The Anatomic Pathology Residency Program at the University of Minnesota is designed to provide broad exposure to basic and applied aspects of veterinary pathology and to prepare the trainee for a career in veterinary pathology and diagnostic medicine. Residents successfully completing the program are qualified to take the ACVP Board examination.
Pathology residents develop skills in gross pathology and histopathology by participating in a busy diagnostic laboratory service. These basic pathology skills are supplemented by training in clinical and comparative pathology, as well as population-based diagnostic medicine.
Residents also participate in pathology teaching for the veterinary student pathology laboratories and instruct senior veterinary students on necropsy rotations. Residents are expected to actively participate in weekly seminars in gross, microscopic, and clinical pathology; and other specialty pathology rounds.
Our faculty
A diverse faculty comprised of 12 ACVP certified anatomic or clinical pathologists and 6 production animal diagnosticians support this program.
Caseload
The caseload includes a wide variety of domestic, wild and exotic animals, and birds submitted to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
Opportunities after completing the program
After completion of the residency program, qualified individuals may pursue focused research training leading to the PhD degree through the institution’s NIH-funded T32 post-doctoral training program in Comparative Medicine and Pathology.
Current residents
Katie McDermott, DVM
Dr. Katie McDermott graduated from the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine in May 2021. Prior to veterinary school, Katie spent several years living and working on the premises of an exotic animal/ wildlife reserve in central Florida where she developed a deep interest in wildlife conservation, particularly of avian species. Her interest in the diseases of wild birds brought her to the University of Minnesota where she worked at The Raptor Center while completing her veterinary degree. Katie joined the University of Minnesota anatomic pathology residency program in July 2021 with plans of pursuing her interests in infectious diseases of wildlife and diagnostic pathology.
Caylie Hake, DVM
Dr. Caylie Hake graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2019 and began work as a primary and urgent care veterinarian in Pennsylvania. She moved to Minnesota in late 2020 and proceeded to explore an array of potential career pathways through relief and volunteer work, including small animal general practice, small animal emergency medicine, shelter medicine and surgery, and regulatory work with the West Virginia Racing Commission. She has always been interested in wildlife, and most recently completed an internship at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota. Caylie joined the University of Minnesota anatomic pathology residency program in November 2022, and is looking forward to developing a greater understanding of disease processes in domestic and wild animals with goals of contributing to wildlife conservation and management research.
Joanna Echenique, DVM
Joanna V.Z. Echenique is a Brazilian vet born in Rio de Janeiro but raised in Pelotas, a municipality in upstate Rio Grande do Sul, Southernmost Brazil. She graduated from Universidade Federal de Pelotas in 2016 with a Master's in animal science with pathology emphasis in 2019. From March 2019 until June 2023 she integrated into the veterinary pathology team of Setor de Patologia Veterinária at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre first as resident and later as a PhD student evaluating central nervous system diseases in wild mammals. During her entire journey she always have been keen in wildlife and sees in pathology a way of enhancing health in captive and wildlife populations, and also with a way to actively contribute to the One Health initiative. Dr. Echenique joined the University of Minnesota Anatomic Pathology residency program this July and is super excited to learn and develop a broad understanding of animal diseases and their processes.
Ariel de Aguiar, DVM
Dr. Ariel de Aguiar is a Brazilian veterinarian. She graduated from Universidade Federal do Acre in 2019 and then had a residency in Veterinary Pathology at Universidade Estadual de Londrina until February, 2021. Dr. Aguiar earned her Master’s in Anatomic Pathology at Universidade Federal de Santa Maria in October, 2022 where she also integrated into their veterinary pathology team at the Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology. For her, the discipline of pathology is an amazing world just waiting to be explored by those who love it. She believes each animal gives us a unique opportunity to dive deeper into the disease's ocean of discovery. She is enthusiastic about infectious disease and loves teaching. Dr. Aguiar joined the University of Minnesota Anatomic Pathology residency program this July and is super excited to learn and develop a broad understanding of animal diseases and their processes.