The American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (ACVPM) recently performed an on-site visit at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and granted full certification to two livestock residency programs. Veterinarians completing three-year residencies in Livestock Herd Health and Reproduction (LHHR) and Dairy Production Medicine (DPM) are now recognized by ACVPM for attaining eligibility to take their certifying examinations at the conclusion of their programs to become board certified in preventive veterinary medicine. Previously without certification status, residents were required to fulfill an additional year of qualifying experience following their residency before being allowed to take their certifying examinations.  

With this recognition, UC Davis became the first veterinary school to have two ACVPM-certified residency training programs that are exclusively focused on food animal preventive medicine. Only three other institutions in the U.S. have a ACVPM-certified residency.

“Achieving ACVPM certification for these residency programs further emphasizes UC Davis’ innovation and leadership in population medicine and herd health,” said Dr. Terry Lehenbauer, professor and director of the Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center in Tulare where the DPM program is based. “Our team at Tulare is very proud for our dairy production medicine residency program to join the ranks with the other certified training programs located across the U.S.”

“This certification highlights the excellence of UC Davis livestock and preventive medicine training programs,” said Dr. Richard Pereira, associate professor and chief of LHHR. “The recognition also serves as a strong indicator of the programs’ exceptional levels for advanced training in population medicine and epidemiology.”

As an integral part of the two residency programs, residents complete coursework during the second year of their residencies toward earning their Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine (MPVM) degree. The MPVM degree program is a key part of their training, providing a strong foundation in epidemiology and biostatistics, infectious disease surveillance, leadership and risk communication, emerging issues in One Health, information management, zoonotic diseases, food safety, and research planning. Together with their extensive clinical training, the MPVM degree prepares residents with the tools and skill sets to evaluate health, reproduction, and productivity at the population level in food animal production systems.

“This achievement highlights the quality of both training programs, and the critical value of the MPVM degree in securing outstanding formal and practical training of residents,” said Dr. Janet Foley, professor and chair of the MPVM program.

ACVPM is recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association as a veterinary specialty organization offering board certification in preventive medicine with the option of a specialty in epidemiology. Becoming a Diplomate of the ACVPM means joining some of the most distinguished veterinary professionals in preventive medicine and public health at national and international levels.

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