Before You Arrive

Congratulations on your new position! Chances are you have many questions as you prepare for your first day as an employee with the Center for Veterinary Medicine (http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/ default.htm).  CVM’s onboarding process begins the moment you officially accept the job offer and will continue through the end of your first year. We feel that a successful tenure with CVM begins before you step foot onto our campus. This is your time to become acquainted with the Center and its surrounding areas and to ask any questions you need in order to feel comfortable as you embark on this new journey. To help make this transition as pleasant and enjoyable as possible, we have provided you with critical information that will help you prepare for your first day.

If you are new to the region, please consult the Rockville and Laurel Guides for information about the area, including entertainment venues, restaurants, public and private schools, and medical facilities. While these guides are not exhaustive, they should act as a good start to getting to know your new environment!

Once you begin to get used to the areas surrounding the Center, it will be helpful to consult An Introduction to CVM. Here, you will learn about CVM’s purpose and history. Additionally, this guide will give you an overall introduction to each of the Center’s six offices and senior leaders. In addition to the information included in this guide, here are a number of links that will hopefully help you in really getting to know where CVM came from and where it is going.

Of course, simply knowing about the Center is not enough—you’ll need to know how to get there! Whether you are located on the Rockville or Laurel campus, our directions to CVM should help you get where you need to go, with maps of both surrounding and immediate areas.

We encourage you to use these resources to your advantage as you prepare for your first day. If you have any questions or concerns prior to your first day, please feel free to contact the Center’s Onboarding Coordinator, Grant LaGasse (grant.lagasse@fda.hhs.gov)!