Vet training scheme to increase dairy industry health services
Press release
26 October 2009
A new rural vet training scheme led by the University of Melbourne will provide Victoria's dairy industry with a much-needed boost in availability of skilled dairy veterinarians.
The project, a collaboration between the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Veterinary Science, the Gardiner Foundation, Dairy Australia and three veterinary practices, aims to build veterinary capacity in the dairy industry through advanced training of vets at some of Victoria's leading dairy veterinary clinics.
Building on a successful thirty-year partnership between the University of Melbourne and the Maffra Veterinary Centre, the project will provide training for three dairy veterinary residents at Maffra, the Timboon Veterinary Group and the Warrnambool Veterinary Clinic. The residents will undertake farm-based research, clinical work and teaching of undergraduate veterinary students from the University of Melbourne, while receiving advanced clinical training.
Professor Ken Hinchcliff, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science and project leader, hopes that the investment will help to address the shortage in experienced dairy vet practitioners in rural Victoria.
"Rural practices are finding it difficult to attract and retain new graduates, and as a result we've seen a gradual reduction in the number of local clinics staffed by experienced dairy vets," says Professor Hinchcliff.
In the short term the project partners hope to deliver better training of undergraduate students through exposure to expert dairy practice, along with high quality research relevant to the dairy industry. The project's long term objective is to enhance veterinary capacity through training of the next generation of advanced dairy practitioners.
"The training will allow our dairy residents to go on and become leading veterinary dairy practitioners and scientists, and leaders in innovation of veterinary services to the dairy industry," says Professor Hinchcliff.
The project is based on a model developed by Maffra veterinarian Dr Jakob Malmo and Professor Douglas Blood of the University of Melbourne over 30 years ago. The "Maffra model” has been successful in training advanced dairy veterinarians, many of whom are now at the forefront of the dairy industry. The program also has trained several generations of Veterinary Science undergraduate students in dairy clinical techniques.
Dairy residents will be based at one of the three rural veterinary practices for three years, where they will have the opportunity to undertake on-farm research, develop whole herd management and extension skills, and provide day-to-day clinical services to dairy farmers.
Project Supervisor, Dr Michael Pyman, Senior Lecturer in Dairy Cattle Medicine and Production at the University of Melbourne, hopes that the project will begin to address the shortage of vets in rural areas and particularly in dairy practices.
"The rural training scheme will enable all veterinary undergraduates to gain first hand practical experience in dairy cattle medicine in practices managed by dedicated and skilful practitioners," he says.
"We see this world class training as crucial to maximizing movement of these students into dairy and rural practice after graduation."
For further information please contact Hinalei Johnston, Marketing Manager, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, Tel: 8344 7844 or email: h.johnston@unimelb.edu.au