The University of Nebraska Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center (GPVEC) provides leadership and opportunity for advanced study in food animal production management, training for veterinary students, graduate veterinarians and others from across the United States as well as internationally. The livestock populations available at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) serve as a program resource, allowing students to participate in routine individual animal health care, herd activities that are part of the livestock production cycle, specific projects, and training in new techniques and other activities. GPVEC offerings include educational programs for professional, undergraduate and graduate students, research opportunities, extension outreach, including continuing education for graduate veterinarians, and scholarly service, with individual and herd care responsibilities for USMARC herds.
GPVEC faculty serve as regional and national resources to practicing veterinarians and their clients, cooperative extension, academia, and industry personnel in their areas of expertise which include: cow-calf and feedlot production systems management; integrated resource management; food safety; quality assurance; epidemiology; immunology; economics; nutrition; and animal care.
Professional and Undergraduate Educational Programs
The University of Nebraska - Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center (GPVEC) is a part of the Cooperative Agreement for Veterinary Medical Education between Iowa State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Through this program, a defined number of qualified Nebraska students are accepted into the Iowa State University (ISU) College of Veterinary Medicine at in-state tuition, of which the first two years of the professional program are fulfilled at UNL in Lincoln, Nebraska and the final two years are completed at ISU in Ames, Iowa. GPVEC provides clinical elective courses to veterinary students as part of this agreement.
In addition to the UNL-ISU agreement, GPVEC provides educational programs including clinical electives and other rotations for professional veterinary students enrolled in an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited college of veterinary medicine. Students who participate in GPVEC educational programs have the opportunity to work with herds and flocks at USMARC. These programs are open to fourth-year veterinary students.
For further information click GPVEC Electives.
Research
Research conducted by GPVEC focuses on generating data for stakeholders of the livestock industries on which they can base decisions. The goal is to improve preventive health strategies and efficiency and profitability of food animal production with an emphasis on beef production. This is accomplished primarily through analysis of production records and management factors associated with productivity for cow-calf enterprises, investigating diagnostic techniques and epidemiology of disease in feedlot settings, and exploring management of disease in beef cattle operations.
Outreach/Extension Education
GPVEC outreach focuses on providing practical, science-based information to stakeholders of the livestock industries with a priority on beef production. Faculty are involved at all levels of outreach from local interactions to national interfaces through educational programs, relationships with industry related groups, consultations, and support for computerized producer record systems and databases.
Scholarly Service
GPVEC provides scholarly service to the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC). The GPVEC faculty members provide veterinary care to USMARC animals in conjunction with the USMARC herd health veterinarians. Veterinary students frequently participate in these animal care services as part of their learning experiences that emphasize hands on activities, including proper animal handling, in a working environment.
