Updated October 24, 2026

UC Davis Vet School Interview (MMI): Format, Dates and Scoring

What happens at the UC Davis vet school interview, how you get one, and how it decides your offer.

UC Davis interviews with a virtual Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) on Kira Talent: a circuit of 10 stations, about 100 minutes in all. About 240 applicants are invited, and the 2026 dates are December 3, 4, 7 and 8. Your MMI score is then combined with your GPAs, letter score and distance traveled score to re-rank everyone, and about 150 get offers.

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Key facts (2027 entry)

Format: Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). It tests personal qualities, not veterinary knowledge.
Stations and timing: A circuit of 10 stations (the FAQ says up to 10). A few minutes to read each scenario, then several minutes with one interviewer. The whole interview lasts about 100 minutes.
Online or in person: The admissions criteria page and the timeline's evaluation steps say virtual, on the Kira Talent video platform, as UC Davis has done since the 2021 cycle. The timeline's Important Dates 2026-2027 list says face to face or virtual, so check your invitation.
When: Interview offers in mid-November 2026. Interviews on December 3, 4, 7 or 8, 2026 (you choose one day).
Who is interviewed: About 240 applicants (about 200 California residents and 40 non-residents), ranked on two GPAs, a letter score and a distance traveled score, then checked by holistic review.
How the interview counts: After the MMI, everyone is re-ranked on a percentage of the MMI score, the GPAs and letter score, and the distance traveled score. UC Davis's admissions pages do not give the percentages.
Offers: About 150 offers and 40-45 waitlist places, posted by the end of January 2027.

What happens on the day

UC Davis runs a Multiple Mini Interview: a series of short, structured interviews about personal traits, held online on Kira Talent.

10 stations. The admissions criteria page describes a circuit of 10 stations. The FAQ says up to 10.
Read, then talk. At each station you get a few minutes to read a question or scenario and think. Then you have several minutes of dialogue with one interviewer, and sometimes a third person takes part while the interviewer watches.
About 100 minutes. You pick one of four interview days, and the interview lasts about 100 minutes.
No vet knowledge tested. The MMI looks at communication, teamwork, ethical and critical decision-making, empathy, honesty and reliability.
Required. Completing the MMI is one of the minimum requirements for admission.

Scores are evened out. A third-party statistician normalizes all MMI scores, so a harsh or generous interviewer should not decide your result.

How you get an interview

UC Davis first ranks every complete, eligible application on three things, then reads the top group in full before sending invitations.

Step 1: the initial ranking

Two GPAs. Your overall science GPA and your GPA for the most recent 45 semester (68 quarter) units. Your cumulative GPA is not part of this ranking but may be looked at later.
Letter score. A composite score built from the ratings on the three eLORs you choose. At least one must be from a veterinarian.
Distance traveled score. It reflects economic, environmental or educational factors in your background. Everyone gets a score above zero, and there is nothing you can do to raise it.

Step 2: holistic review of the top 240

The top 240 (about 200 California residents and 40 non-residents) are read in full, plus 20-30 backups. The committee reads your personal statement, principles of community essay, letters, explanation statement and experience.

What can stop an invite. A lack of understanding of the profession, poor grade trends or prerequisite grades, weak letters, poorly written essays, or too few veterinary hours.
Non-residents. Average scores are higher for non-California applicants because fewer interview places go to them.

No early advantage. UC Davis does not use rolling admissions, so applying early does not help you get an interview.

How offers are decided

After the interviews, every interviewed applicant is re-ranked and offers follow that rank.

Three parts. A percentage of your MMI score, a percentage of your science GPA, recent 45-unit GPA and letter score, and a percentage of your distance traveled score. The admissions pages do not give the percentages.
Committee and Dean. The Admissions Committee discusses the MMI and holistic review results, and a ranked list is discussed with the Dean.
About 150 offers. The next 40-45 in rank order are offered a waitlist place.
Results. Accept, deny and waitlist notices go to the Applicant Portal by the end of January. Admitted students must reply by April 15.

Requirements and dates for 2027 entry

These are the minimums UC Davis lists. Competitive applicants are well above them.

Minimum requirements

GPA 2.5 or higher. Both science and overall. Most California admits have a 3.6 to 3.7 science and recent GPA, and non-resident admits average 3.90.
180 veterinary hours. Hands-on hours by the September deadline. Admitted students average about 1,400 hours. Online experience and course hours with DVM faculty do not count.
Three letters. At least one from a veterinarian. UC Davis reads only the three you pick.
Prerequisites. C or higher (a C- does not count). Biochemistry, genetics and physiology must be upper division at a four-year school. You can apply with about three courses still pending.
A bachelor's degree. In any subject, finished by the spring before you start.
No GRE, no Casper. The GRE was dropped in November 2022, and UC Davis does not use Casper.

Key dates (2026-2027 cycle)

September 15, 2026. VMCAS deadline, 8:59 pm Pacific, with all transcripts and letters.
October 15, 2026. UC Davis supplemental application due: a 2,000-character personal statement, your choice of three letters, and a $100 fee.
Mid-November 2026. Interview offers and denials posted to the Applicant Portal.
December 3, 4, 7 or 8, 2026. MMI day.
Mid to late January 2027. Admission and waitlist notices.

How to prepare

The MMI tests how you think and talk, so prepare by practicing out loud rather than reading up on medicine.

Know the qualities they name. UC Davis lists resilience, cultural awareness, adaptability, self-reflection, growth mindset, communication, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and interest in and understanding of the profession.
Practice on camera. UC Davis has run its MMI on Kira Talent video since the 2021 cycle. Rehearse with a webcam, a quiet room and a timer, and look at the camera when you speak.
Use your hours. Pick three or four real moments from your clinic, farm or shelter time that show honesty, teamwork or a hard conversation, and keep them ready.
Think through money and euthanasia. Practice scenarios where an owner cannot pay or faces a hard end-of-life choice, and work on staying calm, kind and clear about the animal's welfare.

Reset between stations. Each interviewer scores you at the end of their station while you move on. If one goes badly, let it go and treat the next as a fresh start.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a MMI (online) station, written for applicants to UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

A dairy farmer's herd has a severe mastitis outbreak. The approved treatment means discarding milk for two weeks, which could bankrupt the farm, and the farmer begs you for an off-label treatment that breaks the withdrawal rules. What do you do?

Show real sympathy for the farmer, hold firm on food safety and the law, and offer practical next steps you can legally help with.

You realize a vet tech gave the wrong vaccine to a dog earlier today. The dog seems fine, but the tech begs you not to tell the supervising veterinarian because they are on a final warning. What do you do?

Put the animal's safety and honesty first, explain how you would raise it with the tech before going to the vet, and stay fair to your colleague.

A couple brings in their older dog with poor mobility. One wants euthanasia, the other wants a wheelchair and rehab. They argue in the exam room and ask you to decide. How do you handle it?

Calm the room, listen to both, focus on the dog's quality of life, and help them reach a decision together instead of making it for them.

You are on the front desk when a frantic client calls. Their dog was just hit by a car, they have no money, and they are begging for help. What do you say on the phone right now?

Stay calm, get the dog in or to the nearest emergency care first, and be honest and kind about costs and options.

Describe a time during your animal experience when you realized that loving animals is not enough to be a successful veterinarian.

Tell one specific moment, say what it taught you about clients, teamwork or hard decisions, and show how it changed your view of the job.

Give an example of how climate change might affect the daily caseload of a small animal veterinarian, and explain how this connects to One Health.

Use a concrete example, such as heat stroke or ticks spreading to new areas, and link animal, human and environmental health in plain words.

Frequently asked questions

Is the UC Davis vet school interview online?

Most likely. The admissions criteria page describes a virtual MMI on Kira Talent, used since the 2021 cycle, and the timeline's evaluation steps say applicants interview virtually. But the Important Dates 2026-2027 list on the same timeline page says face to face or virtual, so follow the format in your invitation.

How many stations are in the UC Davis MMI?

The admissions criteria page describes a circuit of 10 stations, and the FAQ says up to 10. The whole interview lasts about 100 minutes.

How many people does UC Davis interview for the DVM?

About 240: roughly 200 California residents and 40 non-residents. About 150 are then offered admission and 40-45 are waitlisted.

When are UC Davis vet school interviews?

The 2026 MMI dates are December 3, 4, 7 and 8, and you choose one. Interview offers are posted to the Applicant Portal in mid-November.

Does UC Davis require the GRE or Casper?

No. UC Davis dropped the GRE in November 2022 and does not use Casper. It ranks applicants on two GPAs, a letter score and a distance traveled score, then the MMI.

Is the Weill School the same as the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine?

Yes. UC Davis announced a $120 million gift from Joan and Sanford I. Weill on January 28, 2026 and renamed the school the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine. Some admissions pages still use the old name.

Applying to more vet schools? How other schools interview and who gets in:

Sources

Official pages only, read on the date shown. Schools change their process every year, so check the school's own page before you apply.

UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine: Criteria for Admission · read October 24, 2026
UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine: Application Process & Timeline · read October 24, 2026
UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine: Admissions Frequently Asked Questions · read October 24, 2026
UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine: Academic Preparation & Prerequisite Courses · read October 24, 2026
UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine: About Us · read October 24, 2026