Does the requirement that applicants must be at least 4 years after DVM graduation change in the event the applicant completed a dual degree program (e.g., DVM/MPH)?

The ACVPM bylaws state that in order to be deemed eligible for the examination candidates must have earned the qualifying veterinary degree at least four calendar years before the examination application deadline. Graduate degrees obtained prior to or concurrently with a DVM degree will not be credited towards the required 4 years of experience.

Are there any other situations where a candidate may be permitted to take the examination earlier than 4 full years after DVM graduation?

Applicants in good standing in the final year of a College-approved formal residency or training program will be eligible to sit for the examination provided that they:

1. Graduated with a degree in veterinary medicine from a school or college of veterinary medicine accredited by the AVMA or possess a certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) of the AVMA or be a graduate with a degree in veterinary medicine or equivalent from a school or college listed in the Directory Of AVMA ECFVG®- Veterinary Colleges                                                        

AND

2. Have a history of unquestionable moral character and professional behavior

Final certification is contingent upon the candidate providing documentation of successfully completing the program to the EVP.  Training programs must be approved by the College prior to the examination application deadline. There are currently 3 training programs approved by the College:

1. The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine-Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency Program

2. The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine-Veterinary Public Health Specialization Program 

3. Mississippi State University Veterinary Population Medicine Program

4. University California - Davis Dairy Production Medicine Residency Program 

5. University of California - Davis Livestock Herd Health and Reproduction Residency Program 

All other applicants must have earned the qualifying veterinary degree at least four calendar years before the examination application deadline and will need to meet the 42 months of qualifying experience requirement by the examination application deadline to be eligible to sit for the examination. NOTE: This is a change from previous guidance indicating that 4 years of qualifying experience was required by the examination application date.

Why does the application examination window close so early (when compared to other ABVS certification exams)?

The application examination window is typically open from 1 June to 31 August the year prior to the examination(i.e. the 2025 window closes 31 August 2024 for the 2025 exam). Applicants are typically notified if they are approved to sit for the examination by  (~late November of the application year). The examination and Credentials committees want to ensure that the application window closes with enough time for applicants to sufficiently prepare to be successful on the examination(typically held the 1st or 2nd week of June). Unlike other veterinary specialties, the ACVPM does not rely on completion of an internship/residency program (other than those noted above) as the primary examination preparation tool. Historically, successful applicants have a good mix of qualifying experience in the 6 specialty areas (below) over 4+ years after the DVM (or equivalent) degree and often have additional post-DVM (or equivalent) graduate degrees with a veterinary preventive medicine focus (e.g., MPH, MS, DrPH, PhD, etc.). The examination application timeline gives prospective applicants ~1 year (from application opening to examination date) to prepare for the examination.  

Why is experience in 3 or more specialty areas of veterinary preventive medicine required to be eligible to sit for the examination?

The examination is focused on all areas of veterinary preventive medicine outlined in Article II of the ACVPM Constitution. An applicant’s success on the examination is partially determined by their qualifying experience which indicates an enhanced level of knowledge in veterinary preventive medicine. Once a Diplomate, it is expected of preventive medicine specialists to uphold these high standards of knowledge.

What are the 6 specialty areas of veterinary preventive medicine? 

In 2021, College members voted to update the Constitution and Bylaws to better reflect the specialized work done by diplomates. This included an update to Article II which defines the College specialty. The College is now defined as:

Veterinary preventive medicine is an integral component of veterinary medicine and is a recognized field of veterinary medical specialization. The specialty of veterinary preventive medicine is concerned with improving animal, human, and environmental health through:

1. Surveillance, prevention, management, and control of disease

2. Investigation of outbreaks and implementation of corrective actions

3. Preparation, response, and recovery from natural and man-made disasters

4. Reduction of occupational and environmental hazards

5. Advancement of food safety, security, wholesomeness, and defense

6. Creation and implementation of policies and regulations.

How should Table 3, Qualifying Experience List and Calculation of Creditable Months, be completed to calculate qualifying, creditable experience?  

To be eligible to sit for the examination, unless qualifying via a College-approved formal residency or training program, an applicant must have earned the qualifying veterinary degree at least four calendar years before the examination application deadline and have a minimum of 42 months of full-time qualifying experience. Qualifying experience hours must come from at least 3 of the 6 areas of veterinary preventive medicine (VPM) outlined in Article II of the ACVPM Constitution. The Credentials Committee calculates how much of a candidate’s qualifying experience is creditable towards the 42-month minimum using the information provided on the work and education experience tables section of the application. Full time is considered ≥35 hrs/week. Part time is considered <35 hrs/week. Part-time experience will be credited as qualifying experience on a pro-rated basis (see examples below). A job/training experience year in which the applicant works >35 hrs/wk/yr will be credited as only 12 months of qualifying experience (i.e., 70 hrs/wk/yr will not be credited as 24 months of qualifying experience). A post-DVM (or equivalent) master’s or doctoral degree in preventive medicine/public health or other relevant medical science may be creditable towards the 42 months of qualifying experience (e.g., 2 years full time in a Master of Public Health program may be reviewed and considered by the Credentials Committee as 24 months of qualifying experience).

Here are some examples of how hours may be calculated (all examples assume that experience is gained post DVM or equivalent degree).

      1.  Job/training experience where 100% of duties relate to 1 or more VPM specialty areas

           a.  35+ hrs/wk of qualifying experience x12 months = 12 months of creditable experience

            b.  Part-time (<35 hrs/wk) experience is credited as a percentage of 40 hrs/wk (e.g., 20 hrs/wk is credited as 50% of full time). Here are some examples of calculations of creditable time for pro-rated, part-time experience:

i. 10 hrs/wk of qualifying experience [25%] x 12 months = 3 months of creditable experience

ii. 20 hrs/wk of qualifying experience [50%] x 12 months = 6 months of creditable experience

iii. 30 hrs/wk of qualifying experience [75%] x 8 months = 6 months of creditable experience

It is imperative that applicants accurately and thoroughly complete the relevant work and education experience tables on the application form. Keep in mind you need to convince complete strangers of your knowledge, skills, and abilities in veterinary preventive medicine.

Remember, an applicant must have experience in 3 or more of the 6 Veterinary Preventive Medicine specialty areas.

How should Table 4, Summary of Experience in ≥ 3 of the 6 Areas of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, be filled out?

You should summarize your experience in veterinary preventive medicine. You must document experience in three or more areas of veterinary preventive medicine as defined in Article II of the Constitution. The description of experience in each VPM area should encompass your entire career (i.e., if you have had experience with a certain area of VPM in multiple positions, summarize your experience in that area of VPM during your multiple positions). Be as descriptive and specific as possible. To qualify, the description of experience in each selected VPM area must be at least four sentences long and must provide specific details and examples of experience. The Credentials Committee is responsible for determining the suitability of all experience. Applications with descriptions of experience in <3 areas of VPM will not be accepted. Scant descriptions will not be accepted as adequate documentation of experience.

Could public health work that is not specifically work in veterinary medicine be credited as qualifying experience?

Yes. Post-DVM (or equivalent degree) public health work that is not specifically work in veterinary medicine may be credited as qualifying experience as long as it relates to 1 or more of the 6 specialty areas of veterinary preventive medicine (see above).

Please explain the reference form that is included with the application documents; it is a bit confusing.

Each applicant will need to submit references from 2 different individuals. References are not required to have a DVM (or equivalent degree). However, it is critical that the persons providing references know the applicant well enough that they feel capable of completely and accurately providing the requested information. It is highly recommended that you refrain from using friends and family as references. A reference cannot also act as the applicant's sponsor. 

The reference form must be filled out entirely.  This includes:

• Applicant Name pre-populated by the applicant at the top of both pages of the reference form before transferring the form to the reference writer (to decrease errors in the process).

• Reference Name and Contact Information

• How long the reference has known the applicant in years and months (this can include both personal and professional relationships)

• The section related to a Training Program Director may be skipped if it does not apply.

• Responsibilities/Professional Experiences that the applicant had in relation to the 6 areas of veterinary preventive medicine during the relationship. This should be a fairly detailed description but should fit within the spaces provided on the 2nd page of the reference form. “Not observed” can be used where applicable.

• All references must complete the Criteria Assessment with yes, no, or N/A for each row

• Reference must sign and date the document digitally or by hand (not typed) and initial where indicated in the boxes provided on each page of the reference form. If the reference is signing with a digital signature, it is preferred that the document is converted to PDF before digital signature.

With the exception of the question that is specifically for training program directors, all other information on the reference form must be completed. Applicants with incomplete reference forms will not be approved. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their references complete the forms as required.

The reference returns a signed form to the applicant in PDF format. The applicant includes the completed, signed reference in their application packet. Detailed instructions are provided in the application form and on the reference form. 

Why does an applicant need to share their references with their sponsor?

In some instances, the relationship between an applicant and their sponsor may be brief in nature. In such instances, it is especially important for the sponsor to have visibility to the information provided to support the applicant’s moral and ethical character. The sponsor is encouraged to review the reference forms along with their sponsee’s application as a whole to ensure completeness.

What if my chosen reference(s) aren’t able to describe my responsibilities and experiences?

A different individual should be chosen to provide the reference.

Is there a limit to how much time can elapse between the professional relationship “ending” and the reference being provided?

No, there is not a defined limit. It is important that the reference feels they can provide complete and accurate information. The time indicated on the reference form can include both personal and professional relationships, if applicable. 

Are there any alternate ways that I can provide official confirmation of my degree(s) other than a photo of my diploma?

Official transcripts from the school(s) (must be from registrar and have appropriate signatures and seals) can be substituted in place of a scanned or photographed diploma, provided that the transcript states when the degree was conferred.

What should I do if my name has changed since my degree was conferred?

Please provide official supporting documentation (e.g., marriage license, divorce decree) that confirms the name change.

What if any of the documents required for my application are in a language other than English?

A certified translation into English is required for any documents that are not in English. The document must be provided for the credentials committee to review in English and must be accompanied with documentation that the translation from the original document was completed by a certified individual or company.

Can my sponsor also serve as 1 of my 2 references?

The sponsor may not serve as a reference.  

Can an applicant ask for review of all or parts of my application from the Credentials Committee before submitting the application?

Unfortunately, the Credentials Committee can only review completed applications that have been submitted through the application portal. Your sponsor will be the best resource to review your application and give you guidance.

Is there a maximum number of applicants allowed to sit for the examination each year?

There is no set maximum. Yearly application numbers typically range from 50 to 150.

Updated May 2024