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A veterinary specialist is a veterinarian who specializes in a clinical field of veterinary medicine.
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 also play an important role in the training and continuing education of veterinary students, nursing staff, and practicing veterinarians. Though variable, specialists may earn up to 2–3 times more than general practice veterinarians.[ citation needed ]
Admission or entry into a veterinary specialty residency program is highly competitive in the United States and Canada. Most specialties require a 1-year internship or 2 years of clinical practice prior to beginning a residency of 3–4 years' duration. Some veterinarians complete additional specialty internships before being accepted into a residency program. In the United States, most internships and residencies accept applicants through the Veterinary Internship & Residency Matching Program, similar to the National Resident Matching Program for physicians. 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. Many specialists are active researchers in their fields of expertise.
According to the AVMA, a board-certified veterinary specialist is "a veterinarian who has completed additional training in a specific area of veterinary medicine and has passed an examination that evaluates their knowledge and skills in that specialty area." [1] As of 2023 [update] , the AVMA recorded 16,291 total active board-certified specialists. [2]
As of 2024 [update] , the AVMA recognizes 46 distinct veterinary specialties from 22 veterinary specialty organizations, including the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, American College of Animal Welfare, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, and American College of Zoological Medicine. [3]
The European Board of Veterinary Specialization recognizes the following 23 veterinary specialty organizations:
Pathology is the study of disease and injury. The word pathology also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatment, the term is often used in a narrower fashion to refer to processes and tests that fall within the contemporary medical field of "general pathology", an area that includes a number of distinct but inter-related medical specialties that diagnose disease, mostly through analysis of tissue and human cell samples. Idiomatically, "a pathology" may also refer to the predicted or actual progression of particular diseases, and the affix pathy is sometimes used to indicate a state of disease in cases of both physical ailment and psychological conditions. A physician practicing pathology is called a pathologist.
A veterinarian (vet) is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal reproduction, health management, conservation, husbandry and breeding and preventive medicine like nutrition, vaccination and parasitic control as well as biosecurity and zoonotic disease surveillance and prevention.
The New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University is a college of veterinary medicine at Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York. It was founded in 1894. It is the first statutory college of the State University of New York (SUNY) system.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is an American not-for-profit association founded in 1863 that represents more than 105,000 veterinarians.
The Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine is the veterinary school of Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland, College Park - both of which are public research universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Maryland, respectively. The college was created as a joint venture of the two universities and their respective state governments in order to fill the need for veterinary medicine education in both states. Students from both states are considered "in-state" students for admissions and tuition purposes.
Clinical pathology is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the laboratory analysis of bodily fluids, such as blood, urine, and tissue homogenates or extracts using the tools of chemistry, microbiology, hematology, molecular pathology, and Immunohaematology. This specialty requires a medical residency.
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Université de Montréal is one of five veterinary medical schools in Canada. It is the only French-language veterinary college in North America. The faculty is part of the Université de Montréal and is located in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec near Montreal.
Zoological medicine refers to the specialty of veterinary medicine that addresses the care of captive zoo animals, free ranging wildlife species, aquatic animals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and includes non-domestic companion animals. Zoological medicine incorporates principles of ecology, wildlife conservation, and veterinary medicine, and applies them to wild animals in natural and artificial environments. As a specialty of veterinary medicine in the United States, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has recognized the College of Zoological Medicine as the governing body of this specialty field since 1983. As such, zoological medicine is equivalent to other subspecialties of veterinary medicine, which are recognized and governed by their particular colleges.
Veterinary education is the tertiary education of veterinarians. To become a veterinarian, one must first complete a degree in veterinary medicine Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.
Veterinary pathologists are veterinarians who specialize in the diagnosis of diseases through the examination of animal tissue and body fluids. Like medical pathology,veterinary pathology is divided into two branches, anatomical pathology and clinical pathology. Other than the diagnosis of disease in food-producing animals, companion animals, zoo animals and wildlife, veterinary pathologists also have an important role in drug discovery and safety as well as scientific research.
Veterinary anesthesia is a specialization in the veterinary medicine field dedicated to the proper administration of anesthetic agents to non-human animals to control their consciousness during procedures. A veterinarian or a Registered Veterinary Technician administers these drugs to minimize stress, destructive behavior, and the threat of injury to both the patient and the doctor. The duration of the anesthesia process goes from the time before an animal leaves for the visit to the time after the animal reaches home after the visit, meaning it includes care from both the owner and the veterinary staff. Generally, anesthesia is used for a wider range of circumstances in animals than in people not only due to their inability to cooperate with certain diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, but also due to their species, breed, size, and corresponding anatomy. Veterinary anesthesia includes anesthesia of the major species: dogs, cats, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs, as well as all other animals requiring veterinary care such as birds, pocket pets, and wildlife.
American College of Zoological Medicine (ACZM) was established in 1983 as an international specialty organization of veterinarians with special expertise in zoological medicine.
The Master of Veterinary Science is a master's degree awarded for studies in the field of veterinary science. It can be awarded for research, a taught degree, or both.
A paraveterinary worker is a professional of veterinary medicine who performs procedures autonomously or semi-autonomously, as part of a veterinary assistance system. The job role varies throughout the world, and common titles include veterinary nurse, veterinary technician, and veterinary assistant, and variants with the prefix of "animal health".
The American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) is the specialty board that defines the standards of surgical excellence for the field of veterinary medicine, promotes advancements in veterinary surgery, and provides the latest in veterinary surgical educational programs. The ACVS is responsible for overseeing the training, examination, and certification of board-certified veterinary surgeons.
Veterinary medicine in the United States is the performance of veterinary medicine in the United States, normally performed by licensed medical professionals, and subject to provisions of statute law which vary by state. Veterinary medicine is normally led by veterinary physicians, termed veterinarians or vets, but also by paraveterinary workers, such as veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants. This can be augmented by other paraprofessionals with specific specialties, such as animal physiotherapy or dentistry, and species-relevant roles such as farriers.
The European College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ECVAA) is one of 25 veterinary specialist colleges recognized by the European Board of Veterinary Specialization, comprising more than 35 distinct specialties.
James E. Collins is an American veterinary physician and academic. He is the professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota and its Director of the veterinary diagnostic laboratory.
The American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ACVAA) is one of 22 veterinary specialist organizations recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The American College of Animal Welfare (ACAW) is a fully recognized specialty in the field of veterinary medicine by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Their goal is to advance the welfare of animals through education, certification, and Scientific investigation. The ACAW is responsible for overseeing the training, examination, and board certification of animal welfare specialized veterinarians in the field.