Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center

The Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center (GPVEC) provides education to veterinary students and practitioners through a cooperative agreement between Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Nebraska and the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. The teaching program is primarily in food animal health and production management of beef cattle.

Large livestock populations are available which serve as a major teaching resource, allowing students to participate in routine individual animal health care as well as specific herd activities that are part of the yearly livestock production cycle.

Iowa State veterinary students participate in week-long rotations, gaining valuable hands-on experience in addition to lectures. Rotations are scheduled to coincide with the busiest times for animal herd medicine.

GPVEC gives student veterinarians the tools required to help livestock producers meet 21st century challenges.

"Great Plains was a real bonus for me since I was trying to get as much experience as I could with a lot of repetition," said Tyler Baumann, a 2016 Iowa State graduate. "There are so many cattle out there that it's hard not to get a good, hands-on experience."