A case-based learning approach for teaching undergraduate veterinary students about dairy herd health consultancy issues.

A case-based learning (CBL) format was implemented at the Veterinary School of Nantes, France, for veterinary students in their last year of the curriculum who had chosen to track toward a farm animal career. The focus of the CBL format was learning about dairy herd health consultancy. The goal was to emphasize teamwork among students, introduce professional communications and advisory relationships with clients, and work within the technical and economic limitations of participating farms. These farms volunteered to participate and had identified a problem. The learning objectives included gaining basic knowledge of herd-level diseases and the methods to control these within herds. The program focused on health audits of dairy farms performed by teams of four to five students, culminating in submission of a herd health management action plan specific for the farm visited by each team. The CBL program was comprised of defined learning objectives for each team. The learning process was supervised, from orientation through to validation, by a panel of experts from within the veterinary school and from local industry. Teams submitted written reports that listed recommendations and an action plan for implementation. This report was defended by each team in front of the farmers, their professional partners, and the panel of supervisors. Assessment of the program by students, participating farms, and industry professionals was positive.