EVPC STANDARD RESIDENCY TRAINING PROGRAM AT THE UNIT OF PARASITOLOGY AND PARASITIC DISEASES, DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AND ANIMAL PRODUCTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF NAPLES FEDERICO II, ITALY Frederick II and the hawk from “De arte venandi cum avibus” University of Naples, Federico II Unit of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions Via Federico Delpino 1, Naples, Italy Tel: +390812536283 Tel: +390812536281 SRTP Proposal Naples page 2 of 105 DESCRIPTION OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION Programe Director: Univ. Prof. Dr. Med. Vet., DipEVPC Giuseppe Cringoli (Head of the Unit of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases) Contact details: Unit of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions University of Naples Federico II Via Federico Delpino 1 80137 Naples, Italy Tel: +39 0812536283 http://www.parassitologia.unina.it Email: [email protected] The supervisor will be assisted at this location by one Asssociate member of EVPC: Prof. Laura Rinaldi, PhD Contact details: Unit of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions University of Naples Federico II Via Federico Delpino 1 80137 Naples, Italy Tel: +39 0812536281 Email: [email protected] Name and qualification of mentors: Prof. Edwin Claerebout DVM, PhD, DipEVPC Laboratory of Parasitology; Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Ghent University, Belgium Prof. Laura Helen Kramer DVM, PhD, DipEVPC Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Department of Medical Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Italy Dr. Luigi Venco, DVM, PhD, DipEVPC Veterinary Hospital “Città di Pavia” in the fields of Cardiology (both medicine and surgery) and Clinical Parasitology, Pavia, Italy Prof. Peter Deplazes, DVM, PhD, DipEVPC Director of the Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland SRTP Proposal Naples page 3 of 105 Prof. Smaragda Sotiraki, DVM, PhD, DipEVPC Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation- Demeter (former NAGREF), Thessaloniki, Greece 1. Finance: There is no financial support for the residency position Requirements for entry into the programme: The candidate must be licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the countries of the European Union or be relieved of this obligation by the EVPC Board. A completion of one-year internship is requires: this will be a flexible rotating clinical training in veterinary medicine beyond the professional degree. It provides practical experience in applying knowledge gained during formal professional education,and offers an opportunity for recent graduates to obtain additional training in the clinical and basic sciences. An internship is composed of a broad range of clinical assignments within one of the major divisions of veterinary medicine. This year of comprehensive broad postgraduate training and experience prepares a veterinarian for high-quality service in practice or for a decision on an area of specialisation. A one-year internship programme is already ongoing at the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions at the University of Naples Federico II and includes training in all the clinical and diagnostic units during 45 weeks. 2. Aims of Residency Training: To train the resident to a specialist level in Veterinary Parasitology over a three-year full time study period. The program is intended to allow the resident to apply for examination by the European Veterinary Parasitology College for Diplomate status. The resident will be expected to apply for the EVPC diploma examination. The expected outcomes of the SRTP are: - publication of at least three first-author refereed articles - at least 1 scientific presentation at a national or international Parasitology meeting - approval to sit the EVPC Diploma Examination Pre-Program Training: If the resident candidate has participated in postgraduate training (e.g. doctoral or PhD program and post-doc) in parasitology or a related subject of veterinary sciences for at least 3 years, then the resident is not required to complete one-year internship before entering the Standard Residency Training Program. 3. Details of the Training Program • The program is supervised by an EVPC Diplomate, the Program Director (see A.) • The program will be structured so that the resident obtains training in all aspects of veterinary parasitology • The annual timetable for the program is: a) 2 weeks of training in another Unit of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples (parasitological cases in veterinary clinics and veterinary pathology). The training will include clinical examination of small animals, with emphasis on scopes of parasitological interest, e.g. dermatology and internal medicine. The resident will be advised in basic skills of imaging technologies. The pro-active participation of the resident is required to obtain a sufficient number of cases at the end of SRTP. SRTP Proposal Naples page 4 of 105 b) 26 weeks working in the diagnostic laboratory. On an annual basis about 5 clinical trials are conducted; they contribute 20 weeks to the diagnostic work. The program will include training in application, use and maintenance of the diagnostic equipment of the coprological, haematological, serological, entomological and molecular units of the diagnostic laboratory. This program will be accompanied by studies on parasite systematic, morphology, biology and epidemiology. It will also include clinical Parasitology, parasitic zoonoses and vector-borne diseases. The resident will also participate in the teaching of the undergraduate students in basic and clinical Parasitology and will be involved in the exams for Veterinary Parasitology, under the supervision of an EVPC Diplomate. c) 8 weeks of study. The resident has the possibility to attend several courses of further education in parasitology and related fields such as epidemiology, immunology and molecular biology. d) 12 weeks dedicated to research. The resident will develop a research project of his/her interest. The output of the research project will result in scientific manuscripts and national as well as international scientific meetings through oral or poster presentations. e) 4 weeks of externship to another institutions f) a minimum of 30 weekly seminars/journal club/slide sessions, etc has to be attended. The variety of species and wealth of knowledge available among the European Specialists based at the host and affiliated institutions will ensure that the resident should have challenging, stimulating and successful three-year program of study. g) The teaching activity of the Resident will include topics in clinical parasitology /laboratory diagnostic procedures. The teaching will be directed to: veterinary students, PhD students and veterinary practitioners. 1. Veterinary students This activity includes a lecture of 2 hours given once each semester. In addition students are taught in the laboratory during their clinical rotations on the university hospital (approximately 15 hours per semester). The teaching is focused on diagnosis of the most common parasitic infections in domestic animals, with emphasis on the adequate choice and the test characteristics of each diagnostic technique. Furthermore, this activity consists of practical microscopy sessions in which the students are assisted with performing the techniques. In addition the candidate is giving a lecture on PCR diagnostics of parasites. This lecture is of one hour duration and is given every semester. 2. Discussion of clinical cases with PhD students. The Resident will participate as mediator in the PhD journal club, approximately once a month for 3 hours, dealing with current research in veterinary parasitology. 3. Continuing education of veterinarians. In addition to the activity within the University, in the third year of the programme, the Resident will participate as lecturer at CPD cpurses for practicing veterinarians. These talks, (approximately 5 lectures of a mean duration of three hours each) will typically focus on the choice and interpretation of diagnostic tools, regimens for antiparasitic treatment, species spectrum and mode of action of antiparasitic drugs. h) The amount of weeks for training must allow for time off in accordance with national legislation on work contracts. Italian national legislation foresees a total of five weeks vacation annually. Parental leave is approximately five months. According to the EBVS Policy and Procedures (2016) “In case of parental leave, illness or under exceptional circumstances a prolongation (of the Residency programme is possible. The duration of the prolongation is agreed with the College’s Credentials /Education committee.” SRTP Proposal Naples page 5 of 105 B. SPECIFIC ACTIVITES 1. Techniques to be acquired: at the end of the three-year program the following techniques should be mastered: • Detection of ectoparasites: examination of skin scrapings (live/dead examination). • Detection of blood parasites: blood smears and stainings. • Coproscopical methods: - Qualitative faecal examination (flotation methods; sedimentation; combined sedimentation- flotation and Baermann technique; specific techniques e.g. autofluorescence, tapeworm egg examination in horses, soil sample preparation). - Quantitative faecal examination (FLOTAC technique, Mini-FLOTAC technique, McMaster technique, Fecpak technique and Wisconsin technique).