Scientia Ricerca Open Access | Scientific Publications

Journal Menu

Member In

Recent Edition

Short Communication

Volume 2 Issue 5 - 2019

New Postgraduate Expert Title for Veterinarians Specialized in Laboratory Animal Science in Switzerland

Maike Heimann*

Swiss Association of Veterinarians in Industry and Research (SAVIR), Switzerland

*Corresponding Author: Maike Heimann, Swiss Association of Veterinarians in Industry and Research (SAVIR), Switzerland.

Received: January 17, 2019; Published: January 22, 2019

Abstract

Swiss postgraduate title of the Diplomat Specialized Veterinarian in Laboratory Animal Science awarded by the Swiss Association of Veterinarians in Industry and Research

Keywords: (Postgraduate title laboratory animal science veterinarian)

Abbreviations: Dipl. SVLAS: Diplomat Specialized Veterinarian in Laboratory Animal Science; SAVIR: Swiss Association of Veterinarians in Industry and Research

Short communication

Important information for laboratory animal science focused vets working or living in Switzerland: since 2018, the Swiss Association of Veterinarians in Industry and Research (SAVIR) awards the postgraduate title of the Diplomat Specialized Veterinarian in Laboratory Animal Science (Dipl. SVLAS). This title for expert veterinarians in the field of laboratory animal science represents a recognition of professional skills and thus is an upgrading of the profession. Specialized veterinarians working in the field of laboratory animal science are particularly important for the:

the veterinary management, care, hygienic monitoring and/or planning of the facilities in which the animal experiments are carried out
surveillance of animal housing and care before, during and after an experiment including specific treatments and/or breeding of laboratory animals
planning, monitoring and execution of animal experiments (study design) plus assessment of results and reporting
development and application of the 3Rs principle and the protection of animals
transport of animals at national or international level
consulting, basic, continuing and qualifying training for the personnel involved in the experiments
support of researchers as an animal welfare delegate
Members of ethics committees and/or other working groups in the field of laboratory animal science.

The Swiss Association of Veterinarians in Industry and Research (SAVIR) sets the procedure for the program in the SVLAS rules. The scope of the rules includes the postgraduate recognition of veterinarians in the field of laboratory animal science with the aim of covering the basic procedures related to laboratory animals. The basis of this recognition is less in the differences between species but more in the basic principles in the care and use of laboratory animals in animal facilities. The title Diplomat Specialized Veterinarian in Laboratory Animal Science (Dipl. SVLAS) is protected under private law by SAVIR.

As prerequisites to be accepted as SVLAS candidate, interested people must live or work in Switzerland and must have a Swiss federal diploma in veterinary medicine (or a diploma recognized in Switzerland). Candidates also must be active SAVIR members and need to have sufficient practical experience in experimental animal research. This includes adequate basic training for experimenters and for experimental animal study directors. In addition to basic training, candidates must have working experience in in vivo research for at least 4 years as an experimenter and/or study director in Switzerland or abroad.

Citation: Maike Heimann. “New Postgraduate Expert Title for Veterinarians Specialized in Laboratory Animal Science in Switzerland”. Multidisciplinary Advances in Veterinary Science 2.5 (2019): 442-443.

Copyright: © 2019 Maike Heimann. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.