Counseling Services
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) and the UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) collaborate to provide integrated, confidential, and accessible services to veterinary students. This webpage is separated into sections for "urgent help" and "counseling services." Please refer to the urgent help information for immediate services or assistance outside business hours. Information about the wide range of counseling services provided at the SVM and how to manage appointments is provided below. Please refer to the SHCS website for information about insurance, and medical, pharmaceutical, and optical services.
Urgent Help
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room (options in Davis) if you are an immediate danger to yourself or others or need immediate medical attention.
Text RELATE to 741741
Crisis Text Line is a free, immediate, and confidential texting service for UC Davis students in crisis, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Text RELATE to 741741 from anywhere in the U.S. to text a trained volunteer crisis counselor.
Call 530-752-2349 or Visit SHCS’s Acute Care Clinic
During business hours, students can call SHCS at 530-752-2349 or visit the Student Health and Counseling Service’s (SHCS) Acute Care Clinic on the first floor of the Student Health and Wellness Center for a crisis consultation. When SHCS is closed, Crisis Consultation Services can be accessed by calling the same number and following the after-hours prompts. For more details about these services, including same-day crisis appointments, please visit the SHCS Crisis Care and Urgent Help webpage.
Counseling Services
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) and UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) partner to provide registered veterinary students confidential counseling services (no insurance required) at the SVM Counseling Suite at 172 Schalm Hall.
If students need more frequent or longer-term services, campus counselors can refer students to a counselor in the surrounding community. These services are accessible using the SHIP insurance plan, private insurance, or private pay.
Individual and couples therapy services are available 5 days a week with many appointment times to accommodate veterinary student availability: early morning, noon, and early evening appointments (see Making an Appointment section below).
Group therapy sessions are facilitated at the SVM to support DVM students.
Live Health Online counseling or medical appointments are offered through a partnership between UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services and LiveHealth Online. Services are available to UC SHIP enrolled students at no cost. LiveHealth Online providers are available throughout the United States. Enter the state you reside in when scheduling an appointment to see a list of providers available in that area.
Psycho-education and wellness programs are provided through the SVM Office of Career, Leadership, and Wellness. Students, faculty, and staff can also request counselors to speak at events and offer training. Examples of programming include stress and wellness presentations and methods for recognizing and responding to students in distress.
Making an Appointment
Email us at vetmedcaps@ucdavis.edu and include all your available open times for an appointment (days of the week and times of the day). We will work to schedule an appointment with one of the SVM Counselors at the SVM Counseling Suite (172 Schalm Hall).
Additionally, you can call us at (530) 752-2349 for an appointment. This is the general appointment line for all Student Health and Counseling Services. Be sure to indicate that you are a DVM student to ensure you will be scheduled with a counselor at the SVM Counseling Suite in 172 Schalm Hall.
SHCS counseling serivces are also available to students on the main campus, should you prefer to meet with someone not directly affiliated with the SVM. Set an appointment by calling (530) 752-0871. These services are more brief in nature and your provider will find a referral for longer-term counseling in the community, as needed.
Canceling an Appointment (24-hour cancellation methods)
If you cannot make your appointment, please let us know so we can make your time slot available to other students. There are two easy ways to cancel your appointment that are available 24 hours a day:
- Call our Appointment Cancellation Message Line at (530) 752-8821 and leave a message.
- Log in to Health-e-Messaging and use the "Appointments" page to view and cancel your scheduled appointment(s).