HEALTH TOPICS

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A “BOARD CERTIFIED” VETERINARIAN

A board certified veterinarian is a veterinarian who has advanced clinical training in a specific field of veterinary care, has successfully passed proficiency examinations, and is recognized as an expert in that particular field of care.

Pre-Vet: 3-4 years of college plus experience in veterinary-related field.

-Competitive and intense application process

Veterinary School:  4 year (there are only 32 veterinary schools in North America) – 2500 students graduate annually

Path One:  85% go directly into private practice after graduation

Private Practice:

-Large Animal
-Small Animal
-Mixed Animal
-Exotics

Path Two: 15% go into other pursuits

-Military Career
-Government Work
-Graduate School
-Specialty Training Programs

Highly competitive application process

Advanced Specialty Training:

-1 year internship and 2-5 year residency, which involves:
-Clinical Competency
-Research experience
-Publications
-Examination to become Board Certified

Diplomat Status Achieved in:

-Internal Medicine
-Cardiology
-Neurology
-Oncology
-Radiology
-Dentistry
-Dermatology
-Emergency Medicine
-Pathology + 11 other fields