Changes in Rural Veterinary Practice: An Interview with Dr. Dan Upson

Dr. Dan Upson is a Professor Emeritus of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University. He is wide known and respected as an authority on rural veterinary practice, veterinary education, and the scientific process. Dr. Upson graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University in 1952. He then worked as a veterinary practitioner in Hutchinson, Kansas before establishing his own practice in Pretty Prairie, Kansas. Dr. Upson returned to K-State in 1959 and completed an MS in Physiology in 1962. He remained in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology where he earned a PhD in 1969. Dr. Upson joined the faculty and taught veterinary students at K-State for 35 years, retiring in 1994 as an Emeritus Professor. Dr. Upson received many awards for his outstanding dedication to the classroom and the veterinary profession. Dr. Michael Apley, Dan's last and most prominent PhD student, interviewed Dr. Dan Upson regarding the changes he has seen in rural practice. His breadth of experience with veterinary education over these many years as a veterinary educator included extensive interaction with practicing veterinarians. When Dr. Upson retired from Kansas State University, he had taught over 20 sons and daughters of previous students. This is a unique perspective of rural practice and the educational system that is being counted on to produce the next generation of rural practitioners. We encourage you to view this interview as a cross-generational view of the evolution and progression of the veterinary profession in rural America.