Incoming vets students spend three days getting to know one of the larger species they will one day serve

[August 10, 2011; Kennett Square, PA] – It’s a kind of “I never touched a cow but I always wanted to” class. Officially called the Intro to Dairy Production Systems Seminar, the program affords incoming students to University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine the opportunity to spend three full days, before classes officially start, at the Marshak Dairy. The Dairy is part of Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center campus in Kennett Square, PA. The program takes place Tuesday, August 16th; Wednesday, August 17th; and Thursday, August 18th.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR MEDIA:

Tuesday, August 16:
9 am-noon: Intro and tour of the facilities
1 pm-2:30 pm: Cow handling and restraint
2:30 pm-3:30 pm: Introduction to milking
3 pm-5 pm: Milking and calf feeding

Wednesday, August 17:
7 am-9 am: Milking and calf feeding
3 pm-5 pm: Milking and calf feeding

Thursday, August 18:
7 am-9 am: Milking and calf feeding
9 am-noon: Feeding dairy cows and heifers
1 pm-3 pm: Lectures and discussions 3
pm-5 pm: Milking and calf feeding

Says Jon Garber, VMD, lecturer, member of New Bolton Center’s Field Service and coordinator of the Dairy, “Some of these young men and women enter vet school without ever having touched a cow, or even seen one up close. We offer them the opportunity to be involved in every aspect of dairy management for three days.”

This optional, non-credit course, says Garber, is an exciting beginning to a career in veterinary medicine. For some, it may even be the start of a career-long interest in production medicine.

The objective of the course is to introduce Penn Vet students with little or no direct food animal experience to concepts in dairy production medicine, and the role that the veterinarian can play in improving dairy herd health and farm business. Students will learn about the life cycle of a dairy cow, including health and growth monitoring, discuss current hot topics in dairy production and take part in milking and feeding of cows and calves. There will also be a tour of other dairy facilities. The course has grown in popularity since it was started a few years ago. This year 26 students will be involved.

The Marshak Dairy, named in honor of the ninth dean of Penn Vet Robert Marshak, serves as a living laboratory for students studying cow healthcare, preventive medicine, nutrition and food safety. In addition to veterinary students, high school, college and veterinary technician students spend time at the dairy in various capacities. The main barn, recognized for its greenhouse design, houses close to 170 lactating cows in free stalls. These Holstein cows produce an average 77 pounds of milk daily.