UC Davis Welcomes New House Officers
The UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) welcomed 61 new house officers (44 residents, 12 interns, 5 fellows) into its advanced training programs this year. The UC Davis SVM House Officer Program is the largest of its kind in the United States with approximately 140 total house officers advancing their skills in 53 distinct training disciplines (37 residencies, 9 internships, 7 fellowships) for the 2026-27 academic year. These programs range from one to four years in length, during which veterinarians focus on a specific aspect of specialty medicine such as diagnostic imaging, dermatology, behavior, or equine reproduction.
New to the program’s lineup this year are a 1-year internship in exotic animal medicine, a 2-year fellowship in oral medicine, a 3-year residency in equine integrative sports medicine, a 1-year fellowship in large animal neurology (equine focus), a 1-year internship in livestock herd health and reproduction, a 1-year internship in equine surgery, and a 1-year internship in neurology-oncology clinical trials.
Next year, the school plans to restart its small animal 1-year rotating internship, a program that has not occurred in many years.
Most residency training programs fulfill specialty colleges’ requirements to sit for board certification examinations. Once their clinical training is completed, board examinations are passed, and all credentialing requirements are met, these highly trained veterinarians become board certified specialists in their discipline of veterinary medicine.
House Officer Affairs is led by faculty members Drs. Jamie Burkitt and Amandine Lejeune, in partnership with Audra Johnson, the program administrator, and several chief house officers, who represent as the voice of all UC Davis SVM house officers.
The new house officers will complete a 3-day orientation to become acquainted with the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) and other areas of campus. The orientation allows these veterinarians the opportunity to meet hospital leadership, faculty mentors, and resident mates, as well as to meet Dean Mark Stetter and attend a welcome mixer.
Following their orientation, the clinicians will begin their duties next week at the VMTH and other training facilities, including Sacramento Zoo, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Safari Park, California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory, Wildlife Health Center, California National Primate Research Center, Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center, and Marine Mammal Center.
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