A Board-Certified veterinary specialist is one who, after completion of a veterinary degree, spends two to three years focusing on one topic such as Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Surgery, Dentistry, Neurology, Dermatology, Critical Care, Radiology, Oncology, Anesthesiology, Behaviour, and other specific topics. This process is always under the guidance of a specialist(s), and is usually in an academic facility. It can take years to be accepted into these specialty programs, during which time, internships or specialty internships continue to support interest in a certain field. Each specialty has general and intensive multi-day examinations, as well as strict criteria to meet before certification into a respective specialty college.
The specific requirement of a Board-Certified specialist differentiates them from someone who has ‘a specialty in’, or ‘special interest’ in a certain field. There are MANY good veterinarians with interests in a certain field of medicine, but advertising or promoting oneself as 'a specialist', or 'specialty in' results in professional misconduct under Regulation 1093 of the Veterinarians Act RSO 1990 c V3. It is considered an unauthorized practice and is illegal to call oneself a specialist without meeting the specialty regulatory requirements.
The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (www.acvim.org), American College of Veterinary Surgeons (www.acvs.org), American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (www.acvo.org), and Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (www.veccs.org) are the regulatory bodies for Board-Certified veterinary specialties. These governing bodies are recognized by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (https://www.canadianveterinari...), European Veterinary Medical Association (https://ecvim-ca.college), and American Veterinary Medical Association (www.AVMA.org).
Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs) are also an integral part of the veterinary care team. Several accredited colleges in Ontario offer 2-3 year programs for Veterinary Technicians and veterinary assistants. Registered Veterinary Technicians are a self-regulated body of the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians (www.oavt.org). Registered Veterinary Technicians can become specialized by meeting strict requirements under the supervision of a Board-Certified veterinary specialist (www.navta.net).