A veterinary specialist is a veterinarian who kept training after the DVM: extra years of internship and residency in one field, then a board examination set by that field's specialty college. In the US, 22 specialty organizations recognized through the AVMA's American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) certify these vets, and between them they cover more than 45 specialties, from anesthesia to zoological medicine.
Pass that exam and you become board-certified, a "Diplomate" of the college. AAHA's 2025 referral guidelines put the number of Diplomates at more than 16,500. Vet students and vets weighing a specialty will find the training path and the full list of colleges below. Owners whose vet has suggested a referral can skip ahead to what working with a specialist looks like.
What are the Different Types of Veterinary Specialists?
Each type of specialist belongs to a specialty organization, usually called a college (the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, for example). The college sets the training requirements, runs the board exams and certifies its Diplomates. The ABVS is an AVMA committee that recognizes these organizations and reviews them on a regular cycle; it does not train or certify anyone itself.
Some colleges hold a single specialty, while others hold several. The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM), the largest, certifies six: small animal internal medicine, large animal internal medicine, cardiology, neurology, oncology and nutrition. That is why the number of specialties is higher than the number of organizations. AAHA's 2025 referral guidelines count 46, and the total moves as colleges add specialties or gain recognition. The AVMA's list of recognized veterinary specialties is the official reference.
Specialists mostly work at large hospitals, referral centers and veterinary schools. Many also teach, do research, publish and consult with general practice vets on difficult cases.
The title itself carries weight. According to ACVIM, only veterinarians who earn board certification from a recognized specialty organization can legally and ethically be called veterinary specialists. Some state boards write this into their rules. West Virginia, for example, lets a veterinarian advertise as a specialist only if they are board-certified.
How Do You Become a Veterinary Specialist?
Each college sets its own requirements, but the path is broadly similar:
- Earn your DVM. That means at least four years of veterinary college.
- Complete an internship. Usually a one-year rotating internship, or equivalent experience the college accepts.
- Match into a residency. Residencies typically last two to four years, depending on the college: ACVIM residencies run two to three years, and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) requires at least three. Many internships and residencies are filled through the annual match run by the Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program (VIRMP). In the 2027 cycle, applications open on November 1, 2026, and match results are released on March 1, 2027.
- Meet the credential requirements. Some colleges require published work before the final exam. ACVS, for example, asks for an accepted manuscript and a credentials application.
- Pass the board exams. Usually a series of examinations. The ACVS pathway is a good example: a Phase I Surgical Knowledge Exam, then a Phase II Surgical Competency Exam.
Add it up and the internship-plus-residency route usually takes three to five years after vet school. If you're still weighing vet school itself, start with our 10 things to consider before becoming a veterinarian.
There is one notable exception to the residency route. The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) lets vets qualify through practice: after a minimum of four years in practice, plus case reports and a credentials review, they can sit the ABVP's comprehensive exam. ABVP also offers a residency route (an internship or at least one year of practice, then a residency of at least two years).
Certification is not a one-time event. Each college runs its own maintenance of certification, and the cycle varies: ACVS works on a five-year cycle, while ABVP Diplomates recertify every ten years.
List of Veterinary Specialties
These are the specialties recognized through the ABVS, listed alphabetically, with the organization that certifies each one.
Anesthesia and analgesia (American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, ACVAA): Anesthesiologists assess anesthetic risk, plan and monitor anesthesia, and manage perioperative care and pain.
Animal welfare (American College of Animal Welfare, ACAW): The well-being and welfare of animals.
Behavior (American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, ACVB): Animal behavior and behavior modification, or, as we put it, learning the language of the animal world.
Clinical pharmacology (American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology, ACVCP): How drugs act in animals.
Dentistry (American Veterinary Dental College, AVDC): Dental, oral and maxillofacial (jaw and face) care. Equine dentistry is a recognized sub-specialty.
Dermatology (American College of Veterinary Dermatology, ACVD): Allergies and diseases of the skin, ears, nails and hooves. Many skin problems are simple, but some reflect a deeper health issue, which is where a dermatologist helps.
Emergency and critical care (American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, ACVECC): These specialists work in emergency rooms and intensive care units, caring for animals the AVMA describes as often the "sickest of the sick".
Internal medicine (American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, ACVIM): Small animal and large animal internal medicine, plus cardiology (heart disease), neurology (diseases of the brain, spinal cord and nerves), oncology (cancer) and nutrition (feeding companion and farm animals).
Laboratory animal medicine (American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, ACLAM): Care of the animal species used in research.
Microbiology (American College of Veterinary Microbiologists, ACVM): Research, teaching and diagnosis of infectious disease. Sub-specialties are virology, immunology, bacteriology/mycology (bacteria and fungi) and parasitology.
Nephrology and urology (American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology, ACVNU): Diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract. AAHA's 2025 guidelines list this college as provisionally recognized since March 2022, so check the AVMA list for its current status.
Ophthalmology (American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, ACVO): Eye diseases.
Pathology (American College of Veterinary Pathologists, ACVP): Anatomic pathology (tissue changes caused by disease, including necropsies, the animal equivalent of autopsies) and clinical pathology (lab samples such as blood).
Poultry (American College of Poultry Veterinarians, ACPV): Health of chickens and other fowl, usually in food production.
Preventive medicine (American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, ACVPM): Disease surveillance, outbreak control, zoonoses (diseases that pass between animals and people) and food safety. Epidemiology is a sub-specialty.
Radiology (American College of Veterinary Radiology, ACVR): Performing and reading x-rays, ultrasound, CT (computed tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Radiation oncology and equine diagnostic imaging are sub-specialties.
Sports medicine and rehabilitation (American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, ACVSMR): Helping animals regain normal function after injury, lameness, illness or surgery. Sub-specialties are canine and equine.
Surgery (American College of Veterinary Surgeons, ACVS): A surgeon is certified in either small animal or large animal surgery. Within that, many focus on orthopedics, soft tissue surgery or neurosurgery, but the focus does not limit them to it.
Theriogenology (American College of Theriogenologists, ACT): Animal reproduction.
Toxicology (American Board of Veterinary Toxicology, ABVT): Poisons and toxic products and how they harm the body.
Veterinary practitioners (American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, ABVP): Board certification for vets in clinical practice, by species or practice area. The 12 categories are canine and feline, feline, equine, avian, reptile and amphibian, exotic companion mammal, fish (provisional since March 2023), food animal, dairy, beef cattle, swine health management, and shelter medicine.
Zoological medicine (American College of Zoological Medicine, ACZM): Zoo animals, free-living wildlife, aquatic animals and zoological companion animals. The four sub-specialties are aquatic animal medicine, zoo animal medicine, zoological companion animal medicine and wildlife population health.
Working With a Veterinary Specialist
If you want to see a specialist, you don't strictly need a referral to book one, but ACVIM notes that going through your primary vet first often helps: they send the history and test results, and they know which specialist fits the problem.
During the referral, the specialist takes over the referred condition. Once that work is done, your primary vet picks up your pet's care again. Clear communication between you, your vet and the specialist keeps that handover smooth, so ask who to call with questions at each stage.
And because "specialist" should mean board certification, it is fair to ask which college certified the vet you're seeing.
How to Choose a Veterinary Specialty
Choosing the right direction can be difficult, and for most vets it starts with the animal species you want to work with. A love of horses points toward equine practice or large animal surgery; a pull toward wildlife points toward zoological medicine.
Pay also varies by specialty, region and practice type. If money is a major factor, check the AVMA's current economic reports rather than older salary figures. If it isn't, imagine yourself doing each of these jobs day to day and see what feels right.
Vet techs have their own path: NAVTA recognizes 16 veterinary technician specialties (VTS). Read more in our guide to veterinary technician specialties.
If you want to know more about veterinary medicine, read our blog.
Sources
- AVMA: Veterinary specialties
- AAHA: 2025 AAHA Referral Guidelines, Introduction, Definitions and Recognized Veterinary Specialties
- West Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine: The American Board of Veterinary Specialties list
- ACVIM: Veterinary Specialists, A Quick Guide for Pet Owners
- VetSpecialists.com (ACVIM): What is a Veterinary Specialist?
- ACVS: Pathway to Certification
- ABVP: Become a Specialist
- VIRMP: Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program
- NAVTA: Veterinary Technician Specialties
