How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.63 | 59 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 52 |
| Negatively | 5 |
| No change | 4 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.36 | 61 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.60 | 60 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.29 | 62 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 0 |
| 20 minutes | 7 |
| 25 minutes | 31 |
| 30 minutes | 15 |
| 35 minutes | 0 |
| 40 minutes | 0 |
| 45 minutes | 0 |
| 50 minutes | 1 |
| 55 minutes | 0 |
| 60+ minutes | 7 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 57 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 34 |
| In a group | 25 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 54 |
| Closed file | 4 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.63 | 59 |
"Cannot disclose"
"Pick a disease and explain how the concept of One Health would apply. (I was intent to pursue public health)."
"Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?"
"What back up plan do you have for if you were kicked in the knee by a horse and could no longer practice equine medicine?"
"Specific diseases Food safety Veterinarians look for in a slaughterhouse"
"What are some of the vaccinations you'd give to the typical dairy cow? (I'm food animal)"
"Ethical question - regarding a dying dog that you can save but the owner can't afford to and there is a crying little girl hugging the dog."
"I have some back ground with cattle breeding so I was asked "Can you describe for me an estrous synchronization protocol." And my stupid ass asked do you want a more expensive or cheaper to which he replied why not both."
"Give an example of a drug you've administered in the clinic."
"How would you react if one of your most important clients asked you to euthanize a perfectly healthy puppy because it didn't meet breed standards?"
"Why should we pick you over the other applicants?"
"How do you feel about the use of animals in research?"
"How do you go about monitoring anesthesia? (This was one of my responsibilities where I worked)"
"Have I ever considered working in human medicine instead of vet med"
"What is my status on horse slaughter?"
"What would you do if you noticed a classmate who is a good friend of yours cheating on an exam?"
"They asked me about 10 questions, but started with: What have you been doing since submitting your application and where do you see yourself 10 years from now? (this was the "icebreaker" question)"
"What two body systems do equine veterinarians often see problems with?"
"What have you been doing since you applied? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Is there any feline infectious diseases that humans should worry about?"
"What's on a CBC?"
"What have you been doing since you applied in Fall?"
"Why not human medicine?"
"What do you see yourself doing 5-10 years down the line?"
"what have you been doing since you applied"
"What have you been doing since your application?"
"Why do you think we should pick you?"
"Ethical question regarding euthanasia of a healthy animal."
"How would you want to be ranked in the class of 131 students? Are you competitive?"
"Why do you want to be a vet?"
"What have you been doing since you submitted your application last September? (This was the first question asked and pretty much determined the direction of the next half of the interview)"
"What have you been doing since you applied?"
"Why UC Davis?"
"How would I handle a client that did not want to euthanize their pet that was obviously suffering?"
"What are the symptoms of an elephant with salmonella?"
"What have you done since submitting your application?"
"What are some of your strengths?"
"Tell us about your research."
"How will you avoid burnout?"
"What would you do if a client came into your office and told you that they were moving out of state and couldn't take their cat so they wanted to euthanize the cat? ADOPTION IS NOT AN OPTION. "
"what is the physiological pathway of emphysema?"
"How will you adjust to being just one of many students again? (I've been out of school for a number of years)"
"Would you implant ''neuticles'' on a castrated dog?"
"would you eat dog?"
"''What have you done since finishing the application?''"
"what should we tell the adcomm to convince them you should be accepted?"
"What motivated you to switch careers?"
"What have you been doing since you submitted your application?"
"Why vet med? Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"how do you feel about animal research?"
"cannot disclose"
"A client shows up with her cat asking for it to be euthanized. Her child was scratched by the cat and the family pediatrician insists that the cat be put down. What do you do?"
"Views on use of animals in research"
"What do you use to sedate a horse? (This was my only clinical question)"
"How to tell age of sheep and what you look for in a good ram"
"How do you justify being a veterinarian to animals who are essentially being raised for slaughter? What about veal calves?"
"What is your learning style and how do you think this will fit in with our new curriculum?"
"What would you do if you caught a fellow classmate cheating?"
"What do you do if you see someone cheating?"
"Name an instance, in school or in clinical experience, where you took it upon yourself to learn something more about something on your own?"
"What would you say to someone who is concerned about the use of antibiotics in food animals?"
"What are typical vaccines for horses? (I'm equine track)"
"How are stem cells used in veterinary medicine today? (I did research in a lab that used stem cells)"
"What are my views on the Iditarod (I worked in Alaska one summer on a completely unrelated topic -- this was my "ethical question.")"
"Am I cognizant of the timeline I face for the career path I wish to take?"
"Do you consider yourself to be a team player?"
"Is there anything that you hoped we would have asked you that we didn't? What makes you memorable/why should we pick you for our program? (ended with this one)"
"Why do you want to do equine when most of your experience is SA?"
"What are your goals for 5 years after graduation?"
"What is an issue that concerns you in shelter medicine? Can you take this issue you just described to us and apply it to an area of equine medicine?"
"Discuss some current topics in veterinary medicine."
"What are some current issues in veterinary medicine? How would you react if you were instructed to do something differently in the VMTH than how you were taught in the clinic you worked at as a vet tech?"
"Why vet med?"
"What have you been doing since you turned in you application?"
"What were your grades in Fall semester, what are you currently taking?"
"ethical question regarding euthanasia"
"How will you manage the clinical rotations (since I have little clinical setting experience)?"
"Euthanasia ethical question"
"How do you destress?"
"What are some of the qualities a good Veterinarian?"
"What were the most rewarding and most difficult experiences you've had in vet med?"
"Name a time when you had to overcome a particular challenge in your life."
"How long have you known you wanted to be a vet?"
"Where do I see myself 5 years from now?"
"How do you feel about animals being used in research?"
"What is your favorite class?"
"Why should we choose you over someone else?"
"Would you be interested in learning about food animal medicine?"
"What should we tell the adcom about why we should accept you?"
"What makes you think you would be a good candidate for emergency or critical care?"
"where do i see myself in 10 years"
"Give us an example of a difficult client interaction you've had."
"What should we tell the committee about you when it comes to deciding who gets in?"
"what is your greatest weakness?"
"''Do you have any questions?''"
"ethical question on lab animals, terminal surgeries, etc."
"Where do you see yourself 5 years after you graduate?"
"Where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?"
"tell us about your experience at..."
"cannot disclose"
"What percentage of emerging diseases are zoonotic?"
"Why is a DVM necessary to your career goals? (research)"
"Tell us about an equine related issue that vets deal with."
"Tell us why we should make a spot for you in the class of 2016."
"A political question regarding a controversial area of vet med (non-anesthetic dentals). I work for a current CVMA official so it was sort of expected."
"If you didn't get into Davis this admission cycle what would your plans be?"
"Do you study in groups or alone?"
"How do you deal with stress?"
"Walk me through breeding and whelping of a canine patient. And an equine? (my experience was in repro)"
"Since most of my experience and emphasis was equine would I have a problem learning primarily about dogs/cats in the first 2 years of veterinary school?"
"What did you like most about your time studying abroad in Spain?"
"What is one question you wished we had asked you but haven't?"
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"Since you're interested in academia, you could probably accomplish your ultimate goal without a DVM. So why do you want to get a DVM?"
"If you were to evaluate the effectiveness of treating a tendon with stem cells, where would be a good place to start this project? (I did stem cell research/treatment work summer 2009)."
"Tell me about your country of origin."
"How do you feel about animals being used in research?"
"How do you feel about animal ownership vs. guardianship? How have you prepared yourself for the rigorous academic challenges of veterinary school? (note, I had low GPA)"
"What drug would you give a dog who had eaten rat poison? Followed up with: what is rat poison? (ie what is the name of the toxin)"
"What would you do if you didn't get accepted to any veterinary schools this cycle? What would you do if you saw someone cheating?"
"Tell us about things that you wish we'd ask, and why should we pick you for class of 2013?"
"How is West-Nile spread/transmitted? "
"Why vet med? (I'm non-trad, career changer)"
"what area of vet med and your future plans"
"Do you work better in groups or individually?"
"What do you do to destress?"
"Explain the vaccination protocols used for cats at the clinic where you worked."
"Describe the most interesting/memorable case from your experience (at a small animal practice)?"
"Ethical question regarding the euthanasia of a healthy animal."
"How will you cope with the heavy course load of veterinary school?"
"Do you have any pets?"
"How do I feel about the first two years being primarily core classes?"
"Suppose you have a patient whose time you feel has come, but the owner refuses to euthanize. What do you do?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Are you ready to handle vet school?"
"How do you feel about acupuncture and alternative medicines?"
"What is the role of the veterinarian in society?"
"What are the zoonotic diseases that you vaccinate for at your clinic? "
"why should i be accepted?"
"If you were to get a dog, what kind would you get?"
"Would you treat a sick, but illegally owned ferret?"
"where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?"
"what will i do if i encounter difficulties in my studies?"
"Why should we select you over someone else?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses and why should we pick you over all the other applicants?"
"How do you feel about injecting alcohol into horses tails? Leg soring in Tennessee Walkers? How would you react to a client who wanted you to do these things?"
"where do you see yourself in ten years?"
"Cannot disclose"
"What type of clients were the most difficult for you to work with at the emergency hospital?"
"How would you defend the use of animals in research to PETA advocates?"
"Tell us about an interesting medical case you assisted on, and the prognosis."
"What did I do last Sunday."
"What's your favorite movie?"
"Tell us about your research and then asked actual follow up questions that actually showed they were interested!"
"What animal do itallian's consisder to produce the best mozzarella cheese? Turns out a water buffalo. Follow up with why do you think that is? Higher fat % in the milk."
"How would you deal with the feral cat problem?"
"How do you feel about the programs in place for BML horses?"
"Why do we vaccinate horses and humans for tetanus, but not cats? (I didn't know this one, but they told me that it's because cats have a localized reaction and typically don't experience the neurological effects like horses/humans"
"What do you want us to know that hasn't been asked?"
"Are there jobs available in the area of vet med I wish to pursue?"
"Am I cognizant of the timeline I face for the career path I wish to take?"
"What color is a Korat? (note: my research experience is in feline genetics, and I had mentioned the Korat as a breed of interest in a study I was involved in)"
"Define 2 nouns for me. "Sarcoid" and "Hinney." (I am equine track so this made sense)"
"What would you do to solve the unwanted horse problem?"
"Do you know some viruses that cause equine encephalitis?"
"Tell us about golf. (I had put golf down as an EC activity)"
"They had me discuss the possible change in terminology from "pet owner" to "pet guardian" and possible legal/malpractice implications of this change. I didn't really know specific details on that topic but it was definitely interesting to think about!"
"How has the economy affected the animals you see coming into the hospital you work at?"
"What does A mean to you? Ranking in classes? (I have a high GPA)"
"What do you think is the most important concern for veterinarians today?"
"Talk us through surgery, what techniques were used, drugs used and how were they administered (I had performed surgery before outside of the US)"
"Ethical question regarding how I would respond to a sick flock of turkeys with an infectious disease. How would I tell the media and animal rights activists that want to interview me about my reasons for culling. "
"What does geochemistry have to do with vet med? (my research area)"
"What was a recent astronomical event?"
"Why did you choose Anthropology major for undergrad?"
"An ethical question involving what I would do as a zoological vet in response to a situation like the tiger escape at the San Francisco Zoo."
"Why don't they do the genetic breed test on purebred dogs?"
"How would I handle techs at the VMTH doing things differently than I am used to?(I have a lot of tech exp.)"
"What's Boyle's Law?"
"Stock questions."
"Is there a need for vets in the field of canine reproduction (i had done a lot of work in that field)"
"Tell us pro's and con's of all the areas of animal experience you have had. "
"Tell us about a time where you had to handle a difficult client"
"How do you deal with stress?"
"What do you do to blow off steam?"
"What was my best and worst animal experience?"
"How exactly do you behavior test a rat?"
"Would you implant ''neuticles'' on a castrated dog? "
"would you eat dogs?"
"All the questions were centered on my experience and where I want to go in my career."
"something particular from my past life I wrote about in my essay"
"Your bread-and-butter client wants you to inject alcohol into the tail of his horse. Would you do it?"
"They asked me a lot of questions about eahc of my experiences."
"How did you train Przewalskii's horses to urine for you to collect samples?"
"if you caught another student cheating, what would you do?"
"Cannot disclose"
"How do you justify people spending exuberant amounts of money of veterinary care for their pets when many third world countries lack basic human healthcare?"
"Ethics of using primates in research vs. other animals"
"Scenario: your largest client has you out at the farm and his wife asks you to euthanize a Rhodesian ridgeback puppy that was born without a ridge. What do you say? (This was my only ethical question)"
"Tell us about a recent event that will show us you are a lifelong learner."
"It was so long ago I don't remember the rest of them."
"Give an example of a drug you've administered - I had prepared for EVERYTHING - vaccines, ethical things etc, but I hadn't worked as a technician in over two years and completely blanked on this question. Woops."
"What is the last line in the book the Tale of Two Cities? (Be prepared that anything you mention you may get asked more detailed questions about!)"
"They asked about food animals and antiobiotic use (i had no experience with food animals). I just told them how I would go about finding the answer."
"They asked me about my low GRE scores and what I had done to do better on the exam, why I felt my score was low, etc. (they congratulated me for being a first generation college student)."
"Stem cell question - I blanked :("
"To be honest, I was prepared for most of them because they had come up in previous interviews, or were obvious things to ask."
"They asked a question asking me about applications of my past work to dairy cattle production medicine. I know nothing about cattle!"
"Why do you feel you were unsuccessful last time you interviewed (two years ago), and what has changed?"
"If a 17 year old girl brings in her 20 year old pleasure horse who will need serious surgery due to colic and may experience complications afterward and the girl cannot afford surgery what do you tell her? Follow-up questions: Does your answer change if the horse is only 5 years old?"
"What is an internship/residency and what do you get out of it?"
"none were really that difficult"
"What track will you be? (holy cow, I really struggled for some reason to answer this!!)"
"How would you handle a situation where a mistake made by yourself or one of your staff members resulted in severe injury or death of a patient?"
"Why should we select you?"
"What is your opinion on cosmetic surgeries such as ear-cropping, tail-docking, and de-clawing? (Not really a hard question, but my nerve got me)."
"If you could change the model for your curre do research project (my masters thesis work) and money was no object, what would you differently? "
"What are some current issues in vet med?"
"ethical questions"
"How do you necropsy a bird? (I forgot a few things)"
"all were about the same"
"Explain my poor grades. I was expecting the question but had no idea how to answer it, anyhow."
"(Follow up question): But what if a person who wants to euthanize his healthy dog doesn't listen to any of your suggestions and says he will go shoot the dog unless you agree to euthanize?"
"Why do you want to be a vet?"
"Where do you see yourself ten years from now?"
"Why get a DVM and not a research degree when that is where most of your experience is from?"
"Why should we accept you?"
"What would I do if I noticed a student cheating?"
"Um, what's Boyle's Law? (I couldn't remember on the spot.)"
"Why should we choose you?"
"Why I should be accepted over someone else"
"How do you feel about using live animal subjects?"
"An ethical question involving staff euthanizing the wrong animal"
"What should we tell the rest of the admissions committee about you?"
"What are your strengths and weaknesses as a student?"
"What is the physiological pathway for emphysema?"
"How do you feel about dog breed bans?"
"your greatest weakness?"
"''How are you going to deal with industry values differing from what you value as a vet?''"
"something particular from my past life I wrote about in my essay"
"Hectic day in the clinic, two horses are crashing and you give one of them the wrong medication, which causes his death. What do you do?"
"If some clients came in with a dog that had been hit by a car, but they had no money, what would you do? What would you say to them? THey have really bad credit. The little girl is crying..."
"What are your weaknesses?"
"SDN, watching videos, mock interviews"
"Reading about med school MMIs, strategies for answering MMI questions, answering mock interview questions"
"SDN"
"SDN prep, read Bernard E. Rollin's "An Introduction to Veterinary Medical Ethics", looked up interview questions online, found Medial School MMI questions online and used them as guidance, etc"
"Went to interview workshop. Studied current issues in public health. Reviewed my research/personal statement."
"Read SDN interview feedback, practice interviews"
"Read lists of questions and thought about the answers. Also, I made a list of key points I wanted to bring up."
"Mock Interview with a professor and talking about questions with my gf."
"SDN interview feedback."
"SDN, mock interviews with professor, practicing with friends"
"Looked over SDN interview questions, knew my application inside and out, and ran through in my head all of my experiences and how each of them could be applied in different situations."
"Already had had multiple interviews elsewhere, read SDN questions"
"Went over practice questions, discussed what anyone who had they experience that I had should in general know (i.e. if you want to be a food animal vet what are the basics: vaccine protocols, zoonotic dz, what can decrease milk production, etc)"
"This site. practice interviews."
"Practiced with anyone who would practice with me, I even bought a veterinary ethics book that was really interesting."
"SDN, DVM360, doolittler.com, and I reviewed concepts from past work and research I've been involved in."
"Practiced questions on SDN. The best preparation is having had two prior interviews."
"Reviewed my application materials, watched the online panel, read SDN interview feedback."
"Mock interview, read feedback, read application, thought about what I did last time."
"Read SDN feedback, practiced some questions by myself (not out loud), had 2 previous interviews (the ultimate practice), researched some issues in vet med."
"Go over the list of Davis interview questions, current events, AVMA"
"Re-read application, practiced out loud."
"Read practice questions and answered them out loud. Bought a really expensive suit."
"Talked to a LOT of current students and other interviewees about their experiences. Reviewed my emergency tech booklet which didn't really help very much (haha). Kind of reviewed AVMA website/journals for "current topic" ideas, although I totally panicked and forgot most of them during the interview. Thought a lot about a "pick me!" statement."
"Read through SDN, current issues."
"Read sample questions and SDN interview review, reviewed my application and research, read a vet ethics book."
"sdn interview feedback, davis sample interview questions, reading over my application"
"SDN interview feedback, orientation session, interview workshop webcast, read over VMCAS application"
"feedback from doctors, friends and family, reviewed past questions, prepared answers ahead of time"
"Mock interviews. Trolled this website, dvm360, and dolittler for current events. Practiced out loud example questions from uc davis interview email. "
"Read SDN, looked over their suggested questions, talked to students"
"Reading SDN feedback, going to interview workshop/orientation. "
"Read SDN, reviewed my application, talked to Veterinarians, tried to catch up on some of the important issues in Vet. Med. Also, thought about some of the ethical questions I knew I was going to be asked."
"Read Interview Questions from various sites."
"-Mock interviews -Researched current issues in vet med -Spoke with current students -SDN feedback"
"Read sample questions, read current events, talked to professionals in the field, answered the questions out loud to people."
"Read practice questions, freaked out a bit, then calmed down."
"Read about the school, reviewed sample questions, followed current events, reviewed app."
"Reviewed list of interview questions, talked to myself outloud, watched the Oscars."
"Wrote out responses to questions given to me by a current student."
"I had sample questions that I had received in an email from Davis. I also prepared by reflecting on past interviews and talking to other veterinarians."
"practiced with pre-professional adivsors, friends, family, read all questions last year's freshman were asked."
"Talked with a lot of vet students, attended the orientation, saw the pre-vet advisors, read up on the AVMA website"
"Went over the questions my student ambassador sent me. "
"I reviewed questions that were sent to me by a student embassador and made sure to answer them honestly."
"read the website, talked to alumni"
"Reviewed application, practiced with sample interview questions, reviewed websites for school information and current veterinary issues"
"Reviewed application, thought about meaningful experiences, formulated answers for typical ethical questions."
"re-read my application"
"Read interview questions, went to the workshop, reviewed my application."
"read interview questions, read up on diseases"
"Practiced, reviewed application, went for a jog, tried to remember to breathe..."
"read over my application and personal statement, read sample interview quesitons."
"Look up background info on the school, practice interview questions."
"practice interviews with vets, read up on current issues (made an outline), looked over my application, pretended to sleep, wore clean underwear."
"Some questions seemed very tailored to my experiences and application."
"The variety of questions asked"
"Professionalism"
"All the interviewers and faculty were very positive, supporting, encouraging, and warm. They all understood the confusing and new nature of the MMI and kept saying "there are no right answers", which made it a LOT less stressful. I was very impressed with how down-to-earth the faculty was and weren't trying to be intimidating at all. They really seemed to listen to and respect the interviewees/applicants."
"The interviews had some challenging questions, but all were fair. I feel like the interviewers really took the time to get to know me as a person."
"The low-stress atmosphere of the interview."
"How nice everyone was."
"Brand new instructional facility was gorgeous and everyone was extremely nice and personable. Vet bookstore is right on vet campus."
"admissions staff are very nice and did a great job of calming me down before the interview. Also had words of encouragement afterwards as well.Interviews seemed genuinely interested in me."
"The interviewers were very nice, admissions office was very friendly, the academic buildings are pretty and newish!!!"
"My interviewers were extremely nice and they really just want to get to know you."
"They were very friendly."
"They really worked to minimize my stress in the interview process"
"THe interviewers are super, super friendly. I felt very comfortable throughout the entire interview despite shaking in my boots before it. The students are really friendly as well."
"Everything - how friendly everyone is, the brand new classroom facilities, and the amazing educational opportunities the school has to offer!"
"Everyone was so friendly and the facilities were newer and nicer than I had expected."
"Faculty members gave a lot of feedback during the interview, it seemed."
"The friendliness of the staff and the interviewers! They made me feel so much more relaxed before and during my interview. The interview workshop/orientation was awesome as well. The facilities are gorgeous and the 1st year students who hosted everything were awesome."
"The faculty was so helpful and enthusiastic and the great attitude of the current students. Everything was fabulous."
"How nice the interviewers were. They could have attacked me with regards to my low GPA, but they didn't. Everything was worded so kindly and sincerely. "
"The freaking gorgeous Valley Hall, lecture rooms, anatomy and microscope labs. I also liked the covered lameness workup area and the large animal barns! Also, everyone was incredibly friendly."
"Great new buildings with new lecture halls, labs, meetings rooms for each class. Hospital and classrooms are always open to students."
"How detailed they got into asking the questions."
"The interviewers based their questions around my specific areas of interests and goals, rather than just listing off generic questions."
"UC Davis impressed me OVERALL!"
"It was really relaxed and conversational (for the most part) and the admissions staff were really friendly and welcoming. I liked that they took a photograph of applicants when they come in to put the face to the name during their decision making process."
"friendliness of staff, new facilities"
"How nice the facilities were, how nice the vet school campus was, how quickly the interview went by. The secretarial staff. "
"The school is flat out amazing. Everything was great."
"The interviewers were very laid back. Student hosts were friendly and enthusiastic."
"The interviewers were really friendly and nice. I was extremely nervous before, but I walked out of my interview happy and relaxed."
"You can bring your dog to school"
"The student orientation (two weeks before my interview.) This was a great opportunity to tour the campus, talk to students and faculty, and calm some of those pre-interview jitters."
"Everyone was friendly and encouraging, especially the current students."
"Everyone was really laid-back. The facilities are beautiful."
"All of the opportunities for hands-on learning and the large number of residencies available."
"The facilities."
"Jazz music played during wait."
"The interviewers were so relaxed and very friendly. I felt like they really wanted to get to know me as a person, and really cared about what I said. Also the facilities are AMAZING!!"
"The interview was conversation like, it flowed and made sense, which made it easier to feel at ease and follow the flow. "
"Facilities are brand new"
"EVERYTHING! The best facilities, the best professors, happy students, great use of technology, great reputation. "
"The comfort level provided by the interviewers."
"Facilities were pretty nice... weather was fantastic... davis seems to be a very pleasant city"
"The interviewers were very relaxed - it felt more like a conversation about my experiences than a grilling"
"The interviewers and the receptionist made a point in making me feel comfortable. Everyone was very pleasant and professional. Even students smiled as me as I passed by, probably bc I stuck out like a sore thumb in my all-black garb."
"the facilities were amazing! also, the interviewers were extremely nice. "
"The new facilities were great!"
"the faculty - i think they gotta be the world's best. the research is impressive."
"How friendly the interview was"
"In depth tour, lots of new facilities, curriculum has lots of electives. The faculty and students are all really friendly and great."
"The new facilities and the tablet they require (it's really cool), the laidback attitude of the faculty, all the activities the students do together outside of vet school"
"the interviewers were all very nice and treated me like a peer."
"Some questions were very out there."
"Tour - the facilities look very outdated"
"Stress and stigma"
"I was actually a little disappointed with the other applicants and the current veterinary students, as well as how limited the tour was (didn't get to see a lot of the school). It was probably because of the environment and that we're all competing for a position at the school, but some of the other applicants seemed very competitive and not that supporting. The current veterinary students also did not go out of their way to welcome and talk to the applicants, which was very surprising to me because my undergraduate experience was very different. I was also disappointed with how neutral the students giving the tour were. They weren't super enthusiastic, focused, or warm towards the applicants. Yes, they were polite but there's more to that."
"Some facilities are quite old and stale. I wish they'd have done tour groups on the day of the interview, not the weekend before interviews start (I can't make two trips!)"
"That there really is no welcoming by the school to the interviewees. It was basically heres your interview and go home. It would have been much more inviting if there was a tour or someone there to talk about what Davis had to offer. In general the people as a whole weren't as outgoing and nice as other schools."
"I really really really wish I could have gotten a tour of campus/hospital or met with students or professors or SOMETHING other than my 25 minute interview. My student host buddy thing had class all day, as expected, so I couldn't meet up with her at all."
"nothing!"
"Nothing, I was very impressed."
"Absolutely nothing - this is by far my first choice school and I would be honored to attend!"
"It was concerning to me that my student guide talked about the large animal barn possibly being closed due to budget cuts."
"Lack of communication before my interview invite, but basically everything else was amazing and I love Davis and have nothing negative to say."
"Budget cuts making fees go up and overall cost of attendance :("
"Absolutely nothing!"
"Difficulty contacting admissions during the entire process. Excessive use of powerpoint during lectures (personal pref-- I tend to zone out if too much powerpoint is involved)"
"None."
"Admissions office is relatively unresponsive before you get an interview. They are incredibly nice and helpful come January/February, though. Also, my interviwers did repeat 2 questions (from the beginning) towards the end of the interview after we went on a big tangent regarding performing surgery. I think they forgot where we were and then they were trying to decide amongst themselves what else they wanted to cover in the remaining time"
"A bit intimidating!"
"The admissions office is very curt and will downright lie to you about what is going on, as if it were some big secret. "
"Interviewers were not all veterinarians."
"Kind of short interview"
"It was windy, but I suppose that's not the school's fault."
"How long they make us wait to find out.(I'm just impatient)"
"Lack of knowledge about my application by interviewers."
"Nothing really."
"Tour guide said they need more buildings and they are behind building. "
"Nothing"
"nothing. "
"My student embassador didn't show up for my tour of the facilities so I have to go back myself and ask for another tour."
"very short interview. very business like... seemed they didnt really want to be interviewing me. the tour was not aimed at vet students... it seemed like a general public tour (ie: explaining that the blue drapes are for sterility purposes)"
"The tour guide at the interview workshop didn't seem very enthusiastic"
"Tour guide during the previous week's Interview Orientation was not very enthusiastic. When someone asked her if students were happy, she did not say yes. Yikes! Maybe she had a lot of exams that week."
"the school doesn't seem as ''homey'' as other schools"
"Not much. Didn't get to see much though bc some of the doors were locked, and there weren't many ppl around."
"the rain (but not the school's fault)"
"Nothing, I love the school"
"The hospital was kind of empty during the visit (on a Saturday), but people I talked to say there is usually a huge case load."
"The student population seemed really homogenous (no offense to any UC Davis students), Davis is small and flat and doesn't look particularly exciting"
"very brief. you interview and that's basically it."
"Go into each interview as if the last one did not happen."
"That none of the questions are things you could really expect them to ask"
"That we had to take pictures. I don't exactly like having my picture taken..."
"I was told to pause before answering questions and wait before answering. I wish I had listened to this advice more...there were times where I definitely felt like I rambled. Don't feel like you have to fill all the space in the interview. Also, if you have less straightforward career goals such as public health or research make sure you have a concrete plan of how your DVM complements these goals and what steps you will need to get there."
"Questions were more ethics-specific than general "getting to know you" (i.e. I was never asked "tell me about yourself" in general terms.)"
"If the large table of food and snacks in the room was for the interviewees or interviewers. I still don't know, but I would have liked some tea."
"Calm yourself. They were super super nice."
"There are no ways to go around and see the school if you dont have a your mentor buddy."
"That they would ask me questions about things I had done two years ago."
"It was going to go by so fast!"
"How far my hotel was from the vet school. The campus is huge."
"I wish I hadn't stressed so much about housing because after driving around the city calling leasing offices, I found out from my student host the next day that I'll get tons of emails per day from current students looking for new apartment-mates if I'm accepted."
"It's only 20 minutes from the Jelly Belly factory and the Budweiser factory....fun times with sugar and beer!"
"How nice everybody was and how not stressful it would be. Also, I wish I had known what a sarcoid and a hinney were :) Davis prepared me really well for this interview though."
"How nice the interviewers were going to be. They just want to get to know you."
"How fast time would fly. I have a tendency to ramble. "
"That the "technical" questions would be a lot more basic. I kind of over-prepared on that end which was a mistake."
"That they would ask that extensively about my interest in acupuncture."
"That they were not going to ask me a to of details relating to the time I spent as a veterinary assistant, although I suppose reviewing a lot of that was good for me anyway. "
"That I was going to have a practicing small animal vet from San Francisco on my panel."
"That those monster quick shots you can buy at gas stations give you near epileptic fits of shaking. Seriously, a cup of coffee beforehand next time will do."
"How laid back the interviewers were."
"I wish I knew my student host was going to offer to take me around the school and into her lab. I would have left some time for that after the interview."
"Open Wireless Internet (you don't need to be a student)."
"The interview was predominantly focused on finding out about me, my ambitions, and my experiences. No attempt was made to grill me about my knowledge of veterinary medicine. Overall the interviewers came across as friendly and genuinely interested in what I had to say."
"The interview was really casual."
"Nothing."
"That I was way more nervous than I needed to be. "
"Be prepared to defend any ''flaws'' on your application, even if they don't ask about it directly."
"I wish that I could have known how layed back the interview was going to be. Knowing that would have definitely saved me from stressing out as much!"
"I'm an undergrad at Davis, so nothing"
"How absolutely beautiful and laid back the city of Davis and the campus are."
"Driving from the Bay Area can take you 1 1/2 to 3 hours, depending on traffic. Bring reading material in case you get there early!"
"Temperatures in the mid-70's plus a full-length suit = very hot and very red in the face."
"nothing"
"that i can establish residency during first year"
"I attended the orientation, interview workshop and the tour plus I'm already an undergrad at Davis so I felt well prepared"
"It would rain... a lot."
"how long the commute from the Bay Area would take me, there was very little traffic so I got there like 2 hours early"
"the interviewers will stay in the room after you're done, so don't try to be courteous and let them go out first. they'll stand and lead you to the door, so it may look like they are also leaving, but they aren't. I felt a lil' silly after that. "
"The interview passed by very quickly, and I liked the MMI format. Don’t be afraid to take a moment to gather your thoughts."
"I wish the confidentiality didn't extend to family as well because sometimes I like to talk about my experience at the interview because talking to my family helps ease my nerves afterwards (and the majority of the interview experience was the questions) especially in terms of like "how I should've responded", etc."
"I wasn't asked anything about topics I had zero experience with (i.e. cows) - they really tailor questions to candidates' backgrounds, so the best thing you can do is avoid stressing!"
"I'm really grateful to my interview mentor for showing me around and answering my questions. I definitely recommend that you take Davis up on that opportunity."
"Interview was great. We even laughed and talked about meat recipes. I know I missed a few technical questions but I feel like as long as you are easy to talk with and show them youre a real human/not an academic drone, that you should be fine through the interview."
"Davis is a good school but they were in the process of changing their curriculum when I applied. For me personally, I figured out there were other schools that fit me and my situation better."
"Anxiously waiting to hear back from them!! It's a great school!!!"
"Again, Davis is my first choice school and I'm holding my breath for a dream-come-true acceptance!"
"It's really a beautiful school. I'll definitely go if I'm accepted!"
"Interviewers seemed to want to get to know what I was all about."
"This was definitely my most positive interview experience (I've only done 3 total, but still...). And Davis is a beautiful school. The students are so much fun and the professors are incredibly friendly. And the anatomy lab is really really really cool :)"
"Relax and be yourself."
"My advice to others: Attend the orientation and take everything they say seriously. If they tell you they will ask you a question, they will. They told us they would ask "why should we pick you" and they did."
"Davis was a challenging interview but definitely a good experience! They made me work hard and think a lot but all three of my interviewers were open and friendly, and definitely not "out to get me.""
"The interviewers seemed to have a standard set of questions to ask but really went into depth into my interests and my history. They were interested in how it prepared me for vet school and how it would affect me in vet school."
"I got asked so many questions that it all seems like a blurr now...."
"Great experience overall (despite the tough questions I was asked) - - - and despite how much I overanalyzed it...I got in!"
"The interview process was pretty laid back, I had a group of older gentleman clinicians that were somewhat critical of my desire to do research, but who could blame them, they were all about the clinical aspect ;). Still, the interview was quick and painless. Makes you wonder how they manage to cut anybody."
"Overall a great experience."
"The interview was about half an hour, but I got asked a lot of questions. We actually ran out of time at the end, so I didn't have time to ask them any questions myself. Overall, it felt like a conservation. The interviewers were a lot nicer than I expected. Also, one of the three was not faculty member, but a small animal practice DVM from the area."
"I was pretty relaxed, though I felt that the interviewers were trying to rattle me. It's quick, and not worth worrying about. Just go in and get the job done!"
"Got there early, chatted with the temp and the admissions people, then went in there and did my thing. I was really relaxed, and the interviewers made me feel really comfortable. Just breath and say what you feel."
"Yep, I had some ''deer-in-the-headlights'' moments and stumbling, but overall, the interview went by quickly. "
"Only had 2 interviewers because one of them couldn't get away from another appointment. Both interviewers were very nice and did not ''grill'' me on any topics. I was told at the workshop to make the answers succinct so they could learn more from you so I ended up getting asked about 16 questions. It flowed really well and we were even laughing a few times."
"The interview was relatively laid back. It was a total range of people interviewing me. The adcomm staff were so nice and encouraging!"
"One of the best interview experiences that I had. Although I wish the whole thing was more than just come and sit down and talk. But I guess that's what they have their interview workshop for!"
"Very good. This was the first interview I had that flowed in a logical manner and made sense you could follow, compared to just asking questions etc... "
"The three interviewers were extremely friendly; even though they asked me a lot of difficult questions, it never felt confrontational"
"Two of the interviewers were female, one a professor for poultry medicine, the other a local practicing veterinarian. They were both very nice and took a lot of notes during the interview. The third interviewer was a male professor for biochemistry. He was pleasant and welcoming, but during the interview I caught him doodling on his notes page. I felt the interview was more of a process to get to know me as a person and not just a student. I was asked a couple of technical questions which were simple but the interview is mostly structured as a ''conversation'' guided by the interviewers. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and I left in a good mood!"
"overall it was ok... again, it was very business like... everyone was nice, but there because they had to be. and to have spent over 9 hours of traveling, more than a 25 minute interaction would have been appreciated"
"It went very quickly and was fairly relaxed - they asked many questions based on my experiences."
"Davis spends less time coddling you than other schools during the day of the interview. There are no other activities planned the day of the interview. They are very professional, but also very personable. My interviewers cracked a few jokes throughout. Some more tips: Be on time; the interviewers are running on a tight schedule. Answer questions directly and assume that in an ethical dilemma, there are no other ''good'' alternatives. This gives you more time to talk about yourself! Don't be afraid to ask clarifying questions or to say you don't know enough about a topic. Good luck!"
"I went to the workshop and orientation on Sat too. So the tour and such happened then, and I was impressed by everything the first years did for us. The interview itself went by way too fast! I think the only real question I got was ''What have you been doing since the application?'' Everything else was just us talking about my experinces and goals. The receptionist encouraged me to send thank-you notes."
"very relaxed, and i could tell they wanted me to do well. three interviewers each asking questions."
"It went by so quick but the questions were pretty standard and mostly based off of my experiences"
"It was a nice interview, I felt like we were chatting rather than being grilled. The interviewers were very friendly."
"Really positive, the faculty who interviewed me were very friendly and casual, which put me at ease. They didn't grill me or anything and seemed to be enjoying doing interviews (but it's only the first day). I liked the interview workshop and orientation, but it was a pain to have to drive up there twice. We didn't get to see inside a lot of clinical areas (like surgery rooms) because it was the weekend, which was disappointing."
"it was very brief. pretty relaxed. they asked open ended questions about my experiences. ''tell me about....'' ''how do you feel about...'' they never tried to challenge me on anything I said. I thought they would be harder on me. "
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 35 |
| Faculty member | 0 |
| Admissions staff | 2 |
| Other | 4 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 28 |
| Neutral | 13 |
| Discouraging | 0 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.74 | 57 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 51 |
| Out of state | 5 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 19 |
| 2-3 hours | 17 |
| 4-6 hours | 11 |
| 7+ hours | 6 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 16 |
| Automobile | 34 |
| Train or subway | 0 |
| Other | 3 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 19 |
| $101-$200 | 10 |
| $201-$300 | 6 |
| $301-$400 | 3 |
| $401-$500 | 4 |
| $501+ | 1 |
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento Airport
OAK
Sacramento
SMF
sac
SFO
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 0 |
| Friends or family | 10 |
| Hotel | 17 |
| Home | 7 |
| Other | 0 |
Aggie Inn
Best Western
Best Western Davis
Econolodge
hallmark suite inn
Hotel Davis
Howard Johnson
Motel 6 - Vacaville
Yes
Aggie Inn
Best Western
Best Western Davis
Econolodge
hallmark suite inn
Hotel Davis
Howard Johnson
Motel 6 - Vacaville
Yes
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.18 | 60 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.10 | 61 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.28 | 58 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.94 | 36 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.54 | 39 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.60 | 35 |
"Train your tour guide better so they seem more enthusiastic!"
"Actually take the time to read people's questions they send you in emails. Replying with a link to your website that they clearly state they have looked at is terrible customer service. I haven't once emailed the admissions office and had a helpful response."
"Perhaps have compost bins especially for the lunch/food. Clearer directions for the bins - the difference between recycling and the bottles/cans was very confusing."
"no MMI!"
"NONE"
"More information, contact, updates during the admissions cycle please!!!!"
"Allow students to schedule interview online. It was pretty difficult to get through over the phone once invites were sent out."
"I wish they would send out more updates or utilize an online status check. Whenever I've called or emailed directly, they've been extremely friendly, responsive, and helpful."
"Once I received an interview invite, they were awesome, but before that I really had no idea what the status of my application was so I think it would be nice if they could notify us sooner at least of approximate dates for what's going on."
"Keep us updated on a DAY BY DAY basis via the "current applicants" page on your website. This seems"
"Be more available. Please return phone calls and emails. Thanks!"
"Be a little more cohesive, timely and please lie less."
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?