UC Davis revives veterinary internship for 2027-28

The UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) is reinstating its small animal rotating internship for the 2027-28 academic year. Five positions are available in the revived program, which was last offered during the 1980-1981 academic year.

This one-year internship is designed for recent veterinary graduates. It provides broad clinical training across multiple specialties within the hospital, which handles a caseload of more than 55,000 patients annually.

Clinical training and rotations

Interns will complete core and elective rotations, gaining hands-on experience with a diverse range of cases. Core rotations include small animal internal medicine, soft tissue surgery, emergency and critical care, cardiology, medical oncology, neurology, anesthesia, diagnostic imaging, and clinical pathology.

Elective rotations may cover exotics, orthopedic surgery, dermatology, ophthalmology, primary care, anatomic pathology, radiation oncology, nutrition, and behavior. Research opportunities may also be available.

Interns will see cases ranging from emergency and first-opinion to referral and specialty work. Jamie Burkitt, DVM, DACVECC, co-director of House Officer Affairs, said, "Interns will assume primary responsibility for cases appropriate to their experience, knowledge, and level of comfort, with consistent faculty support and supervision."

As interns demonstrate proficiency, their responsibility can grow to managing emergency patients and leading complex specialty cases under board-certified specialist supervision. The program is framed as a foundation for specialty residency, academic clinical practice, referral medicine, emergency care, or high-quality general practice.

Leadership and institutional goals

Program leadership emphasizes building clinical judgment and confidence while enhancing the hospital’s teaching environment. Michael Mison, DVM, DACVS, the chief veterinary medical officer of the VMTH, and Kate Hopper, PhD, DACVECC, director of the VMTH's Small Animal Hospital, are key figures in the program's revival.

UC Davis expects the internship to enhance the hospital's teaching environment by allowing veterinary students to work alongside near-peer veterinarians. Faculty and residents will gain additional opportunities to teach and mentor through the program. Working with interns may encourage current veterinary students to pursue academic rotating internships after graduation.

Michael Mison outlined the program's aim: "The goal is to build clinical judgment, competency, and confidence, whether the next step is general or emergency practice, residency training, or another career path."

Application process and timeline

Applications for the five available positions must be submitted through the Veterinary Intern and Resident Matching Program (VIRMP). Full program details and application instructions are posted on the UC Davis House Officer website.

The application period runs from November 1, 2026, to January 4, 2027.

Applications will open on November 1, 2026, and close on January 4, 2027 for the five internship positions in the revived program.