Fifty-seven house officers begin advanced training programs at UC Davis

The University of California-Davis (UC Davis) School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) welcomed 57 new house officers into its advanced training programs this year. These individuals included 41 residents, 8 fellows and 8 interns.¹

Photo provided by UC Davis

New house officers at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

The UC Davis SVM House Officer Program is the largest of its kind in the United States with 144 total house officers including 124 residents, 10 fellows, 10 interns. The program advances individuals’ skills in approximately 40 training programs. These programs range in length from 1 to 4 years, during which veterinarians focus on a specific aspect of specialty medicine such as oncology, equine surgery, internal medicine or anesthesiology.

“I’m excited to be back at UC Davis for my residency,” Bryce Westbrook, DVM, a member of the UC Davis SVM class of 2024, said. Westbrook is beginning a 3-year residency in medical oncology.

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“The breadth of cases at UC Davis was one of the driving factors in my decision to return. Not only am I excited about learning more about treating cancer, but I’m excited to work with the students, which I enjoyed last year during my internship,” Westbrook said in a news release.

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 Jamie Burkitt, DVM, DACVECC, and Amandine Lejeune, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), both associate professors of surgical and radiological sciences. Burkitt and Lejeune lead in partnership with several chief house officers, who represent all UC Davis SVM house officers.

The new house officers were tasked with completing a 3-day orientation to become acquainted with the UC Davis 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. They also planned to attend a welcome mixer organized with the support of Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

Following their orientation, the clinicians were scheduled to begin their duties at the VMTH and other training facilities in California. Sites include 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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Reference

Warren R. UC Davis welcomes 57 new house officers. News release. University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. July 31, 2025. Accessed August 12, 2025. https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/uc-davis-welcomes-57-new-house-officers