What is a board certified veterinary cardiologist?

Accreditation for veterinary cardiologists is conferred when a person becomes a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine within the specialty of  the College of Cardiology.  Diplomate status is granted only to those individuals who pass an intensive 2-year series of examinations.  Applicants are qualified to sit for these examinations after completion of 3 to 4 years of post-doctoral training and the successful review of their credentials packet.  If a veterinarian has "DACVIM - cardiology" after their name, they have achieved this diplomate status.

All licensed veterinarians are graduates of 4 years of veterinary school following their undergraduate career.  Once veterinary school is completed, graduates are then qualified to practice as primary care veterinarians.  If a veterinarian desires to continue training, they then apply for a 1-year internship program.  Successful candidates rotate through 1 year of training in the various specialty areas.  They then can choose to enter private practice or to continue their post-doctoral training as residents in one specialty area.  Not all applicants are successful in their desire to achieve residency status.  Once a candidate becomes a resident in cardiology, they are trained in the areas of diagnostic cardiac evaluation, medical management, interventional catheterization, pacemaker implantation, the details of cardiac physiology, and some are trained in surgical interventional techniques.  After the first 2 years of residency training, the candidates sit for the qualifying examination in general internal medicine.  Provided the candidate passes this exam and submits an acceptable credentials packet, the candidate is then allowed to sit for the certification examination of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in the Specialty of Cardiology.  When the candidate passes this examination, they become a diplomate of the college and are then board-certified in veterinary cardiology.

Training in veterinary internal medicine or radiology is not equivalent training compared to a board-certified veterinary cardiologist.  The programs in internal medicine and radiology are also 3 to 4 years of postdoctoral training but emphasize many other organ systems.  These programs do not offer the same intensity and knowledge base for the care and management of veterinary cardiac patients.

To learn more about Board Certification, visit the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine website, http://www.acvim.org/.