Veterinary specialties
A veterinary specialist is a veterinarian who specializes in a clinical field of veterinary medicine.
"A veterinary specialist, as recognized by the AVMA, is a graduate veterinarian who has successfully completed the process of board certification in an AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organization (ie, board or college). To become board certified, a veterinarian must have extensive post-graduate training and experience and a credential review and examinations set by the given specialty organization." [1]
Most specialties require a 1-year internship or 2 years of clinical practice prior to beginning a residency of 3–4 years' duration. Most specialties require the resident to produce some academic contribution (often in the form of a scientific publication) in order to qualify to sit the certifying examination. Admission or entry into a Veterinary Specialty residency program is quite competitive in the United States and Canada. A veterinarian needs to complete a 1 year internship or, for some residency programs, have 2 years of clinical experience. A Veterinary Specialist may be consulted when an animal’s condition requires specialized care above and beyond that which a regular veterinarian can offer. Many Veterinary Specialists require a referral in order to be seen. After treatment, a Veterinary Specialist may stay in close contact with the referring veterinarian to provide ongoing treatment suggestions and advice. Veterinary specialists may earn 2-3 times more than general practice veterinarians.
Contents
Specialties
- Alternative medicine
- Anaesthesiology
- Animal behavior
- Animal welfare
- Birds (pet and ornamental)
- Bovine
- Canine
- Cardiology
- Chiropractic
- Clinical pathology
- Clinical pharmacology
- Dentistry
- Dermatology (veterinary dermatology)
- Diagnostic imaging (diagnostic imaging of animals)
- Equine
- Emergency and critical care (veterinary intensive care and veterinary emergency medicine)
- Feline
- Internal medicine
- Laboratory animal medicine
- Microbiology (veterinary microbiology; clinical microbiology of animals)
- Neurology and neurosurgery (veterinary neurology; veterinary neurosurgery)
- Nutrition
- Oncology (cancer in animals)
- Ophthalmology (veterinary ophthalmology)
- Parasitology
- Pathology (veterinary pathology)
- Poultry
- Preventive medicine
- Radiology (veterinary radiology)
- Reptile and amphibian
- Shelter medicine
- State veterinary medicine
- Sports medicine
- Surgery
- Theriogenology
- Toxicology
- Zoological medicine (includes zoo, wildlife, aquatics, and exotic pet species)
American Veterinary Medical Association
The American Veterinary Medical Association recognizes the following 21 veterinary specialty organizations:
- American Board of Veterinary Practitioners
- American Board of Veterinary Toxicology
- American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine
- American College of Poultry Veterinarians
- American College of Theriogenologists
- American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia
- American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
- American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology
- American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
- American College of Veterinary Dermatology
- American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care
- American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
- American College of Veterinary Microbiologists
- American College of Veterinary Nutrition
- American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists
- American College of Veterinary Pathologists
- American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine
- American College of Veterinary Radiology
- American College of Veterinary Surgeons
- American College of Zoological Medicine
- American Veterinary Dental College
Proposed Specialty Organizations
European Board of Veterinary Specialisation
The European Board of Veterinary Specialisation recognizes the following 23 veterinary specialty organizations:
- European College of Zoological Medicine
- European College of Animal Reproduction
- European College of Bovine Health Management
- European College of Equine Internal Medicine
- European College of Laboratory Animal Medicine
- European College of Porcine Health Management
- European College of Poultry Veterinary Medicine
- European College of Small Ruminant Health Management
- European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia
- http://www.ecvbm.org/ European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine
- European College of Veterinary Comparative Nutrition
- European College of Veterinary Clinical Pathology
- European College of Veterinary Dermatology
- European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging
- European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine - Companion Animals
- European College of Veterinary Neurology
- European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists
- European College of Veterinary Pathology
- European College of Veterinary Public Health
- European College of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology
- European College of Veterinary Surgeons
- European Veterinary Dentistry College
- European Veterinary Parasitology College
