Donald G. Low/CVMA Clinical Veterinary Medical Academy
The Donald G. Low/CVMA Clinical Veterinary Medical Academy, a joint activity between the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital faculty, is designed to meet California practitioners' needs not available within residencies or other current programs. It is specifically intended for California practitioners.
APPLICATION FOR THE 2026-2027 CYCLE COMING SOON IN SEPTEMBER 2026!
Meet the Don Low/CVMA Academy Scholars: 2025-2026 | 2024-2025 | 2023-2024 | 2022-2023 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 | 2017-2018 | 2016-2017 | 2015-2016
General Application Procedures
All applications must be submitted electronically. The deadline for 2026–2027 applications is by 5:00 PM (PST) on December 19, 2025.
Additionally, the SVVMA Charitable Foundation has worked with the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital to guarantee an academic scholar position for SVVMA members when applicable.
Incomplete or ineligible applications will be disqualified.
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of representatives from the CVMA and UC Davis faculty. Finalists will be notified following the review process.
Selected Academy Scholars must commit to a minimum of 20 days in the program. Each Scholar will be matched with a VMTH faculty mentor in their area of interest to refine a proposal. This proposal will define the Scholar’s goals and ensure they align with what the medical academy can provide.
The program will begin in August 2026 and end July 2027.
Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for the medical academy, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- Be an active member of the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and maintain membership throughout the duration of the program
- Have graduated from veterinary school at least five years prior to the time of application
- Currently reside in California
- Applicants are required to submit contact information for two professional references. Applicants are responsible for notifying their selected references to complete the Don Low Academy Reference Form.
- Important: It is the applicant's responsibility to send the Don Low Academy Reference Form webform directly to their references for completion. All reference forms must be submitted by 5:00 PM (PST) on January 2, 2026.
The following services are participating in the Don Low Academy 2026-2027 academic year.
| Cardiology | Medical Oncology |
| Clinical and Anatomical Pathology | Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care |
| Nutrition | Small Animal Internal Medicine |
| Ophthalmology |
Information for Campus Visitors
If you plan to apply for the Don Low Academy, please review the COVID-19 Safety Measures prior to visiting campus.
Contact Information
Please contact the Center for Continuing Professional Education at (530) 752-3905 or svmcontinuinged@ucdavis.edu for any related questions.