American Veterinary Medical History Society
Veterinary Specialty Organizations
Veterinary specialists are veterinarians who have advanced training beyond their DVM degrees in various veterinary medical and surgical disciplines.
These"Board-certified veterinary specialists serve animals and the public through collaboration and teamwork with primary care veterinarians, human medical professionals, research scientists, and public health officials." [AVMA]
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Beginning in the early 1950s, veterinary specialty boards, under the jurisdiction of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), began to emerge similar to the developing trend in human medicine.
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In the United States, veterinary specialties are recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) American Board of Veterinary Specialties.
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Presently, there are 22 AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organizations™ comprising 48 distinct AVMA-recognized veterinary specialties™.
More than 16,500 veterinarians have been awarded diplomate status in one or more of these specialty organizations after completing rigorous postgraduate training, advanced education, and examination requirements.
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Fessler JF, Burt JK, Brown RR. Specialization in veterinary medicine: where we've been and where we're going. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1990 Aug 1;197(3):328-33.
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Gardiner D. The age of veterinary specialization. Vet Herit. 2006 Nov;29(2):44-52.
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Hagan WA. Editorial. Veterinary specialization and education. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1957 Jun 1;130(11):498-9.
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Lothrop CD Jr. Veterinary medical specialization. Adv Vet Sci Comp Med. 1995;39:141-90. doi: 10.1016/s0065-3519(06)80019-4.
Pascoe PJ. Credentialing of veterinary specialists. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1995 Apr 15;206(8):1118-21.
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AVMA Recognized Veterinary Specialty Organizations in the United States
Last updated 2026 April 4 ​
Memphis, Tennessee
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LABORATORY ANIMAL MEDICINE (ACLAM)
Founded 1957
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​ Founded as a veterinary certifying specialty board in 1957, the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) is devoted encouraging education and reserch, establishing standards for training and experience for professional veterinarians for the care and health of laboratory animals, and recognizing qualified individuals via a certification examination or other means.
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF VETERINARY RADIOLOGY (AAVR)
Founded 1961
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Radiation oncology
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Equine diagnostic imaging
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Publishes: Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound. Vol. 33, no. 1 (Jan./Feb. 1992) to date
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The American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR) was founded in 1961 to determine competence of voluntary candidates in veterinary radiology and to encourage the development of teaching personnel and training facilities in veterinary radiology.​
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Germantown, Maryland
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS (ACVS)
Founded 1965; accredited 1970
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Small animal surgery
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Large animal surgery
Providence, Rhode Island
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF THERIOGENOLOGISTS (ACT)
Founded 1971
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The American College of Theriogenologists (ACT) was established in 1970 by an organizing committee of 7 veterinarians. It supports the specialty of veterinary medicine concerned with animal reproduction, including normal physiology and pathology of male and female reproductive systems of animals. It also covers the clinical practice of veterinary obstetrics, gynecology, andrology, and assisted reproductive technologies. ​​​
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“The Red Book” - Early Files of the American College of Theriogenologists. Kastelic J, ed. 1985. Available at: https://drive. google.com/file/d/1DXEvM9ymbzTCnSIEiz644sP7HpBk-Fp9/view​
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Burton K. Genesis of the beast: The birth of theriogenology and its lingistic midwffe. Vet Hert. 2025 Jul;48(1):34-38. ​
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Kastelic J. The American College of Theriogenologists from its pedigree to its neonatal period. Clinical Theriogenology. 2012;13:121.
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Englewood, Colorado
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE (ACVIM)​
Founded 1973
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Cardiology
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Small animal internal medicine
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Large animal internal medicine
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Neurology
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Oncology
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Nutrition
Publishes: Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM). Vol.1, no.1 (Jan./Mar. 1987) to date​
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<Contact by email>
​AMERICAN COLLEGE OF VETERINARY ANESTHESIA AND ANALGESIA (ACVAA)
Founded 1975
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The American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia exits to promote the highest standards of clinical practice of veterinary anesthesia and analgesia and defines criteria for designating veterinarians with advanced training as specialists in the clinical practice of veterinary anesthesiology. The ACVAA issues certificates to those meeting these criteria, maintains a list of such veterinarians, and advances scientific research and education in veterinary anesthesiology and analgesia.
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Th ACVAA;s site provides access to the following history by founding members Drs. Charles E. Short and Lawrence R. Soma.
Short CE, Soma LR. The beginnings of a specialty: The crearion of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia. Vet Herit. 2020 Jun;43(1):32-37. ​​
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Richland, Michigan
​AMERICAN COLLEGE OF VETERINARY PREVENTIVE MEDICINE (Formerly: American Board of Veterinary Public Health, recognized by AVMA in 1951)
Founded 1978
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Epidemiology
Murnane, Thomas G. Historical and future perspectives of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2000 Dec 15;217(12):1821-8.
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Providence, Rhode Island
<Contact by email>
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SPORTS MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION (ACVSMR)
Founded 2018
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​Canine
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Equine
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AMERICAN COLLEGE OF....
Founded
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