The Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University is set to host the first of several continuing education events focused on improving the long-term viability of rural veterinary practices.

The inaugural meeting, Rural Veterinary Practitioner Conference: Preparing for Disease Challenges, will be June 3-4 in Manhattan. The conference will provide nine hours of continuing education for veterinarians.

Held in conjunction with the 79th annual Conference for Veterinarians, the organizing committee has created a program that will focus on preparation for disease challenges with presentations from a diverse group of experts and speakers. Kicking off the program on Saturday, June 3, is a hands-on Wet Lab at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine hosted by faculty members Bob Larson, professor and Edgar E. and M. Elizabeth Coleman chair in food animal production medicine; Brad White, professor of production medicine and director of the Beef Cattle Institute; and Mike Sanderson, professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology. Spreadsheets and mobile app decision tools in addition to biosecurity plans will be addressed. Participants in the Wet Lab will need to bring their own laptop.

On Sunday, June 4, a wide range of topics, from securing the beef supply to diagnostic disease trends, will be covered.

"Kansas State University is fortunate to have faculty with diverse expertise and perspectives interested in livestock production and health," Larson said. "The Rural Veterinary Practitioner Conference: Preparing for Disease Challenges will provide an opportunity for veterinarians to gain additional tools and skills to address disease and production challenges facing rural practitioners."

If veterinarians wish to obtain additional continuing education, they are encouraged to register for both the Rural Veterinary Practitioner Conference and the 79th annual Conference for Veterinarians. Registration deadline is Friday, May 26.

For a full schedule and registration information, please visit beefcattleinstitute.org/rural-veterinary-practitioner-conference/about/.

 The Beef Cattle Institute utilizes collaborative multidisciplinary expertise to promote successful beef production through the discovery and delivery of actionable information and innovative decision support tools.