Mission and Overview
The Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine is dedicated to teaching the next generation of veterinarians, veterinary specialists, and veterinary technicians, providing clinical and diagnostic resources for farm animals, poultry, aquatic and marine animals, as well as conducting clinically relevant research to support individual patients and animal populations.
A Commitment to Teaching
The faculty and staff in Pathobiology and Population Medicine are dedicated to providing case-based clinical training for future veterinarians, veterinary specialists and veterinary technicians. Additionally, the faculty and staff within the department play an integral role in pre-clinical education by providing lectures and hands-on laboratories for students. The focus of our teaching is on providing the practical knowledge and skills needed for future veterinarians, specialists, and technicians so they will be ready to enter into clinical practice. With such a diverse department, students will be exposed to a wide range of experiences that focus on clinical practice and diagnostic services for many animal species and populations. With our signature “two-by-two” curriculum, our veterinary students will only spend two years in didactic lectures and then experience two years of clinical training in our Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories. The College’s third- and fourth-year veterinary students get to visit all locations within the department, working alongside clinicians, interns, residents and veterinary technicians. Our faculty and staff are active members and teachers in the MSU-CVM Center for Rural Veterinary Practice that has been developed to enhance the mixed animal training for students that are interested in rural veterinary practice. The department has a strong house officer program that is committed to preparing interns and residents (graduated veterinarians receiving additional specialty-level training) to become the next generation of teachers and specialists.
A Commitment to Research
Research within our department reflects the various disciplines represented and concentrates on problems relevant to the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of problems affecting animals. Many of our interns and residents participate in clinical research, including enrollment in thesis-based Master's and PhD programs.
A Commitment to Service
The foundation of the department is diagnostic and clinical service for farm animals, poultry, aquatic and marine animals of Mississippi. In many instances, our faculty are the only veterinarians and professionals providing specialty services to the regional community. Our faculty and staff provide diagnostic and animal health assistance for the state’s poultry, livestock and companion animals through their work at the Animal Health Center in Starkville, MS and the Mississippi Veterinary Research Diagnostic Laboratory (MVRDL) System with the main location in Pearl, MS. Additionally, our faculty and staff provide a Large Animal Ambulatory Service for on-the-farm primary and emergency care for horses, cattle, small ruminants, and other species. The department has numerous faculty members that participate in our public health and population medicine service that investigates the distributions, patterns, and determinants of health and disease in animal populations. This service focuses on understanding how diseases spread among animals, identifying risk factors, and developing strategies for prevention and control. Veterinarians and professionals with PPM are dedicated to providing diagnostic and clinical service for the aquatic and marine animals around the state.