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UC Davis Vet School Personal Statement

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The valuable information given in the article below on uc davis vet school personal statement, uc davis vet school requirements & uc davis personal statement examples . All you have to do is read on to know more.

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UC Davis Vet School Personal Statement

Telling Your Story

Your personal statement is a very important piece of your application and should be given a high degree of attention in the process. You can begin creating your first draft as soon as you want, but serious work should be done a few months before applying.

The essay is a great place to tell your story. By this we mean showing the admissions committee more about who you are by choosing experiences you have had and telling a well-crafted story that contains a theme synthesized throughout each paragraph.

Creating a Theme

As soon as you arrive at UCD (or as soon as you read this), buy yourself a journal and begin jotting down all of your impressions on your experiences.

First, make a list of all of the most impactful moments in your life. Start from childhood and go through college. Write a paragraph about each, describing what you did (your actions, behavior, decision making) and what you thought as a result. How did that experience move you to a new place?

Read through all of those impactful moments and try to find a theme. What concept is infused throughout your life? Is there a pattern or reoccurring series of events that has appeared in your life? Do past events parallel with current activities? Try to name those. Once you name it, what does that mean about your future plans?

HPA Tips

  • Don’t use your essay as a list of experiences. Your experiences page or resume will tell them what you have done. Use your essay to tell them something they do not already know about you.
  • Think about your essay as a piece of writing. A good piece of writing has a theme. When you are beginning a draft, write several paragraphs of incidents in your life that were defining moments. Read these paragraphs over and over until you discover a concept or theme synthesized through more than one. Once you have identified a common thread in 2-3 stories, rewrite it using those stories and with that theme in mind.
  • You do not need to tell your audience anything. Show them through your story what you are about.
  • Do not use your essay to criticize medicine today. You are not going to change the way medicine is practiced single-handedly. If you want to point out flaws in current practice or society, be quick to acknowledge how you will be a part of the solution, not the solution itself. (An example, “I have seen many patients suffer and I want to stop my patients from suffering.” -You won’t be able to stop your patients from suffering but you can be sure to comfort each patient and offer accurate information and appropriate advice.
  • It’s ok to address systemic problems, but do so through your story. Your essay is not the place to spout your agenda.
  • Just avoid the “I want to help people” theme if possible. There has to be more to you than that. Think harder.

Timeline

You can begin thinking about your essay as early as your first year. Your personal statement will take many shapes and forms over the years as you grow and experience new things. If you are in the early stages of deciding to pursue a health profession, sit down and try to answer the question “Why do you want to be a _____?” Keep your writing in your HPA folder and revisit it from time to time on your educational journey.

You should begin seriously working on your statement around six months away from the due date.  Allow yourself plenty of time to revise. A good piece of writing will take many revisions with several sets of eyes. Around January of the year you are applying, you can schedule an appointment with an advisor in HPA to discuss your essay.

uC davis vet school requirements

Minimum Requirements

In order to be considered for admission into the School of Veterinary Medicine, all submitted applications must meet the following minimum requirements:

  • 2.5 GPA or higher
  • 180 veterinary experience hours
  • Three professional recommendations with at least one from a veterinarian
  • Successful completion of the required prerequisites (courses must have a grade of C and higher; a C- will not be accepted)
  • A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university

Please note that these are the minimum requirements and competitive applications have substantially higher GPAs and experience. International applicants have additional requirements.

Grade Point Averages (GPA)

A minimum grade point average of 2.50 (on a 4-point scale, A=4) is required for admission. Two GPAs are used to calculate an application’s initial ranking:

  1. Overall science GPA (includes all science courses as deemed by VMCAS)
  2. Most recent 45 semester/68 quarter units GPA (includes any graded courses taken within these parameters including but not limited to undergraduate, graduate, or prerequisite courses)

Though the cumulative (all courses taken) GPA is not factored into an application’s initial ranking, it may be considered as part of the holistic review process. Please review our Application Process & Timeline for more details on the application evaluation process.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

All applicants are required to take the GRE which includes the verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections. Though only the quantitative score is factored into an application’s initial ranking, the verbal and analytical writing sections may be considered as part of the holistic review process. 

If the GRE is taken more than once, the highest score will be used. It must be taken within a five-year period prior to applying to veterinary school. No scores from before August 31, 2016 will be accepted for the 2021-2022 application cycle. The GRE must be taken no later than August 31 of the year the application is submitted. Examinations taken after this deadline will not be accepted for consideration in the year the application is filed.

Do not send official GRE score reports directly to UC Davis or UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Any reports sent here cannot be retrieved nor attached to an application in any way and a new report will need to be ordered and sent directly to VMCAS.

It is highly recommended that applicants take the GRE well before the final deadline of August 31. This allows for additional time to re-take the test if necessary and avoids last-minute complications and delays with official score reports. 

*ETS is temporarily offering a Test at Home option. 

Ordering official score reports

All GRE score reports must be electronically delivered from ETS to VMCAS using the UC Davis school code 4804. VMCAS accepts scores when their application window opens and until September 15.  Do not send score reports directly to UC Davis. It takes time for ETS to process scores and score report requests and for VMCAS to process the reports. Do not wait until the last minute to request reports. If your scores are not received by VMCAS by the September 15 deadline, your application will be incomplete and will not be considered for admission.

Veterinary Experience

A minimum of 180 hours of veterinary experience are required by the application deadline (September 15 of current application year) to have your application considered for admission; however, admitted applicants have an average of 1,475 hours of quality “hands-on” experience in the veterinary field. You are expected to have a realistic and appropriate perspective of the responsibilities of the veterinary profession. Your experience may come from a job or volunteer service. You may acquire experience by working with veterinarians in private practice, farms, ranches, animal shelters, zoos, aquaria, etc.
        
The Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) explains the difference between veterinary experience and animal experience on their VMCAS Helpdesk page in the Experiences Section. 

Letters of Recommendation (eLOR)

Applicants must submit at least three eLORs as part of their VMCAS application (refer to VMCAS instructions for more information). VMCAS will accept more than three evaluations; however, we will only consider three. At least one eLOR must be from a veterinarian. The remaining eLORS may be written by veterinarians, professors, researchers, or others who can attest to the applicant’s knowledge of veterinary medicine and/or academic abilities.

Once the application has been verified by VMCAS, we will email instructions to set up the applicant portal for the UC Davis Supplemental Application. There, the three recommendations wished to be considered will be indicated. We will calculate a composite score of the three eLORS by using the ratings the evaluators provided on the eLOR evaluation. The composite score will be factored with GPAs and GRE scores to rank the applicant pool for invitations to interview (MMI process). 

Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)

Interviews will be conducted using the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) technique. The MMI is a series of short, structured interviews used to assess personal traits/qualities. Each mini interview provides a candidate with a few minutes to read a question/scenario and mentally prepare before entering the interview room. Upon entering, the candidate has several minutes of dialogue with one interviewer/assessor/rater (or, in some cases, a third party as the interviewer/assessor observes). At the conclusion of the interview, the interviewer/assessor has a few minutes to evaluate while the candidate moves to the next scenario. This pattern is repeated through a circuit of 10 stations.

The MMI was derived from the well-known OSCE (objective structured clinical examination) used by many medical programs to assess a student’s application of clinical skills and knowledge. However, the MMI does not test knowledge of veterinary medicine but rather personal attributes such as communication skills and ability to work as part of a team, ethical and critical decision-making abilities, and behaviors important to being a veterinarian such as empathy, honesty, and reliability.

Approximately 240 applicants will be invited to the in-person MMIs conducted on the UC Davis, which take place in early December. MMIs are mandatory for consideration of admission and cannot be conducted remotely. 

International Applicants

International applicants must submit their applications through VMCAS, meet the above criteria for admission, and meet the additional requirements as stated below: 

Eligibility

All international applicants must have a four year bachelor’s degree and are not eligible to begin the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program directly out of high school. A bachelor’s degree must be completed prior to matriculation.

Language Proficiency

Non-native English speaking applicants must take the ib-TOEFL test unless they received a bachelor’s degree from an English speaking university in the U.S. The minimum acceptable score is 105. The TOEFL test must be taken by August 31 and scores must be sent to school code 4834 by September 15.

uC davis vet school application

The Veterinary Medical Application Service (VMCAS) is the centralized application service for Colleges of Veterinary Medicine. Through VMCAS you can complete one application and send all your required materials through this service. Your application is then processed, verified for accuracy, and sent to the veterinary medical schools you designate.

  • Step 1: VMCAS Application
  • Applicants must apply through the central application system VMCAS. Paper applications are not available. All application materials, including GRE scores, academic transcripts, and letters of recommendation, MUST be submitted through the VMCAS system. Any of the above application materials sent directly to UC Davis cannot be attached to applications or returned to applicants.January 21May 12September 15VMCAS application opensVeterinary programs will become available for students to selectApplication must be submitted by 8:59 pm (PST)VMCAS can accept transcripts and score reportsApplications can be submittedAll other application materials (eLors, transcripts, etc.) must be submitted to VMCAS. No late documents are accepted.
  • Step 2: Transcripts and Score Reports to VMCAS
  • Transcripts
    Order official transcripts from all institutions you have attended and have them sent directly to VMCAS. Review sending official transcripts to VMCAS for detailed instructions on all US, international, and study abroad transcripts.VMCAS must receive all transcripts by the September 15 deadline. Late transcripts will not be received. Any transcripts accidentally sent to UC Davis CANNOT be added or attached to applications. Applications missing transcripts by the deadline will not be considered for admission. No exceptions will be made, so please plan accordingly.

    GRE
    August 31, 2021 is the last date to take the GRE for the current application cycle. Use the VMCAS school code 4804 to have your scores delivered to VMCAS. Do not use the general UC Davis school code. Do not wait until the last minute to take the GRE as deadline extensions are not granted. Check your VMCAS portal to make sure that your GRE scores have been received before the deadline. If the deadline is near and you don’t see your scores posted, contact VMCAS and ETS directly.International students should review the international student requirements for additional VMCAS requirements.
  • Step 3: Submit & Monitor VMCAS
  • All submitted applications need to be verified by VMCAS, which can take up to four weeks. By submitting all of your transcripts BEFORE the deadline (September 15, 2021), you will greatly improve your chance of having your application verified early with time to make corrections if needed. Review Submitting and Monitoring Your VMCAS Application for more details.Note: Applications that reach the “verified” status may still be incomplete if other materials such as eLors or test scores are missing. If your verified application is missing any application materials after the September 15 deadline, it will not be considered for admission, even if you have submitted a supplemental application.
  • Step 4: UC Davis Supplemental Application
  • Around mid-August, we begin to import verified applications from VMCAS to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Applicant Portal. Applicants are notified via email when their VMCAS application has been added.Once imported, applicants will be sent an email with instructions to set up their Applicant Portal, complete the secondary application, and pay the $60 processing fee. The secondary application includes a personal statement (2,000 character limit) and the selection of which three eLors you want us to consider for your application. The UCD supplemental application is due October 15.
    Note: We do not begin to upload verified applications until mid-August, even if your application has been verified before this time. We will continue to import verified applications one to two times a week until the September 15 deadline. It can be up to a week to be emailed the supplemental application instructions.

uC davis vet school acceptance rate

Residency*AppliedOffered AdmissionAccepted offerGenderAppliedAccepted
California Residents510128126Female853123
Non-residents5023220Male15727
International2454Not stated20
Total Applicants*1012165150Total1012150

*Received 1166 applications from VMCAS. Only 1012 applicants completed application requirements.

Statistics of Accepted Applicants

  • Average GPAs:
    • CA Residents – Overall Science (3.62), Last 45 Sem/68 Qtr Units (3.77)
    • Non-Residents (includes international) – Overall Science (3.96), Last 45 Sem/68 Qtr Units (3.97)
  • Ranges for CA residents:
    • The student with the lowest Overall Science GPA (3.09), had a 45 Sem/68 Qtr Units GPA of 3.80 and a GRE Quant score of 53%
    • The student with the lowest 45 Sem/68 Qtr units GPA (3.21), had an Overall Science GPA of 3.28 and GRE Quant score of 64%
    • The student with the lowest GRE Quant score (26%), had an Overall Science GPA of 3.21 and 45 Sem/68 Qtr Units GPA of 3.98
  • Average GRE scores:
    • California residents: Quantitative 68%
    • Non-residents: Quantitative 82%
  • Average Age: 22 (age range 19-37)
  • Ethnicity: Caucasian (82), Asian/Other Asian (31), Hispanic/Mexican American/Other Spanish (8), Mixed Race/Multi-Ethnic (28), African American/Black (1)
  • Undergraduate Majors: Animal-Related Sciences (71), Biological Sciences (56), Chemistry/Physics/Other Sciences (6), Humanities/Social Sciences/Other (17) 
  • Degrees Received by end of Spring 2019: Bachelor’s (150); Master’s (4); PhD/Professional (0)
  • Applicants Admitted on 1st Application: (125), 2nd (22), 3rd or more (3)
  • Areas of Interest Species Specific: small animal (50), mixed animal (31), equine (9), wildlife (11), zoo (12), large animal (8), lab animal (4), food animal (3), small/equine (6), avian/exotics (12), dairy (2), poultry (2)
  • Areas of Career Interest at Application: Private Practice/Specialty Practice (111); Academics/Research/Teaching (26); Public Health (13)
  • Average Veterinary Experience Hours: 1640 (range: 180-15,715 hours)
  • First Generation Students: 29

Undergraduate Colleges of Admitted Students
(Majority of undergraduate academic work)

University of CaliforniaAccepted
Berkeley7
Davis*54
Irvine2
Los Angeles5
San Diego5
Santa Barbara2
Total75
*proportionate to the number of applicants from UC Davis 
California State UniversitiesAccepted
Chico1
Fresno1
Monterey Bay1
Pomona6
San Marcos1
San Luis Obispo11
Total17
  
Other California CollegesAccepted
Azusa Pacific University1
Loyola Marymount University 1
Scripps College1
Stanford University1
University of San Francisco1
University of Southern California1
Total6
  
Out-of-State CollegesAccepted
Baker University, KS1
Berklee College of Music, MA1
Brigham Young University, UT        2
Carlton College, MN1
Case Western Reserve University, OH1
Colby College, ME1
College of Charleston, SC      1
Cornell University, NY2
Duke University, NC1
George Washington University, DC1
Georgia Institute of Technology, GA1
Grand Canyon University, AZ1
Harvard University, MA1
Montana State University Bozeman, MT1
Ohio Wesleyan University, OH1
Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK1
Olivet Nazarene University, IL1
Pennsylvania State University, PA3
Rutger University, NJ1
Seattle University, WA1
Smith College, MA1
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, IL1
SUNY Stony Brook, NY1
University of Colorado, Boulder1
University of Connecticut1
University of Delaware, Newark1
University of Georgia2
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign1
University of Mary Washington, VA1
University of Maryland, Baltimore1
University of Massachusetts, Amherst2
University of Miami1
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities1
University of Nevada, Reno1
University of Oregon, Eugene1
University of Vermont2
University of Virginia, Charlottesville1
Walla Walla University1
Waseda University, Japan1
Washington University St. Louis, MO1
Wellesley College, MA1
Willamette University, OR1
Total48
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