Opportunity for Veterinary Students to attend Leman Swine Conference

April 28, 2009 — National Pork Board

The National Pork Board is sponsoring an exciting opportunity for students with an interest in Swine Production Medicine! Up to fifteen students will have the opportunity to:

• Meet students from other veterinary schools interested in swine medicine
• Attend one of the nation's premier swine conferences at no cost
• Discuss social issues facing the pork industry and food animal medicine
• Receive training on public speaking and gain experience in responding to those who are opposed to animal production medicine
• Network with pork industry leaders
• Gain opportunities for future leadership on pork production issues

We face questions regularly on such topics as the use of antibiotics in production, animal welfare and the environmental impact of pork production. The National Pork Board is sponsoring a pre-conference workshop at the Leman Swine Conference for up to 15 veterinary students from around the U.S. to learn more about these issues. Armed with knowledge on these issues, the students will undergo professional media training that will enable them to discuss these issues one-on-one, with a group, or even with a reporter.

This session will be held on Saturday, September 19th in St. Paul, Minn, in conjunction with the University of Minnesota's Allen D. Leman Swine Conference. The National Pork Board will provide funding for travel (mileage or airfare depending on location) and a stipend for hotel lodging. The Leman Conference is providing free registration for veterinary students. We plan on having 1-2 students per veterinary school in attendance to enable students to meet their peers from other schools.

If you are a veterinary student and this opportunity interests you, please email Dr. Lisa Becton at becton@pork.org or call 515-223-2791 by July 1, 2009. Please include your contact information (including email and telephone number), what year you are in veterinary school and also a brief description of your interest in swine production medicine. We will collect names of interested students and let you know by August 8th if you have been selected to attend, and also provide travel details at that time.