Incoming Student Information

Incoming Students

Incoming Student Information

Congratulations! You are now officially a UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine family member! Please get in touch with the Office of Professional Education at csteam@ucdavis.edu if you have any questions or concerns. We want to support you as you prepare to start the DVM program. 

In that effort, all incoming DVM students receive regular emails, Canvas announcements, and weekly Zoom sessions hosted by our student support staff during July. These emails, announcements, and seminars will guide you through the student onboarding process so that you can focus on community building and learning starting your first day of training.   While the emails and announcements will have detailed instructions and deadlines, this page provides an overview of some of the most important tasks to complete.  More information is also available in the cohort Canvas site. 

  • Submit your Statement of Intent to Register
  • Log in to the DVM applicant portal using the link provided to you via email.  Select the “Accept or Decline Your Admission” button on the home screen in the applicant portal.  Formally accepting your offer of admission lets us know that you plan to enroll in the UCD DVM program, and is required before we can provide you with new student services and information.
  • Submit your Statement of Legal Residence
  • The Statement of Legal Residence (SLR) determines student fees. Even if you have lived in California all your life, you must still provide evidence of your residency.  The statement must be filed with the Office of the Registrar before the SVM can place you into DVM classes.  More information about the SLR is available at  https://registrar.ucdavis.edu/tuition/residence/processes/slr-basics.
  • Set up your UC Davis Computing Account and UC Davis Email
  • All new students must establish campus computing and UC Davis e-mail accounts. It may take up to 48 hours after submitting the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) before you can access this function. These tasks must be completed to access instructional materials in Canvas, our online learning management system.  The DVM Admissions staff provides detailed instructions about setting up a computing account in January; guidance regarding email accounts will be distributed by May.
  • Complete Canvas Training
  • After receiving access to Canvas, the school's learning management system, students should complete the "Canvas at the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine" module in the cohort's site.
  • Upload a Photo in Canvas for your Student Identification Card
  • On the first day of Prologue, you will receive a student identification card that grants you access to the buildings on the vet med campus, such as Valley Hall (academic building), the Multi-Purpose Teaching building, and more. You will also be able to load funds onto your card to use at the cafes on campus. In addition, the card will allow access to campus facilities such as the fitness center, and campus services. Please visit the cohort Canvas site for the photo requirements and instructions on Bring a government-issued identification card to check in on the first day of classhow to submit your photo. On the first day of class, bring a government-issued identification card to check in.  
  • Submit your Gallup Strengths Results
  • The DVM professional development model is grounded in the principles of strengths-based education and positive psychology. We aim to help students develop their professional identity by building on what they naturally do well. As a first step, each student will complete the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment to identify their top five strengths. Submit the results of your evaluation in Canvas. In Prologue, we'll begin the journey to align students' strengths and values with their career and wellbeing goals.
  • Complete the UC and SVM New Student Health Requirements

  • DVM students must complete the UC system-wide student health requirements before starting the DVM program. Detailed information about UC health requirements for all new students can be found at https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/new-students. 

    In addition to the standard vaccination requirements for new UC Davis students, all DVM students must have up-to-date rabies vaccinations/titers. Per CDC Guidelines for Risk Category 3 (Veterinarians), all DVM students must receive the 2-shot rabies vaccination OR show acceptable titer level of 0.5 IU/mL or higher. During your third year, you will again need to show an acceptable titer level or receive a booster shot.

    Incoming DVM students can receive their 2-shot Pre-Exposure Vaccinations (PreV)/titer tests at their private physician before entering the program, or they can attend our DVM clinic at Student Health and Counseling Service (SHCS) during Prologue. We set aside specific appointment times for your Prologue groups, and sign-ups are not available until the first day of Prologue. In August, you will receive a link to make your appointment at SHCS to attend a rabies vaccine clinic. Release time for the clinics is incorporated into your academic schedule according to your assigned orientation group. Proof of your rabies vaccination will be required to be submitted to a Canvas assignment.   

    Finally, all incoming DVM students submit a release of health information (ROI) form.  This release allows the SHCS to share with the SVM specific health information that may affect our community, including incidents of animal bites and injuries, notification of zoonotic diseases, and the coordination of medical clearances for N95 mask fittings. The SVM does not gain access to an individual student’s confidential, medical record. 

  • Waive Enrollment in the UC Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) (optional)
  • All UC Davis students are required to have health insurance. You are automatically enrolled and charged for UC SHIP unless you waive it. You can read more about the UC SHIP dates and costs at https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/insurance. If you intend to waive UC SHIP and its associated costs, submit a waiver request by August 1.  Please note that if you want to waive UC SHIP, you must set up your Computing Account to log into the online waiver application. More information about the waiver process is available at https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/uc-ship-waiver-information.
  • Request Academic Accommodations (optional)
  • DVM students are responsible for contacting the Student Disability Center (SDC) before each semester to request accommodations for the academic term.  As it can take approximately two weeks to implement accommodations, incoming students are encouraged to contact the SDC in July. To speak to a staff member at the Student Disability Center about services and the accommodation process, call (530) 752-3184 or email sdc@ucdavis.edu. 

    For more information, visit the SDC website at https://sdc.ucdavis.edu/students. Please note that the website encourages students who receive accommodations to share that information with their instructors.  At the SVM, the Associate Dean for Professional Education implements your accommodations. To clarify, the SDC confirms your eligibility and makes accommodation recommendations; the Associate Dean implements those accommodations within the DVM curriculum.
  • Pay Your Fees
  • Please refer to the UC Davis Budget and Institutional Analysis website for DVM fee information at https://budget.ucdavis.edu/student-resources/tuition-fees/professional/dvm.  Fees for the fall semester are assessed in early August.  Financial aid will automatically disburse to your student account to pay fees by the payment deadline of September 15. Students who prefer not to pay all of their fees by September 15 can sign up for a payment plan (“Deferred Payment Plan”). More information and instructions are available at  https://financeandbusiness.ucdavis.edu/student-resources/accounting/mybill/dpp
  • Save the date for the White Coat Ceremony
  • You will work with patients and gain clinical skills at UC Davis in your first year. Therefore, you will take the School of Veterinary Medicine student oath, receive your white coat, and be welcomed into the veterinary profession by the dean in this ceremony that begins your professional education. The White Coat Ceremony is held the Friday evening of the first week of the fall semester.  More information about this year’s ceremony can be found at https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/admissions/white-coat-ceremony.
  • Confirm Enrollment and Academic Participation
  • The SVM places you into your courses each term. Still, a university requirement is that you proactively confirm your schedule and your intent to participate in those courses in adherence to the UCD Code of Academic Conduct. Students will be notified by email and Canvas each term when it is time to confirm enrollment and academic participation.  More information about the academic participation requirement is available at https://participate.ucdavis.edu/students.
  • Complete Sexual Assault Prevention (SAP) Training
  • UC Davis requires that all professional students complete mandatory sexual assault prevention (SAP) training classes at UC Davis.  To complete the SAP requirement, students will receive an email invite in which they will need to access and complete the online Sexual Assault Prevention. Additional information about deadlines and instructions will be provided by the DVM student support staff.
  • Get Fitted for an N95 Mask  
  • Although an N95 mask fitting is not required before enrollment, DVM students should know wearing an N95 mask is required to participate in some parts of the DVM curriculum.  In conjunction with UCD Student Health and Counseling Services and UCD Occupational Health, the SVM facilitates the medical clearances needed to wear an N95 mask during your first semester.