the biopharmaceutical industry
Mid-career and entry level anatomic pathologists were the most hired positions in the past 3 years
Specialty organ/species expertise and molecular techniques were the most desired additional skill sets for incoming hires
Attrition (retirements) in the next 5 years is expected to be ≥ 2 full time equivalents for most companies surveyed
75% thought the Coalition had served its purpose
75% thought the Coalition should dissolve after currently supported fellowships are completed
Several companies have built their own links to academic institutions, so history shows that the bridges can be built without the assistance of the Coalition
Most participants felt there was a continuing need for training opportunities, for example, externships, to expose trainees to careers in industry
Increased exposure of trainees to career opportunities can likely be done through existing ACVP and STP outreach programs without the need for the Coalition, but the 2 organizations need to interact more closely to take advantage of each other’s approaches and accomplishments
Input from academia was sought by surveying veterinary anatomic and clinical pathology training programs, including 10 faculty/administrative thought leaders and 8 trainees either currently enrolled or having recently completed a training program. Principal responses of survey participants were as follows:
Most programs offered very little to no caseload/exposure to laboratory animals for trainees
Many programs offered very little toxicological pathology/drug development training; however, most faculty felt they could adequately advise trainees on these career opportunities
Although caseloads were similar across most programs, the vast majority of trainees felt they did not get any training in drug development/toxicology, and 100% of trainees said they would have been interested in increased training in this area, even if they were currently employed elsewhere
Numbers of faculty and trainees have remained relatively constant, which, given the economic challenges universities were facing, was seen as quite positive
Career destinations for trainees were ∼70% to diagnostics and academics, slightly more than 15% to industry/pharma/CROs, and slightly less than 15% to government
100% of participants agreed that there was demand for veterinary pathologists, and most trainees were being recruited
Most participants felt there were multiple positions from which trainees could choose, with estimates ranging from 1.75 to 3.0 positions/trainee
The response to whether or not a PhD was needed in the current job market was variable; for academia, most participants felt it was dependent on job descriptions, and that it was more necessary for positions in biopharmaceutical companies than CROs
There was uniform consensus that the Coalition should not simply dissolve after the current fellowships conclude
Most faculty felt that the Coalition should focus on other training opportunities rather than just stipends for residencies or PhD programs, including externships, bringing industry toxicological pathologists to training programs or a web-based “industry/pharma rounds” in which any interested institution could participate
The general consensus was that trainees do not necessarily acquire the most highly regarded career “soft” skills, for example, ability to communicate (writing grants, publications and study reports, and interacting with basic science researchers), multitasking, leadership skills, and general research training through classical training programs
The Path Forward
Based on results of the surveys, the Board voted to dissolve the Coalition following the conclusion of 2 currently active fellowships in the summer of 2020. Any funds remaining at that time would be equally divided and transferred to ACVP and STP with the understanding that the funds will continue to be used to train students as intended by the original contributors. ACVP and STP would collaborate and share information through existing student outreach programs in each organization. In accepting these funds, ACVP and STP have agreed to the following Coalition recommendations:
Promote the concept of Veterinary Pathology trainee externships among industry (biopharma and CRO) partners and other institutions, inclusive of senior veterinary students, residents, and graduate students focused on veterinary pathology
Strengthen the connection between academic training institutions and industry or other institutions willing to host trainees for a limited time or recurrent periods
Create an externship syllabus framework of potential activities in which trainees could engage, suited to their interests and skill levels
Create a centralized and accessible means to link veterinary pathology trainees with externships matched to their geographic region and supported by small stipend funding for limited travel arrangements
Create a network of industry and other nonacademic institutional mentors willing to avidly support trainee interactions, as externs, or though individual mentorships
Support mentor visits to academic institutions to showcase career opportunities
Create a simplified process for trainees to avail themselves of opportunities offered by both organizations
Lobby for funding these limited scale opportunities among ACVP, ASVCP, STP, IATP and similar professional organizations through directed fundraising activities or other means aimed at student outreach
This collaborative effort between ACVP and STP will achieve many of the same advantages the Coalition had provided: (1) It will bridge the gap between academia and industry; (2) it will centralize training opportunities offered by each organization through shared links and communications; (3) it will encourage contributions resulting from future fundraising efforts specifically directed toward trainee activities, and; (4) it will mutually benefit industry, academia, and trainees.
The outcome of this endeavor was uncertain when the Coalition was established in 2004. As formal operations cease to exist in 2020, we extend our sincere appreciation and gratefully acknowledge the participation of all organizations that contributed to the Coalition’s success, the result of which is 32 more veterinary pathologists in the workforce than there would have been otherwise. We thank ACVP Council and STP Executive Committee for their support and encouragement, and especially for assuming the legacy and retaining the spirit of the Coalition.
Footnotes
Authors’ Note
This article is simultaneously published in Toxicologic Pathology and Veterinary Pathology with the permission of both journals.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential, real, or perceived conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
