Production Medicine Rotations offered by ISU

Introductory Courses:

VDPAM478 (2 weeks, 2 credits) Introduction to Swine Production Medicine

Instructor in charge: Dr. Locke Karriker

Class Limits: Maximum of 8 students per rotation

Description: This course is designed as an introduction to swine production medicine and emphasizes trouble shooting at the herd level. Course time is split between field/laboratory based activities (35%), and classroom lectures and discussions (65%). There may be one overnight fieldtrip depending on case availability. The student will be exposed to most of the common veterinary and production techniques and will have the opportunity to master techniques such as collecting blood samples and pregnancy diagnosis. Field based and classroom activities emphasize production record analysis, herd observation, environmental evaluation, and pig flow.

Offered:

Advanced production medicine courses requiring completion of the introductory course are:

VDPAM480 (2 weeks, 2 credits) Advanced Swine Production Medicine

Instructor in charge: Dr. Locke Karriker

Class Limits: Students who have completed Introduction to Swine Production Medicine (VDPAM478). Max 5 students. Additional sections will be added for 3 or more students.

Description: This course is designed for students who have intense interest in the swine industry. Course time will be split between field/laboratory-based activities (70%), classroom lectures and discussions (30%). Field based activities will emphasize production and disease control program development, economic assessment of interventions, health monitoring, and manipulation of pig flow to mediate disease. Classroom activities will emphasize advanced use of production performance measures and diagnostic laboratory data.

Offered:

VDPAM483 (4 weeks, 4 credits fall session, 2 weeks, 2 credits spring session) Advanced Beef Production Medicine

Instructor in charge: Dr. Terry Engelken

Class Limits:

Description: Approximately half of the time in this course is spent in the field. Topics include market structures for beef cattle, market risk management through contracts and options, nutrition and implants throughout the production cycle, marketing on carcass grids, health and production record systems, evaluating treatment programs based on cost and efficacy, and evaluation of preventive programs. Students are expected to actively evaluate the operations visited and apply material from the introductory and advanced courses. The fall and spring courses differ as to presentation, but we attempt to cover the same topics in each session.

Offered:

Iowa State University - Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM)

For more information contact:

Dr. Patrick Gorden

Food Animal Veterinary Services

Veterinary Diagnostic & Production Animal Medicine

1710 Veterinary Medicine

Iowa State University

Ames IA 50011-1250

ISU-College of Veterinary Medicine

Phone: 515-294-3096

e-mail: pgorden@iastate.edu