Student Electives

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center (GPVEC) is located on the premises of the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) which is a 35,000 acre USDA research facility that is home to large populations of beef cattle, sheep and pigs.  A cooperative agreement between the USMARC and the University of Nebraska allows GPVEC to train veterinary students from across the nation and around the world.

Our electives are built around the seasonal livestock production activities on the USMARC during which students can gain practical experience and develop their clinical skills.  Limited enrollment in the week long electives allows students an excellent student-to-faculty ratio and increases the opportunity for hands-on experiences.

While field work is the primary activity of our electives, limited time is typically spent in the classroom discussing topics relevant to the events of the week to augment the hands-on experiences and place them into the context of the entire production system.  Information regarding the activities and discussions of specific electives can be found by visiting the individual electives pages listed below. 

Student electives at the Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center are open to all veterinary medical students attending AVMA accredited colleges of veterinary medicine.