The orientation sheet is discussed by an ambulatory clinician as part of the rotation orientation. During the first few days of the rotation ambulatory clinicians usually bring the group or some members of it to the farm under investigation and introduce them to the farmer and farm employees. Ambulatory clinicians help students to locate educational resources and make contacts with such key support people as nutritionists and feed suppliers, milking equipment sales and service people, dairy extension agents, and local dairy supplies sales people. Ambulatory clinicians also make computer software available for DHIA record analysis and ration balancing or evaluation. Students are instructed in the use of these software programs upon request.
Clinicians make past laboratory records from the herd file available to the students.
Clinicians answer questions regarding past history on the farm but leave judgements of current management practices up to the students. For example, a clinician may respond to questions whether a herd has had problems with fat cows in the past by indicating whether Tufts Ambulatory has diagnosed any fatty liver syndrome in the past but if asked whether the cows are too fat now the clinician will in turn ask the students how they can find out and then direct the discussion toward body condition scoring the herd. At various times during the rotation students will pose hypotheses regarding the farm to ambulatory clinicians. The clinicians will then suggest ways for the students to test or strengthen these hypotheses. During the last week of the rotation the students give an oral presentation of their findings to the farmers and clinicians.