Avian Medicine and Pathology Resident

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Animal Diagnostic Laboratory in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University in University Park, PA invites applications for an Avian Medicine and Pathology Residency (Post-Doctoral Scholar) training position.  This is a full-time 48-week position annually renewable for up to 2 years and is intended for specialty training to qualify the resident to take the American College of Poultry Veterinarians (ACPV) board examination.  The resident will be supervised by full-time faculty members based in an academic diagnostic laboratory setting.  Two avian pathologistsare on faculty to provide instruction with an emphasis on gross and microscopic avian pathology, including necropsies on animals submitted through the diagnostic service.  Additional experience may be obtained in other sections of the diagnostic lab including bacteriology, virology, serology, and molecular diagnostics. 

Duties will include performing gross and histopathologic examinations on avian necropsy cases, writing necropsy reports, consulting with submitting veterinarians and clients, participating in weekly rounds, assisting with undergraduate and veterinary extern instruction, and assisting with collaborative academic research.  Other duties include participating in field investigation visits to flocks, hatcheries, and processing plants with poultry veterinarians, poultry extension faculty in the College of Agricultural Sciences, and private practice/industry poultry veterinarians.  The candidate is expected to present case reports or applied research findings at scientific meetings and submit clinical or research paper(s) to peer-reviewed journals. 

Applicants must hold a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)/ Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris (VMD) or equivalent degree from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)-accredited college/university (or have successfully passed the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates [ECFVG] examination) and must have a current license to practice veterinary medicine in 1 or more US state(s).  The start date for the residency will be July 1, 2027. 

Applications should be submitted to https://hr.psu.edu/careers and include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, veterinary medical school transcript, and the names and contact information for at least three professional references familiar with the candidate (at least one reference should be a member of American Association of Avian Pathologists [AAAP] and/or an American College of Poultry Veterinarians [ACPV] diplomate).  Review of applications will begin December 11, 2026 and continue until a suitable candidate is identified. For additional information, contact Dr. Megan Lighty at (814) 863-0837 or [email protected]. 

The Animal Diagnostic Laboratory is a member of the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System and is a full service, American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) accredited, National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratory with histopathology, necropsy, virology, serology, microbiology, parasitology, and molecular biology sections.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.

For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

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