Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine

Patrick Halbur, Chair of Department
University Professor: McKean
Professors: Evans, Halbur, Harris, Hoffman, Hopkins, Hyde, Janke, Osweiler, Shearer, Thomson, Trampel, Uhlenhopp, Yoon, Zimmerman
Professors (Emeritus): Carson, Hartwig, Hopper, Kunesh, Wass
Professor (Collaborator): Thacker
Associate Professors: Engelken, Frana, Hurd, Kersting, Main, Millman, O'Connor, Thompson, Timms, Youngs
Associate Professors (Collaborators): Apley, Polson
Assistant Professors: G. Dewell, Holtkamp, Karriker, Opriessnig, Ramirez, Wang
Assistant Professors (Adjunct): Harmon, Imerman, Kinyon
Assistant Professors (Collaborators): Erdman
Instructors (Adjunct): Clothier, Irwin, Madson, Patterson, Vander Ley
Senior Clinicians: Baker, Cooper, Gorden
Lecturers: Bickett-Weddle, C. Plummer, Sweiger
Clinicians: R. Dewell, Ensley, Gauger, Johnson, Kim, Leuschen, P. Plummer, Ramamoorthy, Rathje, Schwartz, Strait, West

For the professional curriculum in veterinary medicine leading to the degree doctor of veterinary medicine, see Veterinary Medicine, Curriculum.

Courses in veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine provide students with basic and advanced skills in diagnostics, reproduction, medicine, surgery, production, and health management of the major livestock species. Students in the fourth year of the curriculum in veterinary medicine may elect to take advanced courses in beef, dairy, swine, poultry or sheep production medicine. Elective courses may include preceptorships in private practices, at other veterinary schools, in research and disease control laboratories, or in related agribusinesses.

Production animal medicine emphasizes the integration of veterinary medicine with nutrition, genetics, economics, food safety, and other disciplines, enabling graduates to acquire and use a broad knowledge base to support the health and improve the production and efficiency of the food supply chain.

Veterinary Preventive Medicine is a multidisciplinary program focused on the study of health and disease in populations. The various disciplines represented in the program are unified by a common approach based on the application of statistical methods to problem solving in populations. Through their research and course work, students will learn to understand and apply a variety of disciplines, principles, and techniques to population health issues involving environmental, ecological, nutritional, genetic, infectious, or non-infectious diseases.

Graduate study in Veterinary Preventive Medicine will provide valuable skills and experience to persons interested in public health, food safety, emerging infectious diseases, zoo or wildlife health management, and livestock health. A degree in Veterinary Preventive Medicine may be valuable for individuals considering a future in the biological or pharmaceutical industries, government regulatory agencies, public veterinary practice, or international service agencies responsible for population health.

Veterinary Preventive Medicine is an interdepartmental major administered by the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM) with participating faculty from colleges and departments across the University and collaborators from the National Animal Disease Center (USDA:ARS) and the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (USDA:APHIS) located in Ames, Iowa.

Both thesis and nonthesis options are available and require the completion of a minimum of 30 graduate credits for thesis and 36 graduate credits for nonthesis and a final examination.

Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine masters degree is a program focused on the assessment of health and disease in populations of animals and the development of methods to study populations of animals. The various disciplines represented in the program are unified by a common approach based on the application of epidemiological and statistical methods to enable quantitative evaluation and critical appraisal of clinical and research data to continuously establish best production practices for health assurance; further to provide the principles and tools for design and execution of hypothesis-based research in production animal units or in research trials supporting animal health issues. Through their research and course work, students will learn to understand and apply a variety of disciplines, principles, and techniques to population health issues involving environmental, ecological, nutritional, genetic, infectious, or non-infectious diseases. This includes gaining knowledge of current principles of diagnostic evaluation and critical to best support decisions about animal health programs and practices.

Graduate students will be provided experiences in production animal medicine by involvement in the animal health and food supply decision making processes of modern production systems.

Graduate study in Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine will provide valuable skills and experience to persons interested in public health, food safety, food policy, emerging infectious diseases, wildlife health management, and livestock health assurance. A degree in Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine may be valuable for individuals considering leadership positions in food supply veterinary medicine.

Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine is administered by the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM) with participating faculty from colleges and departments across the University and collaborators from the National Animal Disease Center (USDA:ARS) and the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (USDA:APHIS) located in Ames, Iowa.

Both thesis and nonthesis options are available and require the completion of a minimum of 30 graduate credits for thesis and 36 graduate credits for nonthesis and a final examination.

Courses primarily for professional curriculum students

VDPAM 309. Intro to Production Animal Informatics. (1-0) Cr. 1. S.The fundamentals of how clinical, diagnostic, production and financial information is obtained and used by production animal operations. Students will acquire skills to create and use spreadsheets for manipulating and summarizing data. They will also acquire knowledge of where to find inexpensive and readily available resources with information on how to use spreadsheets and other software. Students will also have the opportunity to work with different record keeping programs used by swine, beef and dairy operations.

VDPAM 310. Intro to Production Medicine. Cr. 2. S.Prereq: Currently enrolled in Vet Med III. The role of the veterinarian in the management of animal health and production in dairy and beef cattle herds, beef feedlots and swine herds. Provides veterinary students with a starting point to understand the principles and techniques that are the basis of food-animal health management programs.

VDPAM 311. Introduction to Food Animal Clinics. (1-1) Cr. 1. Repeatable. S.Prereq: Vaccinated for rabies, enrollment in Veterinary Medicine. A one hour per week discussion of current cases in the food animal hospital and topics of interest. Student will learn physical examination of the food animal as well as animal handling techniques and record keeping procedures. Students will be able to participate in activities related to cases in the food animal hospital and the VDPAM Department. Satisfactory-fail only.

VDPAM 312. Veterinarian in Society II. (Cross-listed with V C S). (1-0) Cr. 1. S.Prereq: First-year classification in veterinary medicine. A continuation of the Veterinarian in Society series. An introduction to the topics of animal behavior, animal welfare, and the human animal bond.

VDPAM 340. Clinical Foundations I. (0-40) Cr. 1. F.S.SS.Prereq: Classification in veterinary medicine. One week course at Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. An introduction to Food Supply Veterinary Medicine covering industry (beef, dairy, pork, sheep) overviews, production systems, behavior, welfare, handling and restraint and examination techniques, biosecurity, epidemiology and food safety.

VDPAM 350. Basic Livestock Nutrition and Feeding. (1-0) Cr. 1. S.Prereq: Classification in Veterinary Medicine. Introductory course on livestock (beef, dairy, swine, sheep, and equine) nutrition and feeding principles. Students will apply scientific facts and principles to problem-solving procedures in determining nutritious and economical livestock feeding programs.

VDPAM 402. Advanced Dairy Production Informatics. (1-1) Cr. 2. Repeatable. S.Prereq: 309 or permission of instructor. Advanced coverage of concepts related to collection, manipulation, analysis and reporting of information used by dairy farms and their consultants. Hands on experience with Dairy Comp 305 and PCDart as well as other dairy management and information software. Integrates this data with dairy operations' financial situations.

VDPAM 402L. Advanced Dairy Production Informatics Lab. Cr. arr. Repeatable. S.Prereq: Permission of instructor. Continued practice in computer dairy records. Experience in tracking sample herd performance and providing written report with graphs/tables as the final assignment

VDPAM 407. Evidence Based Clinical Decision Making. (Dual-listed with 507). (1-0) Cr. 1. S.Prereq: Permission of instructor. Discussion, lectures and laboratories to assess the quality and significance of medical evidence in making informed decisions about the treatment of individual animals and animal populations.

VDPAM 408. Poultry Diseases. (Dual-listed with 508). Cr. 2. Alt. S., offered 2010.Prereq: Enrollment in College of Veterinary Medicine. Bacterial, viral, parasitic, and nutritional diseases of domestic poultry and gamebirds; biosecurity, immunization, and management procedures to prevent poultry diseases.

VDPAM 414. Veterinary Practice Entrepreneurship. (Dual-listed with 514). Cr. 2. S.To provide a formal exposure to the entrepreneurial and business skills necessary to own and operate a successful veterinary practice.

VDPAM 416. Bovine Reproduction Evaluation Laboratory. (0-4) Cr. 1. F.S.Prereq: Third year classification in veterinary medicine. 10 students per section. Bovine rectal palpation techniques will be repetitively taught in 7 four-hour sessions. Students will also learn techniques of epidural anesthesia, artificial insemination, and ultrasonic imaging. University-owned cattle will be used.

VDPAM 419. Advanced Swine Production Informatics. (1-0) Cr. 1. F.Prereq: 309. Advanced coverage of concepts related to collection, manipulation, analysis and reporting of information used by swine production companies. Production, financial, diagnostic and clinical data will be covered in the course. Hands-on experience with computer software and information systems used in swine production will be provided. Students will learn to objectively evaluate the validity of information that is presented to them and also be able to make practical and useful recommendations regarding the types of information tools that can/should be used. The students will learn what software and information systems are available and be able to critically evaluate them.

VDPAM 420. Preceptorship in Veterinary Medical Practice. Cr. 1-6. Repeatable. F.S.SS.Prereq: Fourth-year classification in veterinary medicine.. Elective course in veterinary practice under the guidance of veterinarians in approved practice settings.

VDPAM 426. Veterinary Toxicology. (Dual-listed with 526). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.Prereq: Third-year classification in veterinary medicine. Study of toxicological diseases of domestic animals emphasizing clinical recognition, circumstances of poisoning, differential diagnosis with clinical and laboratory data, therapeutic procedures, preventive management and public health implications. Supplemented with case-based materials.

VDPAM 436. Beef Records Analysis. (0-30) Cr. 1-2. F.S.Prereq: Classification in Veterinary Medicine, VM1-VM3 or special permission of instructor. The class will have both a lecture and lab component and students can enroll in one or both. Lectures will emphasize current production and evaluation techniques for beef cow/calf operations and students will learn to conduct and critically assess production and financial data using a standardized approach. Lab activities will allow students an opportunity to work with individual beef cattle producers to identify areas for improving profitability, health, and sustainability. Enrolling in the class for multiple semesters will be encouraged.

VDPAM 437. Basic Clinical Skills for Production Medicine (MS 623-701): Dairy Herd Problem Identification. (7-33) Cr. 2. F.S.SS.Prereq: Fourth-year classification in veterinary medicine. Seven hours recitation/discussion and 33 hours clinical experience per week. Course taken for two weeks at University of Wisconsin, Madison, on a space-available basis. Learn to interpret DHI records and use them to identify and monitor herd problems of production, mastitis, reproduction, and replacement heifer management. Evaluate rates and treatment protocols of common dairy herd diseases. Assess dairy housing including ventilation and freestalls. Estimate costs of herd problems and develop partial-budgets.

VDPAM 438. Mastitis Problem Investigations (MS 623-703): Mastitis/Milk Quality. (9-31) Cr. 2. F.S.SS.Prereq: Fourth-year classification in veterinary medicine. Nine hours recitation/discussion and 31 hours clinical experience per week. Course taken for two weeks at University of Wisconsin, Madison, on a space-available basis. Learn to evaluate rates of clinical mastitis using manual and computerized (DC305) record systems. Interpret somatic cell count records to target mastitis problems. Collect samples and interpret milk microbiology reports. Evaluate mastitis risks in housing systems (stalls, bedded packs, etc). Analyze milking systems and milker practices. Develop mastitis treatment protocols.

VDPAM 439. Clinical Investigations of Fresh Cow and Calf Problems (MS 623-705): Applied Dairy Nutrition. (3-37) Cr. 2. F.S.SS.Prereq: Fourth-year classification in veterinary medicine. Three hours lecture, 37 hours clinical experience per week. Course taken for two weeks at University of Wisconsin, Madison, on a space-available basis. Learn to evaluate calf and peri-parturient cow management practices. Develop an investigation stragegy for ambiguous herd problems. Collect samples and interpret herd-based diagnostic tests for infectious and metabolic diseases. Assess environmental risk factors for metabolic and infectious disease including hygiene and housing. Assess nutritional status of herds via nutritional management, actual feed intake, particle length determination, etc.

VDPAM 440. Introduction to Clinics. (Cross-listed with V C S). Cr. R. F.Prereq: Third-year classification in veterinary medicine. Rotating assignments through multiple sections within the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

VDPAM 445. Clinical Medicine. (3-0) Cr. 3. S.Prereq: Third year classification in veterinary medicine. Clinical diagnosis and treatment of diseases of swine, beef, dairy, and sheep.

VDPAM 450. Disturbances of Reproduction. (Cross-listed with V C S). (4-0) Cr. 4. F.Prereq: Third-year classification in veterinary medicine. General principles of diseases causing disturbances in reproduction.

VDPAM 451. Clinical Embryo Transfer. (0-40) Cr. 2. F.S.SS.Prereq: Fourth year classification in veterinary medicine. Elective clinical assignment in techniques of embryo transfer. Primary species studied will be bovine but equine and small ruminant embryo transfer will be covered during appropriate seasons. Enrollment is limited to four students per two week session.

VDPAM 455. Diagnostic Laboratory Practicum. Cr. 2. Repeatable. F.S.Prereq: Fourth-year classification in veterinary medicine. Practical experience in diagnosis of infectious and toxic diseases of livestock through exposure to cases in the ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

VDPAM 456. Veterinary Diagnostic Lab Methods & Applications. (16-0) Cr. 1. F.Prereq: VM 2, VM 3 or VM 4. Cases materials are used to develop diagnostic questions and to better understand the value of diagnostic tests. Testing methods and interpretation of diagnostic tests are coupled with sampling strategy and objective assessment of available evidence to provide accurate diagnosis.

VDPAM 476. Food Animal Field Service. (40-0) Cr. 2. F.S.Prereq: Fourth year classification in Veterinary Medicine or Permission of Instructor. Elective course in food animal field services. Students will assist the University veterinarian in delivering health care production management services to the ISU livestock farms and other selected farms in the region. Focus will be on delivery of individual animal care and establishment of best practices for herd management of dairy production systems at the university and in the region.

VDPAM 477. Food Animal Medicine and Surgery. Cr. arr. Repeatable.Prereq: Fourth-year classification in veterinary medicine. Clinical assignment focused on the management of food animal medicine and surgery cases. Specific instruction in clinical evaluation of cases coupled with appropriate diagnostic testing and therapeutic intervention will be emphasized. Additional instruction will be provided in disease prevention, intensive care and management of food animal species. Particular emphasis will be placed on appropriate on-label and extra-label drug usage in food animal species.

VDPAM 479. Applied Swine Production Medicine. (0-40) Cr. 1-6. Repeatable. F.S.SS.Prereq: 310. Advanced course in swine production medicine with emphasis on herd management, production analysis, and problem solving. Forty hours clinical experience per week. Assignments will include preceptorships with a practicing veterinarian and/or a production unit.

VDPAM 480. Swine Production Medicine. (15-25) Cr. 2. Repeatable. F.S.SS.Prereq: 310 or permission of instructor. Two week clinical rotation in swine production medicine. Students will be assigned to take the lead in investigating field based client cases with supervision of the instructors. Develop critical thinking skills that will allow students to apply concepts of herd management, production analysis, economic analysis, and disease prevention in addressing client cases. Variable amounts of travel to farm sites will be required with the potential for rare overnight stays.

VDPAM 482. Applied Beef Production Medicine. (0-40) Cr. 1-6. Repeatable. F.S.SS.Prereq: 310. Advanced course in beef production medicine with emphasis on herd management, production analysis, and problem solving. Forty hours clinical experience per week.
A. Assignment with practicing veterinarian and/or production unit
B. Bull Breeding Soundness at Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center (GPVEC)
C. Calving at GPVEC
D. Feedlot Management at GPVEC
E. Weaning Management at GPVEC
F. Pregnancy Examination at GPVEC
G. Bovine Reproduction at GPVEC
I. Stocker/Feedlot Management

VDPAM 483. Beef Production Medicine. (15-20) Cr. 2. F.S.Prereq: 310. Two week advanced clinical rotation in beef production medicine. Fifteen hours recitation/discussion and 20 hours clinical experience per week. This course is designed to expose students to cow-calf and feedlot production concepts. The activities scheduled for the rotation depend greatly on the time of year. When ever possible, the class incorporates field trips. Students should anticipate that travel is required and overnight stays may be required. These field trips can vary in length from several hours to several days and may include weekends. As of 2006, one week of the rotation is spent at the Great Plains Veterinary Education Center, Clay Center, NE. Students should, therefore, plan accordingly and contact the instructor, immediately, if they anticipate a conflict. Students should not schedule Grand Rounds during this rotation.

VDPAM 484. Dairy Production Medicine. (15-20) Cr. 2. F.SS.Prereq: Fourth-year classification in veterinary medicine; 310. Two week course in dairy production medicine combining class time with multiple on-farm visits to learn various management aspects (DHIA, DC305 & PC Dart record analysis, calf rearing through lactating cows, reproduction programs, udder health and milk quality, biosecurity, welfare, nutrition and cow comfort) for a wide variety of dairy operations. Students will learn the latest in dairy management by reviewing current topic articles and gain experience in farm evaluation through a group project. Fifteen hours recitation/discussion and 20 hours clinical experience per week.

VDPAM 485. Applied Dairy Production Medicine. (0-40) Cr. 1-6. Repeatable. F.S.SS.Prereq: VDPAM 484. Advanced course in dairy production medicine with emphasis on herd management, production analysis, and problem solving. Forty hours clinical experience per week. Assignments will include preceptorships with a practicing veterinarian and/or a production unit.

VDPAM 486. Introduction to Small Ruminant Production Medicine. (13-6) Cr. 1. S.Prereq: Classification in Veterinary Medicine. Herd health, disease monitoring and prevention, and typical management systems will be emphasized in lecture. Students will be required to learn and demonstrate proficiency at typical veterinary procedures such as blood collection, breeding soundness exams and parasite evaluations. Students will also be expected to develop herd health programs for individual producers. Field trip required.

VDPAM 487. Livestock Disease Prevention. (3-0) Cr. 3. F.A survey of diseases of large domestic animals, including discussion of causes, transmission, and control. Designed for students majoring in agricultural sciences.

VDPAM 488. Laboratory in Clinical Microbiology. Cr. 1. Repeatable. F.S.SS.Prereq: Fourth-year classification in veterinary medicine. Application of microbiological procedures to the diagnosis of infectious diseases.

VDPAM 489. Issues in Food Safety. (Cross-listed with An S, FS HN, HRI). (1-0) Cr. 1. S.Prereq: Credit or enrollment in FS HN 101 or 272 or HRI 233; FS HN 419 or 420; FS HN 403. Capstone seminar for the food safety minor. Case discussions and independent projects about safety issues in the food system from a multidisciplinary perspective.

VDPAM 490. Independent Study. Cr. 1-5. Repeatable. F.S.SS.Prereq: Permission of department chair.

VDPAM 491. Advanced Ruminant Nutrition. (30-10) Cr. 3. F.Prereq: 350 recommended. Beef and dairy nutrition from the calf to the adult, lactating cow. Balanced rations for beef cow-calf, feedlot & dairy operations. Introduces different feedstuffs and forage varieties to determine those that are best suited for bovine diets.

VDPAM 492. Orientation for International Experience. (2-0) Cr. 1. S.Prereq: Classification in veterinary medicine. Predeparture orientation for group study abroad. Cultural considerations for the study abroad experience and a conversational language introduction. Out of class work will be assigned.

VDPAM 494. Advanced Dairy Production Medicine II. (20-20) Cr. 2. S.Prereq: 484 or permission of instructor. Advanced coverage in investigating dairy herd problems relating to milk quality or nutrition. Milk quality and nutrition troubleshooting will be taught through the combination of lecture and on-farm investigations. Students will combine lecture knowledge, data acquired from on-farm investigations and record analysis to generate management plans.

VDPAM 496. International Preceptorship. (0-40) Cr. 1-12. Repeatable. F.S.SS.Prereq: Second-year classification in veterinary medicine. International Preceptorships and Study Abroad Group programs. This course will provide opportunities for students to be involved in applied clinical, production, and/or research experiences in international locations. The course consists of 40 hour per week experiential learning opportunities.

Courses primarily for graduate students, open to qualified undergraduate students

VDPAM 507. Evidence Based Clinical Decision Making. (Dual-listed with 407). (1-0) Cr. 1. S.Prereq: Permission of instructor. Discussion, lectures and laboratories to assess the quality and significance of medical evidence in making informed decisions about the treatment of individual animals and animal populations.

VDPAM 508. Poultry Diseases. (Dual-listed with 408). Cr. 2. Alt. S., offered 2010.Prereq: Permission of instructor. Bacterial, viral, parasitic, and nutritional diseases of domestic poultry and gamebirds; biosecurity, immunization, and management procedures to prevent poultry diseases.

VDPAM 514. Veterinary Practice Entrepreneurship. (Dual-listed with 414). Cr. 2. S.Prereq: Graduate Veterinarian. To provide a formal exposure to the entrepreneuarial and business skills necessary to own and operate a successful veterinary practice.

VDPAM 522. Principles of Epidemiology and Population Health. (Cross-listed with V MPM). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.Prereq: Micro 310 or equivalent. Epidemiology and ecology of disease in populations. Disease causality and epidemiologic investigations. Issues in disease prevention, control, and eradication.

VDPAM 526. Veterinary Toxicology. (Dual-listed with 426). (Cross-listed with Tox). (3-0) Cr. 3. S.Prereq: Permission of instructor. A study of the disease processes in animals caused by toxicants and the use of differential diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Emphasis is on use of clinical cases to define mechanism of poisoning, diagnostic and management procedures and public health and food safety issues.

VDPAM 527. Applied Statistical Methods in Population Studies. (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered 2009.Prereq: Stat 401. Measures of agreement, assessment of diagnostic tests, correlated data analysis, bioinformatics, linear models, comparison of multiple groups.

VDPAM 529. Epidemiological Methods in Population Research. (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered 2010.Prereq: Stat 401. Designing, conducting, and analyzing data from field-based studies, including cross-sectional, case-control, cohort, and ecological studies. Clinical trials. Modeling disease in populations.

VDPAM 542. Introduction to Molecular Biology Techniques. (Cross-listed with B M S, BBMB, BCB, EEOB, FS HN, GDCB, Hort, NREM, NutrS, V MPM). Cr. 1. Repeatable. F.S.SS.Prereq: Graduate classification. Workshops in basic molecular biology techniques and related procedures. Satisfactory-fail only.
A. DNA Techniques. Includes genetic engineering procedures, sequencing, PCR, and genotyping. (F.S.SS.)
B. Protein Techniques. Includes fermentation, protein isolation, protein purification, SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, NMR, confocal microscopy and laser microdissection, immunophenotyping, and monoclonol antibody production. (S.SS.)
C. Cell Techniques. Includes immunophenotyping, ELISA, flow cytometry, microscopic techniques, and image analysis. (F.S.)
D. Plant Transformation. Includes Agrobacterium and particle gun-mediated transformation of tobacco, Arabidopsis, and maize, and analysis of transformants. (S.)
E. Proteomics. Includes two-dimensional electrophoresis, laser scanning, mass spectrometry, and database searching. (F.)

VDPAM 546. Clinical and Diagnostic Toxicology. (Cross-listed with Tox). (0-3) Cr. 1-3. Repeatable. F.S.SS.Prereq: D.V.M. degree or 526. Advanced study of current problems and issues in toxicology. Emphasis on problem solving utilizing clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory resources.

VDPAM 551. Advanced Veterinary Diagnostic Medicine. (0-3) Cr. 1-3. Repeatable. F.S.SS.Prereq: 455. Necropsy techniques of animals with emphasis on gross and microscopic lesion description and microbiological diagnosis of disease in food animals.

VDPAM 570. Risk Assessment for Food, Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. (Cross-listed with Agron, Tox). (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered 2009.Prereq: Stat 104 or consent of instructor: Wolt, Hurd. Risk assessment principles as applied to biological systems. Exposure and effects characterization in human and animal health and ecological risk assessment. Risk analysis frameworks and regulatory decision-making. Introduction to quantitative methods for risk assessment using epidemiological and distributional analyses. Uncertainty analysis.

VDPAM 590. Special Topics. Cr. 1-3. Repeatable.Prereq: Permission of instructor. Topics in medicine, surgery, theriogenology; beef, swine, dairy, or sheep production medicine.

VDPAM 596. International Preceptorship. (0-40) Cr. 1-12. Repeatable. F.S.SS.Prereq: Admission to graduate college. International Preceptorships and Study Abroad Group programs. Provides opportunities for students to be involved in applied clinical, production, and/or research experiences in international locations. The course consists of 40 hour per week experiential learning opportunities.

VDPAM 599. Creative Component. Cr. arr. Repeatable.Prereq: Enrollment in nonthesis master's degree program.

Courses for graduate students

VDPAM 650. Swine Diagnostic Medicine. Cr. 1-4. SS.Prereq: Permission of instructor. A detailed study of swine diseases emphasizing the pathogenesis and diagnosis of swine respiratory, enteric, reproduction, metabolic, and septicemic diseases.

VDPAM 655. Advanced Swine Production Medicine. Cr. 1-4. S.Prereq: Permission of instructor. Detailed overview of applied techniques used in swine production medicine; production modeling and record analysis, production economics and financial analysis, therapeutic and vaccination strategies, quality control procedures and food safety.

VDPAM 699. Research. Cr. arr. Repeatable.