Support For Further Development and Implementation of Web-based Educational Materials in Dairy Production Medicine and Food Safety

The overarching goal of this project is to improve retention of veterinarians in food animal practice, by providing education and training that will allow food animal veterinarians to enhance and expand services offered, therefore enhancing the profitability and sustainability of their practice. The following are specific objectives to achieve this goal.1. To further develop web-deliverable curriculum materials to train veterinary students and practicing veterinarians in Dairy Production Medicine and Food Safety. Topics will include: dairy food systems and food safety; regulatory medicine; calf health and management; lameness and cow comfort; mastitis and milk quality; reproductive management; and, transition cow management.2. Develop and implement a consistent web hosting platform for making educational materials available to multiple users.3. Provide materials as developed to collaborating veterinary colleges for use within their curriculum for veterinary students interested in
careers in dairy medicine, food animal medicine, and public health. Faculty at other colleges might also choose to incorporate a mixture of components, modules, or courses into their curriculum for veterinary student use.4. Use the developed materials in the Dairy Production Medicine intensive course offered to senior veterinary students through the NCE-DVE, making use of materials before, during, and after the residency portion of the course.5. Use the developed materials both for distance students in the DVM/MPH program as well as in the Veterinary Public Health and Regulatory Medicine senior veterinary rotation, a required core course for all veterinary students at the University of Minnesota.6. Provide VPHPM residents the opportunity to enhance their competency-based training in food systems, food safety, and regulatory medicine by participating in module development and delivery.7. Use the materials for continuing education offerings for practicing dairy, food systems, and public
health veterinarians, with and without on-site hands on training at the NCE-DVE.