ACLAM study guide
ACLAM · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
ACLAM - the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine - is a specialty board recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) as the certifying organization for laboratory animal medicine, a recognized specialty within the veterinary medical profession. Its certification program is intended for veterinarians who specialize in the care and responsible use of laboratory animals, and it recognizes demonstrated expertise in animal resource management, clinical care, research collaboration, and education. The ACLAM study guide has 4 sections and about 1,195 words.
01Animal Resource Management: Colony Health, Housing, and the Logistics of Care
Animal resource management is the operational backbone of a laboratory animal program: facility design and biosecurity, housing and enrichment standards, colony health surveillance, breeding and genetic management, and the paperwork that ties it all together (protocols, records, controlled substances, and disaster planning). A candidate should be fluent in the principles behind these systems, not just the vocabulary.
306 words, about 2 min02Clinical Care: Recognizing, Treating, and Preventing Disease
Clinical care spans physical examination, recognition of pain and distress, anesthesia and analgesia, surgery, preventive medicine, and humane endpoints. The through-line is that the veterinarian is the animal's advocate, and the research team is the first line of detection.
298 words, about 1 min03Research Collaboration: Working With Investigators, the IACUC, and the Team
Research collaboration is about the human systems that make good science and good welfare compatible: protocol development, the IACUC review process, the three Rs (replacement, reduction, refinement), roles and responsibilities, and communication across veterinary, husbandry, and research staff. The three Rs in practice: replacement (can a non-animal model answer the question?), reduction (power analysis, shared tissues, pilot studies), and refinement (less invasive methods, better analgesia, improved housing).
303 words, about 2 min04Education: Training, Competency, and a Culture of Care
Education in a laboratory animal program is not a one-time orientation-it is a continuous system of training, competency assessment, and cultural reinforcement. It covers personnel qualifications, hands-on technique training, occupational health and safety, and the attitudes that sustain a culture of care.
288 words, about 1 min