Veterinary Medicine Student Internships

Veterinary Medicine Student Internships

2012 Summer Intern (SI) Program “Windows to Regulatory Research”

Peer into your professional future. The Windows to Regulatory Research Internship Program provides an opportunity to spend your summer working at the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) with internationally-renowned scientists, in an environment committed to protecting human and animal health.

Whether you work at CVM headquarters in Rockville, MD or at its premier research facility in Laurel, MD, you will help the Center in its efforts to shape a safer and more productive world for all animals and the public at large.

The Program

The Windows to Regulatory Research Internship Program offers academically superior undergraduate, graduate, and professional students hands-on experiences conducting basic and applied research as well as performing in-depth technical reviews of data applicable to animal health and food safety.

Ultimately, the internship benefits not only students themselves but the Center, FDA, and the nation. Students gain career experience in a supportive yet challenging atmosphere while the Center develops and guides future scientific and regulatory leaders. Today’s interns are CVM’s experts of tomorrow. 
The program is ten (10) weeks in length, commencing June 4th, 2012.

Eligibility

The Windows to Regulatory Research Internship Program is for students who are at least eighteen years of age or older at the time they begin the program and who are currently enrolled at least half-time in an accredited U.S. college or university as undergraduate, graduate, or professional students. Individuals who have either graduated or have not been accepted for enrollment as a degree seeking student prior to the start of the internship program are not eligible to apply. All candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Selection

The Windows to Regulatory Research Internship Program is extremely competitive. A review panel determines the extent to which an applicant’s education, experience, training, and background indicates that he/she possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities desired for the internship. Those candidates deemed qualified by the panel are then forwarded to individual CVM scientists for consideration in the program.

Applications are reviewed for strict adherence to the criteria stated below

• Maintenance of a 3.5 GPA or higher;
• Recognized course of study pertinent to CVM’s mission; and
• Demonstrated interest in the Center’s role in protecting human and animal health            

Please note that many of CVM’s scientists are evaluating those individuals who will make the most significant contributions to their specific programs and projects. Applicants who speak and write well, have some prior successful research experience, take initiative and are self-motivated, and/or who work well in teams are likely to be viewed as outstanding potential interns.

Compensation

Compensation varies, however most interns will earn a salary commensurate with the Federal GS-2 through GS-7 grade levels (currently $4781.00 - $8117.00) for the duration of the program. Grade determination is based on the amount and type of education obtained by the application submission date as well as any qualifying experience.

Housing

CVM does not provide living accommodations. Please visit the following website as a resource for locating available local housing.

http://www.recgov.org/housing/housing.html

How to Apply

All students must submit the following documents to be considered for the internship program:

• •                CVM Windows to Regulatory Research Internship Program Application;
• •                School Verification Form;
• •                Official transcript(s); and
• •                Two signed letters of recommendation

Students currently enrolled in their first year of undergraduate, graduate, or professional school must also provide official transcript(s) from high school or college.

Please mail all the requested materials in a single package to the contact listed below.

Any application received after March 23, 2012 will not be considered for selection.

Applications should be submitted to:

Heather Weiser
Summer Intern Program
Food and Drug Administration
Center for Veterinary Medicine
7529 Standish Place, HFV-15
Rockville, Maryland 20855
Phone: 240-276-9719


@fda.hhs.gov

For application process inquiries, please contact Ms. Heather Weiser. For any other questions, please contact Dr. Marcia Larkins, Program Coordinator at 240-276-9015 or via email: CVMSummerInternPrgm@fda.hhs.gov.

FDA Warning For Veterinary Professionals - FDA Investigating Online Dental X-Ray Units

FDA investigating illegal online sale of handheld dental X-ray units Devices could be dangerous due to unnecessary radiation exposure

The U.S Food and Drug Administration is warning dental and veterinary professionals to not purchase or use certain potentially unsafe hand-held dental X-ray units. The FDA is concerned that these devices may not be safe or effective and could expose the user and the patient to unnecessary and potentially harmful X-rays. The units, sold online by manufacturers outside the United States and directly shipped to U.S. customers, have not been reviewed by the FDA and do not meet FDA radiation safety requirements. 

The Washington State Department of Health alerted the FDA after tests on a device purchased online revealed it did not comply with X-ray performance standards.

As a result, FDA is investigating the extent of the problem and notifying state regulatory authorities, dental professional organizations and other health organizations about the safety risks. To date, no adverse events have been reported.

A hand-held dental X-ray unit is a small, portable device that is intended for dental X-ray examinations. All units that have been cleared by the FDA bear a permanent certification label/tag, a warning label, and an identification (ID) label/tag on the unit.  Use of these devices requires a prescription from a licensed practitioner.

“Health care professionals using these devices should verify they are purchasing and using those that have been reviewed and tested to meet FDA’s standards,” said Steve Silverman, director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.  

To ensure this, users should:

• Verify the presence of required labels on the device.
• Ask vendors whether the device has been reviewed and cleared by the FDA.
• Access the FDA Medical Device Approvals and Clearances searchable database to verify that the X-ray unit has been cleared by the FDA. 
• Contact their state regulatory agency if they become aware of a device that may be hazardous or does not meet the FDA’s requirements. 

The FDA will continue to monitor this problem and keep the public informed as new information becomes available.

Questions about this alert can be directed to the Division of Small Manufacturers, International and Consumer Assistance (DSMICA) at DSMICA@FDA.HHS.GOV, 800-638-2041 or 301-796-7100.

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Adopt A Dog

Information You Need When Filing a Pet Food Complaint

The FDA offers the following information for reporting a pet food complaint.

For a complaint about pet foods you may file electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal or you can contact the NYS FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator (New York — (toll-free) 866-446-9055).

Before you contact the FDA make sure you have important information at your fingertips.  This information includes:

1. Name of the product and product description
2. Type of container the food came in (box, bag, can, etc)
3. Storage – Was product intended to be refrigerated, frozen or stored at room temperature
4. The lot number – Lot number can usually be found by best by/before or expiration date
5. Best by, best before or expiration date
6. UPC Code
7. Net weight
8. Purchase date and location of purchase
9. If the food was laboratory tested – The results

10. How the food was stored, handled and prepared

If you transfer your pet food into a container for storage and handling save the original packaging until product is consumed or make a note of the above information before discarding the packaging.