Page 10 - Clinical Connections - Summer 2022

RVC RESEARCH STUDY VETERINARY SERVICES RVC.AC.UK
Anatomic Pathology

BEING AN RVC ANATOMIC PATHOLOGY
RESIDENT

At this end of his residency and before heading back to the USA, Kevin O’Brien spoke to Clinical
Connections about his experience at the RVC.

What made you choose anatomic working with the canine and porcine (this accelerates in larger animals and
pathology as a specialty and what made gastrointestinal microbiomes and on especially hot days), which makes it
you choose the RVC for your residency? inflammatory bowel disease as part significantly more difficult for us to diagnose
of a collaboration with University of most lesions due to the tissue artefacts
One of the best aspects of anatomic Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of autolysis induces.
pathology is the versatility! We get to work Philadelphia (PennCHOP) Microbiome
with (just about) every species, and can Programme. After graduation, I sought out How would you like your career to
work in academia, government regulatory an anatomic pathology residency at the progress after your specialist training?
agencies, pharmaceutical companies, RVC with a focus on comparative pathology
diagnostic laboratories or zoos. Anatomic using animal models. I get a rush from teaching the intramural
pathology also offers a great work-life rotations students, so I would love to stay
balance. What are some of the most interesting in academia for now. But who knows,
From no on-call or weekend duties to things you have encountered during anatomic pathology is a such a broad field
ample opportunities for remote work, it is your residency? and my training at the RVC will allow me to
a pretty enticing offer. Now that we have pursue any number of sectors if I change
a slide scanner, all we need is a wi-fi Jaffa Cakes. I still don’t quite understand my mind.
connection to report our biopsy cases. One them, but I’m intrigued. But equally I hope to return to Penn with a comparative
company told me during an interview that if seriously, at the RVC I get to work with pathology position, so wish me luck!
I wanted to report cases from the beaches fantastic people from all over the world.
in Thailand, go for it, and that’s all I really Even within my own department, I work with
needed to hear. Though obviously remote people from Denmark, Greece, Slovenia,
work doesn’t lend itself to postmortems – Germany, Canada, Ireland, Spain, the list
I’m not sure I want to bring that work home goes on. Coming from the US, I am not
with me! used to this much geographic diversity!
In terms of interesting cases, I have had
Why the RVC? the opportunity to help out at the London and
Whipsnade Zoos with one of their silverback
It is the top veterinary school in the world gorillas and white rhinos. I have also had the
and its anatomic pathology department has opportunity to work with pathologists at King’s
a strong reputation with an excellent pass College London to observe postmortems
rate for the specialty ACVP exams. Also, I in people and really hone the comparative
was itching to return to the UK. anatomy elements of pathology.

What was your background prior to your What are the key challenges in the
residency? work?

I’m originally from New York and completed The pandemic. This affected everyone,
my bachelor’s degree in biology and naturally, but our department (and the RVC
chemistry at New York University in 2013. as a whole) had to circumnavigate plenty Kevin during his RVC residency
Then I deferred my veterinary school place of obstacles to get back into working order.
at University of Pennsylvania for two years However, for my department, it allowed RVC Pathology Residencies
to pursue a biology fellowship in the United us to take full advantage of our in-house The residency in anatomic pathology
Arab Emirates. I graduated from Penn slide scanner, which let us conduct didactic provides advanced instruction in the areas
in May 2019 and I joined the RVC as an rounds from our homes, share digital slides of post mortem examination, surgical
resident two months later. to colleagues abroad, and allowed for a pathology, immunohistochemistry and
During veterinary school, I developed better work-life balance. molecular pathology. The residency
a strong interest in the parallels between In general, though, autolysis can be programme in clinical pathology has
animal and human health. I became the biggest obstacle we face on a day-to- a structured programme of study in
involved with various research projects day basis. When an animal dies, the body haematology, cytology, clinical chemistry,
highlighting this relationship, such as starts to break down on a cellular level urinalysis and quality assurance.

For the Diagnostic Pathology Service,
please call:01707 666 208
Email:
diagnosticlabs@rvc.ac.uk
10 Summer 2022