Non Technical Summary
Due to mulitple factors, including a limited percentage of veterinary students havingprior experienceinlivestock production, it is anticipated for theveterinarianshortage inlivestock andfood safety jobsto continue.Since many foodproducts sold inAlaska are shipped fromthe continental US through the port ofAnchorage oralong theAlaskaHighway, Alaska is uniquely vulnerable tosupply chain interruptions and food insecurity.Access to veterinary care and knowledgeable resourcescan be a limiting factor for livestock production in Alaska. Although Reindeer area domesticated species that are uniquely suited to the Alaskan climate, the scientificinformation that is accessible to support the reindeer industryis limited. Thegoals of this project are to increase veterinary studentknowledge and comfort with livestock medicineand toincrease support of Alaskan livestock producers by providingaccess to relevant scientific resources. The first project objectiveisto update veterinary instruction toincreasestudent knowledge and skills needed for livestock and food safety jobs.Theanticipated impact is to increaseveterinary graduates willing to pursuelivestock and food safety careers. The second project objective is to provideextension resources that supportlivestock producers of Alaska. The anticipated impact is to increase access to scientific resources which support livestock productionin Alaska.

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
315	3910	1060	50%
311	3910	1060	25%
301	3910	1081	25%

Knowledge Area
311 - Animal Diseases; 315 - Animal Welfare/Well-Being and Protection; 301 - Reproductive Performance of Animals;

Subject Of Investigation
3910 - Cross-commodity research--multiple animal species;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1081 - Breeding;

Goals / Objectives
There are two major goals for this project. One is to provide veterinary studentswith more interactive knowledge and skilltrainingneeded forlivestock practiceso graduates may chooselivestock andfood safety careers. The second is to increase extension serviceefforts that support Alaska livestock production with increased community engagementandfocused representation atnationwide reindeerconferences.Objectives:1.)Modification of course delivery to incorporate case-based discussions and increase hands-on clinical skills training sessions.2.)Acquisition of veterinary simulators and diagnostic equipment3.)Modernization of audiovisual equipment and laboratory tables4.)Increased faculty and staff training and collaboration with Colorado State University tomodernize skills, access case material for teaching purposes, and gain diverse teaching strategies.5.)Secure travel support for extension service at regional meetings, nationwide reindeer association meetings, and within the state of Alaska.

Project Methods
Veterinary course updates will be made to provide overviews on livestock industry practices, clinical case examples, interactive learningsessions, and laboratoriesfor hands-on skill development.Team based learning sessions, problem-based learningsessions, and case-presentationswill be developedwith collaboration of Colorado State UniversityCollege of Veterinary Medicineand Biomedical Sciences. Veterinary simulators for venipuncture, administration of intramuscularinjections, transrectal palpation,nasogastric intubation, and dystociamanagementwill be acquired and incorporated into updated laboratory sessions. Diagnostic ultrasound and rumen collection equipment will be acquired and used to obtain teaching materials and provideinstruction forhands-on clinical diagnostic skills. For evaluationa Likert scale annual studentsurvey will be used to gain voluntary self-reported feedbackof studentknowledge and comfort with livestock handling,industry practices, and veterinary skills.Voluntary post graduate surveys will be used to evaluatestudent contribution to thelivestock and food safety workforce.Travel funds will be allocatedfor a Cooperative Extension Reindeer Specialist to attend and present at nationwide reindeer owner and breeder conferences. Evaluation of outcomes will be done by reporting the number of participants and the voluntary responsesto an outcome-based questionnaire.Travel funds will be allocated fora Cooperative Extension Veterinarian to present material and consult with two small communitiesin Alaska.Evaluation of outcomes will be done by reporting the number of participants and the voluntary responsesto an outcome-based questionnaire.