Certification with the American College

Based in Storrs, Connecticut, Curtis Schondelmeyer, DVM, serves as director of animal care services and an attending veterinarian for the University of Connecticut-Storrs. Dr. Curtis Schondelmeyer augments his work through membership with the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.

A nonprofit organization, the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) is the certifying organization for animal medicine and recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association. This certification recognizes an individual’s qualifications to practice laboratory animal medicine. To achieve this certification, individuals must take a test. Upon passing, they become diplomates.

In order to take the test, individuals must have graduated from an accredited school of veterinary medicine or possess an Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduate or Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence certificate. After meeting these requirements, they must take the exam, which covers clinical laboratory animal medicine and surgery, laboratory animal biology, and laboratory animal resource management. To learn more about this certification process, visit www.aclam.org/certification.

Certifications Provided by the AALAS

Curtis Schondelmeyer serves as an attending veterinarian and director of animal care services at the University of Connecticut-Storrs. To supplement his professional training, Curtis Schondelmeyer belongs to the American College of Lab Animal Medicine and the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science.

The American Association of Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) represents professionals who are dedicated to the humane treatment and care of laboratory animals. To this end, the organization has set up certification programs to help set the standards for laboratory animal science.

The AALAS currently offers two main certifications: technician certifications and management certifications. The technician certifications were designed to recognize professional achievement while providing the association’s endorsement of a technician’s skills and knowledge. There are three technician certifications: assistant laboratory animal technician, laboratory animal technician, and laboratory animal technologist. All three are known and used throughout the laboratory animal care field, and are often a requirement for lab animal care positions. The AALAS management certification is designed to encourage competency and professionalism within the laboratory animal resources management field.