Production medicine is the application of a wide array of knowledge and skills to dairy herd management with the aim of optimizing animal health and welfare, production, and profitability on the dairy. Dairy veterinarians must utilize this wide variety of knowledge and skills to best serve their dairy clients in a constantly changing dairy economy. Simply diagnosing pregnancy, performing surgeries and treating sick cows will not be enough to maintain the veterinarian's role on the dairies of tomorrow. These are for-credit rotations and students will be evaluated based on their participation and academic performance. To that end, this program aims to increase the proficiency and confidence of veterinary students to serve the dairy industry at a higher level.
The two-week overview course will be completed virtually and synchronously, alongside students who are attending the course in-person at the University of Minnesota.
This two-week rotation is an intensive introduction to dairy production medicine, and is intended both as a general overview for students who will go on to become mixed animal practitioners, and as the foundation for exclusive dairy students who will go on to the advanced rotation. This rotation will be completed virtually, with a total of 40 hours per week of classroom instruction, group and individual project work, labs, and field trips.