1) in-state tuition after first year - possible at WI?
Nope. No way. Uh-uh. I talked to a gal who went to WI from out of state. She was an older non-trad, so she moved her entire life to WI (bank accounts, car reg, etc.), bought property, hubby got a job... She pays WI property and income taxes... And doesn't count as in-state for tuition purposes since she moved to WI "purely for educational purposes." Pretty rough, but that's actually the University of Wisconsin's policy, not something special for the vet school. On the other hand, I believe it's possible to apply for in-state status after your first year at Davis, because the UC system is fairly lax about that for graduate students (over 24, file your own taxes... just make sure to move your bank account and car reg and have a couple receipts from in-state during winter and spring breaks).
3) strength in comparative pathology, wildlife/exotics, and public health?
Both have DVM/MPH dual-degree programs. Both have DVM/PhD dual-degree programs (as you know). Do go to WI's open house if you can (they pay airfare for some out-of-staters, it might be worth your while to call up and ask). I got the impression that WI is trying hard to build up its support for vet students who want to go into research, so you might get quite a bit of personalized attention and find that people really want to make sure you get everything you came for. I've heard from classmates in the Davis dual-degree program that things can be a bit disorganized - you've got the vet school administration and the administration of your graduate department, and a very small number of people who actually know what the dual-degree students are supposed to be doing. I suspect it's just a matter of finding out who is "in the know" and making sure they're the ones you ask for information.
I was told by one of the zoo/exotics faculty at WI that WI and Davis have the top two zoo/exotics caseloads. Both have a companion avian/exotics clinic that is a sub-part of their main teaching hospital. There's a wildlife sanctuary in Madison that does most of the actual wildlife cases for their area. It's not affiliated with the university but you can volunteer and do externships there. Davis wildlife stuff is a bit scattered because there's the raptor center, the marine wildlife folks, the Wildlife Care Network... all of which have separate facilities and staff and species specializations.
4) integration of technology into teaching/clinics - laptops/tablets/digital radiographs etc?
Davis VMTH just went all digital for radiology last year, though we still look at films and talk about technique in radiology courses, because they understand that your average clinic still does it the old-fashioned way. I don't remember what WI has.
