This Program is developed as part of a USDA-funded project and will be offered at no cost to the participants. Information collected through a survey among recent graduates working in rural areas was used to design a targeted, 24-month distance CE program supplemented with two 1.5-day, hands-on workshops. The Program will be delivered online with one hands-on workshop taking place at the end of each year (one at Michigan State University and another at Cornell University). The Program is approved by RACE for a total of 197 hours of CE and specifically targets rural bovine practitioners in their first years of practice.

The online portion of the Program is comprised of a total of 16 online modules distributed throughout 2 years:

• Epidemiology and Herd Health Concepts
• Udder Health I: Mastitis
• Udder Health II: Parlor Evaluation
• Lameness and Facilities Design
• Dairy Cattle Reproduction
• Beef Cattle Reproduction
• New Technologies in Cattle Production Systems
• Regulatory Medicine (Federal and State) and Drug Residues
• Emerging Diseases of Cattle in the U.S.
• Beef and Dairy Nutrition and Metabolic Disorders
• Production Medicine Economics
• Downer Cow Management
• Immunology and Vaccinology
• Treatment Protocols: Cattle Infectious and Parasitic Diseases
• Calf Health Management (Beef and Dairy)
• Diagnostic Methods (clinical pathology, soft tissue ultrasound, field necropsy, etc.)

The online portion comprises a total load of 180 hours and is designed assuming a commitment of 1–2 hours per week for 45 weeks per year. Additionally, two hands-on workshops will focus on developing and practicing the clinical skills associated with the content delivered online.

The content will be delivered by specialist faculty from Michigan State University, Cornell University, and the University of Wisconsin—Madison, with the support from other organizations such as the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development or the US Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine.

• Have graduated from an AVMA-accredited college of veterinary medicine within the past 5 years
• Work in private practice within the United States
• Ability to travel to Michigan State and Cornell campuses to attend the hands-on workshops. Exact dates of workshops are TBD but will be announced with at least 3 months of notice

Up to 20 recently graduated veterinarians will be enrolled at no cost in this online program. Additionally, the selected participants will receive a $1,000 travel stipend to attend each of the hands-on workshops. Participants will receive a certificate of completion upon successfully finishing all modules.

To be considered for this sponsored CE program, please complete the following application form. Applicants will be required to provide personal information and submit a motivation essay (up to 500 words) explaining their interest in the Program.

Complete applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprised of program instructors.

• Application deadline: June 6th, 2021
• Start of online course: September 1, 2021

• "This course has been exactly what I was needing to further my career. The modules have been well organized and are taught by some of the industry’s most respected faculty. I’ve learned in this course what I wish I would have learned during vet school. It has increased my knowledge base and has allowed me to have conversations with my producers that I never felt confident enough to have before."
• "The course has been amazing so far! You get to meet many other new grads that you can relate to and due to geographical differences in practice area and clientele, it creates great discussion. The topics are extremely applicable and there are many live sessions with content experts so there is ample opportunity to get advice on situations with your own clients or just ask for information clarification. The modules are well spread out so you have a lot of time to complete the required readings and assignments. It is easy to work at your own pace while balancing practice and personal life."

For more information, please contact Dr. Ángel Abuelo: abuelo@msu.edu

This project is supported by the Veterinary Services Grant Program competitive grant no. 2018-70024-28817 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.