OSU Carlson CVM Interview Prep Guide (2025-2026)

The Oregon State University (OSU) Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine interview is a critical step for Oregon residents pursuing a DVM, and this guide synthesizes key information to help applicants prepare. It covers the interview format, highlighting OSU’s use of the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) and how the process works. It summarizes the school’s mission and values, emphasizing OSU’s focus on animal, human, and environmental health (One Health) and core principles like respect, integrity, responsibility, and excellence. It also provides an overview of the DVM program’s structure and unique opportunities – such as partnerships with local organizations like the Oregon Humane Society and Wildlife Safari – which can inspire thoughtful questions for applicants to ask during their interview.

Beyond the basics, the guide discusses relevant policy topics in veterinary medicine that OSU graduates and veterinarians in the region face, from rural veterinary shortages to public health initiatives. It outlines non-academic selection criteria that OSU looks for in applicants (leadership, community service, research experience, and more), and connects these to broader competency frameworks in veterinary education. Common themes from past interview questions are identified to illustrate what areas tend to be explored during OSU’s interviews. Finally, the guide lists key timelines and deadlines for the 2025–2026 application cycle, ensuring applicants stay on track. Together, these sections provide a comprehensive picture of what to expect and how to align one’s preparation with OSU’s expectations.

OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine uses a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format for its DVM admissions interviews vetmed.oregonstate.edu. In this format, candidates rotate through a series of short, structured stations. At each station, the applicant receives a prompt (a question or scenario), has a couple of minutes to prepare, and then discusses it with an interviewer for about five minutes vetmed.oregonstate.edu. The MMI stations are designed to assess “non-cognitive” qualities – in other words, personal attributes and soft skills – rather than academic knowledge vetmed.oregonstate.edu. Interviewers may include faculty members and veterinarians from the Oregon community vetmed.oregonstate.edu.

The situational questions posed during MMIs can cover a range of core skill areas. OSU specifically notes that its MMI scenarios may touch on ethics, critical thinking, communication, leadership or management, self-awareness, creativity, and problem-solving vetmed.oregonstate.edu. Each scenario is meant to evaluate how you think on your feet and approach complex or ethical problems – there are no absolute “right” answers, but rather an interest in your reasoning and interpersonal skills vetmed.oregonstate.edu vetmed.oregonstate.edu. The interview is typically closed-file, meaning evaluators focus only on your performance in the interviews (they do not review your academic file during the MMI). Notably, OSU only conducts interviews for Oregon resident applicants; out-of-state (non-resident) applicants are not interviewed at all, with their admissions decisions based solely on the written application vetmed.oregonstate.edu.

OSU’s approach leads to a unique situation where the post-interview acceptance rate for residents is relatively high compared to many programs. With around 50 seats reserved for Oregon residents in each class vetmed.oregonstate.edu and a limited number of in-state applicants (148 Oregon applicants for the Class of 2028) vetmed.oregonstate.edu, a significant proportion of those interviewed ultimately receive offers. In recent cycles, roughly one-third of all Oregon resident applicants were admitted vetmed.oregonstate.edu, which implies that perhaps around half of interviewed in-state candidates are accepted. Meanwhile, non-resident applicants (who compete for a similar number of seats with a much larger pool of over 2,000 applicants) have a much lower overall acceptance rate on the order of just a few percent vetmed.oregonstate.edu. Understanding these numbers can help contextualize the competitiveness of the interview: if you’re an in-state applicant who has secured an interview, you have already passed a significant hurdle.

OSU’s Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine is guided by a mission centered on advancing the health of animals, people, and the environment through inclusive education, research, and service vetmed.oregonstate.edu. This One Health-oriented mission highlights the school’s commitment to the interconnectedness of animal health, human health, and environmental well-being. The vision of the college is “creating a healthier world for animals, people and the environment” with an emphasis on exploration, education, and compassion vetmed.oregonstate.edu. These ideals are woven into the program and can subtly influence the interview – interviewers may be looking for alignment between an applicant’s motivations or perspective and the college’s broader mission.

Underpinning the mission are the college’s core values, which paint a picture of the professional and community culture OSU strives for. The Core Values of the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine include vetmed.oregonstate.edu:

• Respect – fostering equality, civility, diversity, and professionalism vetmed.oregonstate.edu
• Integrity – emphasizing a strong work ethic, honesty, and character vetmed.oregonstate.edu
• Responsibility – promoting sustainability, transparency, effective communication, and social responsibility vetmed.oregonstate.edu
• Excellence – committing to quality, innovation, dedication, and service in education and research vetmed.oregonstate.edu

Awareness of OSU’s mission and values is useful in interview prep because it can provide context for the kinds of traits or perspectives the school appreciates. For instance, the emphasis on One Health suggests that OSU values candidates who recognize the veterinarian’s role in public health and environmental issues, not just clinical care for individual animals. The core values like integrity, compassion (implied by respect and responsibility), and excellence indicate that anecdotes or discussions demonstrating your honesty, ethical behavior, community service, and dedication to learning would resonate with the interviewers. While you should not force these into your answers unnaturally, having them in mind can help you understand the school’s ethos. It can also guide thoughtful questions – for example, asking how OSU integrates One Health into the curriculum or how students embody these values on campus would be very much in line with the college’s philosophy.

Oregon State’s DVM program is a four-year, in-person professional program based in Corvallis, Oregon vetmed.oregonstate.edu. The curriculum is structured such that students spend the first three years primarily in classroom and laboratory coursework, building a foundation in all the core areas of veterinary science. The fourth year is devoted to clinical training, where students rotate through various services in the teaching hospital and affiliated locations vetmed.oregonstate.edu. OSU’s Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Teaching Hospital on campus is the primary site for clinical rotations, offering experience in small and large animal medicine. Additionally, OSU has notable partnerships that provide diverse clinical experiences: for example, students gain surgery and general practice experience at the Oregon Humane Society in Portland, and they have rotation opportunities at specialized sites like the Hatfield Marine Science Center (for marine wildlife cases), the Wildlife Safari park (exotic and wildlife medicine), and the Oregon Zoo vetmed.oregonstate.edu. These unique training sites are a distinctive feature of OSU’s program, allowing students to work with a wide range of species and clinical scenarios.

The class size at OSU is relatively small to moderate – around 90 to 100 students per cohort in recent years – which includes roughly equal halves of Oregon residents and non-residents vetmed.oregonstate.edu. This size can mean more individualized attention and a close-knit community feel among students and faculty. OSU is the only veterinary college in Oregon (and one of only 32 accredited veterinary programs in the U.S.), which means it serves a vital role in training veterinarians for the Pacific Northwest region. The program emphasizes a broad comparative approach (teaching all primary clinical disciplines across major domestic species) while also offering electives for students to pursue special interests in areas like zoo/wildlife medicine, aquatic animal health, or advanced clinical specialties vetmed.oregonstate.edu. Students also have access to research opportunities, as OSU is a research-intensive university – something to keep in mind if you have research experience or interests, since it’s worth knowing how you might continue that as a vet student.

Knowing these program details is not only useful for your own decision-making, but can also enhance your interview. Interviewers often appreciate when candidates understand and are excited about the specific offerings of their school. You might consider asking one or two insightful questions during your interview to demonstrate your genuine interest in OSU’s program. For example, the unique rotation sites could prompt a question like, “I see that OSU offers rotations at the Hatfield Marine Science Center and the Wildlife Safari. Can you tell me more about how those experiences enhance the curriculum?” This shows you’ve done your homework and are curious about hands-on learning. Similarly, noting the small class size and close community, you could ask, “How would you describe the community or mentorship environment at OSU’s vet program?”. If research is your thing, you might ask, “What opportunities do students have to get involved in research projects during the DVM program?”. Tailor your questions to what genuinely interests you – the goal is to have a conversation that both gets you useful information and shows the interviewers that you value what their program offers.

Veterinary medicine doesn’t exist in a vacuum – there are broader policy and societal issues that shape the profession. Being aware of some current topics and challenges relevant to Oregon, the broader region, and the nation can help you demonstrate an informed perspective during interviews (for example, if you’re asked about the future of veterinary medicine or challenges the field faces). Here are a few notable policy-related themes and issues that connect to OSU’s context and the veterinary field at large:

• Shortage of Rural and Food-Animal Veterinarians – Like many states, Oregon is experiencing a shortage of large-animal and rural veterinarians. Nationwide, about 500 counties (across 46 states) have been reported as having critical shortages of veterinary services for farm animals opb.org. Many vets gravitate towards pet animal practice (which often offers better hours and pay), leaving gaps in livestock and rural care opb.org. This issue is driving policy discussions, such as federal programs offering loan repayment to vets who serve in underserved areas, and could be something OSU graduates encounter, especially given Oregon’s mix of urban and agricultural communities.
• Access to Veterinary Care and Affordability – A related local issue is access to care for pet owners, especially those with lower incomes. Oregon has seen strains on affordable services like spay/neuter clinics due to veterinarian and veterinary technician shortages opb.org. When clinics cannot staff enough professionals, they may cut back services (for instance, one Eugene clinic had to stop handling surgeries for large dogs because of staffing shortages opb.org). This raises policy questions about how to ensure all pet owners can obtain necessary care. It’s an example of why advocacy for the veterinary workforce and creative solutions (such as community outreach clinics or telemedicine) are becoming more prominent.
• One Health and Public Health Initiatives – OSU’s mission explicitly embraces One Health, reflecting a broader trend of integrating veterinary medicine into public health policy. Zoonotic diseases (those transmissible between animals and humans) are a prime example: about 60% of human infectious diseases have animal origins vetmed.oregonstate.edu. Issues like avian influenza outbreaks, rabies control in wildlife and pets, or salmonella in the food supply require coordination between veterinarians, physicians, and public agencies. OSU participates in One Health research and programs vetmed.oregonstate.edu, and you might be aware of related policies (for example, surveillance programs for diseases or initiatives to improve antibiotic stewardship in livestock) as part of this theme.
• Veterinary Professional Wellness – Within the veterinary profession, there is growing concern about mental health, burnout, and sustainability of veterinary careers. The combination of intensive educational debt and the emotional strain of the job (e.g. performing euthanasia or dealing with client financial limitations) has contributed to higher rates of stress and even suicide among veterinarians. In the U.S., nearly 400 veterinarians died by suicide from 1979 to 2015 according to CDC data time.com, and female veterinarians in particular have been found to have higher risk compared to the general population. The conversation in veterinary schools and professional circles now often touches on wellness programs, mental health support, and building resilience. OSU’s admissions process even subtly addresses this – for instance, asking how applicants handle stress or challenges is common – because they want to admit students who are mindful of self-care and prepared for the profession’s realities.
• Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine – Another important focus is diversifying the veterinary workforce. OSU and other institutions aim to recruit students from varied backgrounds to better reflect the diverse communities they serve. This is partly a policy and industry effort: organizations like the AVMA and veterinary companies have started funding diversity initiatives and scholarships time.com. The context is that pet owners come from all walks of life, but the veterinary profession has historically been less diverse. Efforts in outreach (such as OSU’s programs to engage underrepresented youth in science) and curriculum (requiring courses in diversity, equity, and inclusion) are increasingly common vetmed.oregonstate.edu. In an interview, you might not be asked directly about diversity, but showing cultural sensitivity and an understanding of serving diverse clients (and mentioning any experience you have in this area) aligns well with current values in the field.

Not every interview will delve into these topics explicitly, but being conversant with them can help you stand out if they do come up. For example, if an MMI station presented an ethical scenario about providing care with limited resources, your awareness of the wider issue of access to care (and creative solutions you’ve heard of) could inform a thoughtful response. Or if asked about the future of vet med, mentioning One Health or the need to support rural veterinary practice shows that you have a broader perspective on veterinary roles. The key is to be informed but not forced – use this knowledge to enhance your answers naturally, showing that you’re not only passionate about animals but also understand the context in which veterinary medicine operates.

Like most veterinary programs, OSU certainly considers academic metrics (such as GPA) in admissions, but it also places heavy weight on non-academic criteria – the experiences, attributes, and qualities that predict a successful veterinarian. The OSU Admissions Committee explicitly states its mission is to select applicants who not only can handle the academic rigor but also “possess the qualities deemed valuable in a veterinarian,” have a broad understanding of the profession, and contribute to diversity in the student body vetmed.oregonstate.edu. In practice, this means your life experiences and personal traits are crucial factors during the selection process. Here are some of the key non-academic criteria OSU looks at and how they relate to interview prep:

• Personal qualities and character: The school looks for evidence of integrity, maturity, strong ethics, and empathy, among other traits vetmed.oregonstate.edu. Qualities like motivation for veterinary medicine, scientific inquisitiveness (curiosity and problem-solving skills), interpersonal and communication skills, compassion for others, and leadership or community-mindedness are all valued vetmed.oregonstate.edu. These attributes are assessed through your VMCAS personal essays and letters of recommendation, and (for Oregon residents) they will be further evaluated during the interview vetmed.oregonstate.edu. In an interview context, this means many questions or scenarios are designed to let you demonstrate these traits. For example, an MMI scenario might indirectly gauge your integrity or empathy through an ethical dilemma. Be mindful that non-verbal communication and self-awareness during the interview also contribute to how these qualities come across.
• Veterinary and animal experience: OSU expects that applicants have hands-on exposure to veterinary work. They don’t require a specific minimum number of hours, but they note that applicants with 400+ hours of veterinary experience are generally more competitive vetmed.oregonstate.edu. It’s not just about quantity – the quality and diversity of your experiences matter vetmed.oregonstate.edu. This means having experiences in different settings (for example, small animal clinics, large animal or farm settings, research labs, shelters, or wildlife rehabilitation). In interviews, you should be ready to discuss what you learned from your experiences and how they confirmed your desire to become a vet. OSU also values recommendations from veterinarians or supervisors who can attest to your work ethic and passion vetmed.oregonstate.edu – some interview questions might indirectly reference your experiences (like asking what you found challenging or insightful in your veterinary work). Make sure you’ve reflected on your major takeaways from any significant experiences listed in your application.
• Knowledge of the profession and fit: The admissions committee wants assurance that you understand what the veterinary profession entails (beyond just loving animals). They assess whether applicants know about the varied roles vets play in society – from clinical practice to research, public health, industry, etc. vetmed.oregonstate.edu. They also consider each applicant’s potential to contribute uniquely to the profession vetmed.oregonstate.edu. In the interview, you might get questions like “Why do you want to be a veterinarian?” or scenario prompts that test whether you grasp some challenges of the job. OSU’s process is looking for candidates who have a realistic understanding of veterinary medicine’s demands and rewards. Additionally, OSU values diversity in its cohorts (cultural, geographic, economic, etc.) vetmed.oregonstate.edu, believing that a mix of backgrounds enriches the learning environment. You won’t have control over who you are demographically, but you can certainly highlight any diverse perspectives or experiences you bring (e.g., if you come from a rural area, or have experience with a community underrepresented in vet med, etc.), as the school sees that as an asset.

Overall, the non-academic criteria boil down to showing that you are a well-rounded, emotionally intelligent, and engaged future veterinary professional. In preparing for your interview, think about examples from your life that illustrate these qualities – times when you demonstrated leadership, dealt with an ethical issue, collaborated with a team, overcame a personal challenge, or learned something important about the veterinary field. The interview is your chance to put a personality behind the paper application, and OSU will be looking for the person who not only has good grades but also the integrity, passion, and resilience to thrive as a veterinary student and veterinarian.

Veterinary education has been evolving to ensure graduates are "day-one ready" for practice, and OSU’s program aligns with these expectations. As an AVMA-accredited college, OSU meets all the standards set by the Council on Education – this covers everything from biomedical knowledge and clinical skills to professional ethics and client communication vetmed.oregonstate.edu. In other words, by the time you graduate, you are expected to have a comprehensive set of competencies required of a veterinarian. Knowing this can help in an interview if you’re asked about what you hope to gain from OSU or how you will succeed: the school is looking to produce competent, well-rounded vets, and your answers can reflect your awareness of that goal.

Nationally, one model guiding veterinary curricula is the Competency-Based Veterinary Education (CBVE) framework developed by the AAVMC. This framework identifies nine broad domains of competency (encompassing 32 specific competencies) that new veterinarians should have, ranging from clinical decision-making and animal care to communication, collaboration, and professionalism aavmc.org. OSU’s program, like many others, has incorporated elements of this competency-based approach. For example, the college has introduced Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) early in the program – these are practical exams where students perform clinical tasks (like a physical exam on an animal) under observation, to ensure they have mastered essential skills vetmed.oregonstate.edu. By instituting OSCEs and clear skill checkpoints, OSU ensures students are progressively meeting the competencies needed for practice. In a sense, the MMI interview itself is aligned with this philosophy: it’s assessing non-academic competencies such as communication, ethical reasoning, and empathy, which are part of the professional competencies veterinarians need vetmed.oregonstate.edu. Being aware of this trend might help you understand why the interview includes certain types of questions. It’s not trivia or rote knowledge they seek – it’s a chance to see if you already have the building blocks of the veterinary competencies (or “skills and qualities”) that the program will continue to develop.

To put it simply, OSU wants students who will become competent, well-rounded veterinarians. Competency frameworks, whether from the AVMA or AAVMC, underpin the curriculum and assessments at OSU. You don’t need to reference these frameworks explicitly in an interview, but it’s useful to recognize that when you talk about your strengths or what you want to learn, touching on things like teamwork, communication, technical skills, ethical judgment, and lifelong learning shows you are in tune with what the veterinary profession expects. It demonstrates that you have a professional mindset – something that interviewers are certainly trying to gauge.

Every interview is different, especially with an MMI format, but looking at feedback from past OSU interviewees, we can identify some common themes in the questions and scenarios. Rather than specific questions (which applicants are usually not allowed to share in detail due to confidentiality agreements), it’s more useful to think in terms of categories of topics or skills that tend to come up. Understanding these themes can help you practice your approach to different scenario types. Here are several prevalent themes from past OSU CVM interviews:

• Ethical Dilemmas in Animal Care: Many scenarios involve veterinary ethics or difficult judgment calls. Past candidates have reported questions about things like views on animal research, how to handle a situation where an owner can’t afford treatment, or what to do in a morally gray situation studentdoctor.net. These are meant to probe your ethical reasoning and empathy. You might be asked, for example, to consider the balance between an animal’s welfare and an owner’s wishes or financial limitations. The key is to articulate your thought process and show that you can consider multiple perspectives (the animal’s well-being, the client’s situation, professional guidelines, etc.) when making a decision.
• Professional Integrity and Responsibility: OSU’s interviews have included scenarios that test honesty and integrity – for instance, how you would respond upon witnessing a colleague cheating, or what you would do if you realized you made a mistake. These questions assess your character and sense of responsibility. They connect with the core value of integrity that the school upholds. When faced with such questions, showing accountability, honesty, and a willingness to do the right thing (even if it’s difficult) is important studentdoctor.net.
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Another common theme is dealing with challenging interpersonal situations. You might be asked how you would handle working with a difficult person or communicating bad news to a client. For example, an MMI station could place you in a scenario explaining something to an upset pet owner or resolving a disagreement with a coworker. Past interviews have asked about working with difficult individuals and tested applicants’ ability to stay calm and clear in such interactions studentdoctor.net. To prepare, think about the principles of good communication – listening, empathy, clarity, and professionalism – because those should come through in your responses.
• Personal Motivation and Resilience: Traditional questions do make an appearance too. OSU interviewers (possibly in a one-on-one station or through prompted questions) have inquired about personal motivations for veterinary medicine and how applicants have overcome challenges studentdoctor.net. For instance, “What inspired you to pursue veterinary medicine?” or “Describe a difficult situation (academic or personal) and how you handled it,” are themes that have been noted. These let you demonstrate self-awareness and perseverance. Interviewers want to see that you have thought seriously about your path and can handle setbacks. When discussing such topics, being honest and reflective – without making excuses – tends to resonate well.
• Knowledge and Critical Thinking Scenarios: Although interviews are not a test of veterinary textbook knowledge, you may encounter scenarios that touch on basic veterinary topics or require on-the-spot reasoning. Some past candidates mentioned questions about vaccination protocols (e.g., discussing core vaccines for pets or how to approach vaccine hesitancy) as well as a simple medical math problem studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net. For example, you might be given a short case requiring a dosage calculation – these are usually straightforward, aimed more at seeing how you stay calm and think through a problem rather than testing advanced math. The takeaway is not to panic if a prompt includes some technical component; instead, walk through it methodically. These kinds of stations assess your problem-solving approach and whether you have a foundation of relevant knowledge (like understanding why vaccines are important, in the earlier example) that you can apply logically.

It’s important to note that because OSU uses an MMI, each station is scored independently. If one scenario is about ethics and another is about communication, your performance in one doesn’t directly affect the others. This means you have a fresh start at each new station. So, if you feel one didn’t go perfectly, you can mentally reset for the next one. In practice, the best preparation for these themes is to practice articulating your thoughts on a variety of topics. You could practice with sample MMI prompts or think through responses to questions like the ones mentioned above. Remember, the goal is not to have a “scripted” answer – it’s to be comfortable discussing complex issues in a structured but genuine way. If you can demonstrate thoughtful reasoning, empathy, and professionalism across these different types of questions, you will likely leave a positive impression aligned with OSU’s expectations.

Staying on top of deadlines is crucial in the veterinary school application process. For the 2025–2026 application cycle (for the class entering Fall 2026 at OSU), here are the key dates and milestones to remember vetmed.oregonstate.edu vetmed.oregonstate.edu:

1. January 22, 2025: VMCAS application opens for 2025–2026. This is the start date when you can begin working on the primary application via the Veterinary Medical College Application Service vetmed.oregonstate.edu.
2. May 8, 2025: OSU’s supplemental application questions become available on VMCAS vetmed.oregonstate.edu. OSU requires applicants to complete a set of school-specific questions (often short essays) in addition to the VMCAS core application. You can start preparing your responses once these prompts are released in May.
3. September 15, 2025 (11:59 PM Eastern Time): Application deadline. By this date, you must submit the VMCAS application, which includes your personal statement, experiences, and letters of recommendation, as well as complete OSU’s supplemental questions vetmed.oregonstate.edu vetmed.oregonstate.edu. Transcripts should also be sent by this deadline (VMCAS handles transcript verification). Essentially, mid-September is the final cut-off for all your application materials to be in.
4. Mid-December 2025: Non-resident admission decisions are released, without interviews vetmed.oregonstate.edu. OSU evaluates out-of-state applicants based on their applications alone and typically posts decisions (acceptances, alternate list, or rejections) by around mid-December. You’ll be notified via email to check the OSU applicant portal for your decision vetmed.oregonstate.edu.
5. January 2026: Oregon resident interviews are conducted vetmed.oregonstate.edu. Invitations for interviews are usually sent out 3–4 weeks in advance, so Oregon applicants could expect an invite by December if they are selected vetmed.oregonstate.edu. Interviews in January 2026 will be held in-person on campus and follow the MMI format vetmed.oregonstate.edu. (If you’re an in-state applicant, make sure to also submit your Fall 2025 transcripts to OSU by the early January deadline they specify vetmed.oregonstate.edu.)
6. December 2025 – February 2026: Admission decisions for Oregon residents are made after interviews and released on a rolling basis or by February vetmed.oregonstate.edu. Like with non-residents, you’ll be notified to check the portal. By late February 2026, all interviewed applicants should know whether they have been accepted, waitlisted, or denied.
7. April 15, 2026: Acceptance response deadline. This is a common deadline across vet schools for accepted students to accept or decline their offer vetmed.oregonstate.edu. If you are admitted to OSU, you must confirm by this date to secure your seat, or it may be given to someone on the waitlist after the deadline.
8. August – September 2026: Matriculation. New student orientation for the OSU Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine typically takes place in late August or early September (exact dates to be announced), and classes for the Class of 2030 (entering 2026) will begin in late September 2026 vetmed.oregonstate.edu. For example, in the previous cycle, orientation was mid-September and classes began the last week of September. Incoming students will receive detailed schedules and information well in advance.

Keep in mind that missing any of these deadlines can jeopardize your application, so plan ahead (for instance, ask for letters of recommendation early and take note of time zone differences for the cutoff time on deadlines). OSU provides an applicant portal for communications, so regularly check your email and the portal, especially around the notification periods. By understanding the timeline, you can reduce some stress and ensure you’re prepared for each step – including the interview in January if you’re an Oregon resident.

Preparing for the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine interview involves a combination of knowing what to expect and reflecting on your own experiences and qualities. We’ve reviewed how the MMI interview format works at OSU and the kind of skills and attributes it assesses, grounded in the school’s mission to train compassionate, competent veterinarians. We highlighted OSU’s program features, from its One Health-driven mission and core values to the unique clinical opportunities that you might want to ask about. We also touched on broader veterinary issues and policies that provide context for thoughtful discussions, and outlined the personal qualities and experiences OSU looks for beyond GPAs. Common interview question themes were identified so you can practice your ethical reasoning, communication, and self-reflection. Finally, key deadlines for the 2025–2026 cycle were listed to keep your application on track. With this information in mind, you can approach your interview confidently – not with scripted answers, but with an informed awareness of what OSU values. Good luck, and remember to be yourself and let your passion for veterinary medicine shine through!