Vet Tech Specialties (VTS): All 16 Academies

There are 16 veterinary technician specialty academies recognized by NAVTA's Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties (CVTS): 11 with full recognition and 5 with provisional recognition. Each one runs its own application and exam, and passing it earns you the title Veterinary Technician Specialist, or VTS, in that field.

Below is every academy, what it covers, its official site and what the path to the letters really looks like. Still working toward your credential? Start with our guide to becoming a vet tech and come back when you're ready to go deeper.

What Is a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS)?

A VTS is a credentialed veterinary technician (or veterinary nurse) who has proven advanced knowledge and skills in one discipline and passed that discipline's academy exam. NAVTA describes the program as a way for techs to "attain a higher level of recognition for advanced knowledge and skills in specific disciplines."

How it works:

• NAVTA's CVTS sets the standards. It gives groups of specialists the criteria they must meet to become a recognized academy, and the CVTS itself is recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
• Each academy writes its own path. Experience hours, case logs, skills lists, continuing education (CE) and the exam are set by the academy, not by NAVTA.
• Only people certified by a CVTS-approved academy may use the VTS letters and logo. Some academies also offer a VNS (Veterinary Nurse Specialist) version of the logo.

An academy is not a school. You don't enroll in a course; you build the experience in your own job, document it, apply and sit the exam. Full and provisional academies both certify specialists; provisional ones are newer and still working toward full recognition under CVTS rules.

VTS vs board-certified veterinary specialist

A VTS is a technician credential. Board-certified veterinary specialists (Diplomates) are veterinarians certified through the AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organizations, which the AVMA counts at 22. The two often work side by side: many academies ask for a letter from a Diplomate in the field, and the ophthalmology academy meets alongside the veterinary ophthalmologists' college each year.

All 16 Vet Tech Specialty Academies at a Glance

Status as listed on NAVTA's approved academies page. Where the table says "VTS in" a field, we could not find the exact letters on the academy's own site, so check with the academy before you print them on a badge.

The 11 Fully Recognized Academies

Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians (AVECCT)

For techs who work in emergency rooms and ICUs. NAVTA says the academy certifies that its specialists can work effectively in a well-equipped, well-staffed emergency or critical care facility. NAVTA granted it provisional recognition in January 1996, and it held its first exam in 1998. The exam runs each year at the International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium. Its own site now uses the name AVECCTN.

Credential: VTS (ECC)

Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians (AVDT)

Animal dentistry, from cleanings and charting to intraoral radiographs. Candidates work through a two-year mentorship program, log at least 50 dentistry cases, write five case reports and submit a full set of intraoral radiographs of a dog and a cat. The exam has three parts.

Credential: VTS (Dentistry)

Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians (AIMVT)

The academy with the most tracks. Its site lists Small Animal Internal Medicine, Large Animal Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Oncology and Neurology, each with its own requirements on top of a shared core. A good fit if you work in a referral internal medicine, cardiology, oncology or neurology service.

Credential: VTS in internal medicine, by track

Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Anesthesia and Analgesia (AVTAA)

Anesthesia and pain management before, during and after a procedure. NAVTA describes its focus as patient safety, consumer protection and excellence in anesthesia care. Most of your case logs and all of your case reports must come from higher-risk patients (ASA III or above), so this one suits techs who already run anesthesia on complicated cases.

Credential: VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia)

Academy of Veterinary Zoological Medicine Technicians (AVZMT)

Created for veterinary technicians working in zoological medicine, so zoo technicians can show excellence in the field. It uses a two-part application.

Credential: VTS in zoological medicine

Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Clinical Practice (AVTCP)

The specialty for great general practice techs. It is modeled after the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners and was the ninth recognized VTS. Categories are by species: Small Animal (Canine/Feline, or Feline), Exotic Companion Animal, and Production Medicine. Candidates show expertise across several clinical disciplines within their species.

Credential: VTS in clinical practice, by category

Academy of Veterinary Clinical Pathology Technicians (AVCPT)

For techs who made laboratory testing their career, from collecting the sample to reporting the result. A natural path if you live in the hospital or reference lab.

Credential: VTS (Clinical Pathology)

Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians (AVNT)

Veterinary nutrition, for healthy and sick patients alike. NAVTA says the academy shows the expertise of technicians as a vital part of the veterinary nutrition team.

Credential: VTS in nutrition

Academy of Veterinary Surgical Technicians (AVST)

For experienced surgical techs who manage surgical cases, instruments and the surgical suite. NAVTA says AVST gives technicians a standardized route to qualify for a national exam to become a VTS (Surgery).

Credential: VTS (Surgery)

Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians (AVBT)

Behavior health, problem prevention, training, management and behavior modification, using science-based, humane methods. Most of the required cases must be intervention cases that need a veterinarian's diagnosis, and the exam runs every other year, in even years.

Credential: VTS (Behavior)

Academy of Equine Veterinary Nursing Technicians (AEVNT)

Nursing care for horses. Members of the American Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians created the academy in 2009 so that equine techs with a nursing focus could be recognized as specialists. If your practice can't offer every required skill, the academy's FAQ says you can gain some experience at another facility.

Credential: VTS-EVN

The 5 Provisionally Recognized Academies

Academy of Laboratory Animal Veterinary Technicians and Nurses (ALAVTN)

Animal welfare and medical care for animals in research and laboratory settings. Besides a current RVT, CVT, LVT, LMVT or RVN credential, it asks for active membership in AALAS (the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science).

Credential: Veterinary Technician/Nurse Specialist-LAM

Academy of Veterinary Ophthalmic Technicians (AVOT)

Eyes: ocular health, diagnostics and practice standards in ophthalmology. The academy works under the guidance of NAVTA and the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) and holds its annual meeting at the ACVO conference.

Credential: VTS (Ophthalmology)

Academy of Dermatology Veterinary Technicians (ADVT)

Skin and ears. The academy covers advanced dermatologic procedures and works with the veterinary team and the client toward better patient care. NAVTA announced its provisional recognition in 2015.

Credential: VTS in dermatology

Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Diagnostic Imaging (AVTDI)

Imaging beyond everyday radiographs: digital radiography, fluoroscopic special procedures, CT, MRI, ultrasound and nuclear medicine. Applicants send a pre-application, then a final application. The exam does not run every year, so check the site for the next cycle before you start logging.

Credential: VTS (DI)

Academy of Physical Rehabilitation Veterinary Technicians (APRVT)

Physical rehabilitation and sports medicine, with the goal of improving animals' quality of life. Established in 2014, it judges candidates against an essential skills list it reviews from time to time.

Credential: VTS (Physical Rehabilitation), or VTS (Physical Rehab)

How to Earn a VTS

Every academy sets its own requirements and updates them between cycles, so its current candidate handbook is the only rulebook that counts. Still, nearly every path has the same shape:

1. Get credentialed first. Pass the VTNE and hold a current RVT, LVT, CVT or LVMT credential where you work. AVECCT, for one, wants proof of licensure for every year of your experience.
2. Build years of hands-on experience in the field. Expect at least three years and several thousand hours, most of them in the specialty itself, usually counted within the last five years.
3. Log your cases. A case log is a list of patients you cared for that shows your skills and involvement. Many academies want around 50.
4. Write case reports. These are detailed write-ups of a few complex cases, often four or five, in a strict format.
5. Master the skills list. A veterinarian or a VTS in the field signs off each skill, sometimes with photos or video.
6. Earn specialty CE. Typically 40 hours or more, most of it in the specialty.
7. Collect letters of recommendation. Usually two, often from a VTS or a Diplomate in that specialty.
8. Apply, then pass the exam. Many academies use a two-step application (a pre-application, then the full packet), and only accepted candidates sit the exam. Some, such as AVECCT and APRVT, also run recertification.

What five academies ask for

Requirements change; check each academy's current candidate handbook.

These numbers move. AVECCT raised its minimum from 6,000 to 8,000 hours and its CE from 25 to 50 for its newest cycle, so read the current packet before you plan your year.

Tips that save a cycle:

• Ask early whether your academy offers a mentor. AVDT builds a two-year mentorship into its path, and a second pair of eyes on your packet costs you nothing.
• Start your case log on day one of your counting window. Rebuilding a year of cases from memory is miserable.
• Check whether your skills must be performed at your own workplace (AVTAA requires it) and who may sign them off.

How to Choose Your Specialty

Start with the work you already do most. Every academy counts hours in the specialty itself, so the field you spend your shifts in is the one you can qualify for soonest. An ER tech is already banking ECC hours every shift; a GP tech who loves a bit of everything may be better served by Clinical Practice than by forcing a niche.

Then think about where you want to be in five years. Referral hospitals, universities, research facilities and zoos all have specialty roles, and our guide to what vet techs do shows how wide the job already is. Finally, ask a VTS in that field what their application year was really like. Most will tell you.

Does a VTS Pay More?

There is no official figure. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports pay for veterinary technologists and technicians as one group and doesn't break out specialists, and we found no NAVTA data comparing VTS pay with other credentialed techs. The equine academy's own FAQ puts it modestly: "there may be a chance of monetary increase." Treat any exact percentage you see online with suspicion unless it names its source.

What a VTS reliably gives you is recognition and a stronger case when you negotiate. The raise is a conversation you'll still have to start.

FAQ

How long does it take to become a veterinary technician specialist?

Plan on at least three years of credentialed experience in the specialty before you apply, plus an application year and the exam. Some academies, like AVDT, build in a two-year mentorship program.

Is a VTS the same as a vet tech degree?

No. A degree from an accredited program, then the VTNE and a state credential, makes you a credentialed vet tech. A VTS comes years later, through an academy, after you've built experience in one field.

Can I put VTS after my name once I pass?

Yes, once the academy certifies you. Some academies also run recertification, so check what yours asks to keep the letters.

Earning a VTS takes years of logging, writing and studying, so when a colleague passes, celebrate it properly. Our vet tech gifts are a good place to start. And if you're still choosing where to train, read our roundup of accredited vet tech programs and schools in the US.

Sources

• NAVTA: List of Approved Academies
• NAVTA: Veterinary Technician Specialties
• NAVTA: VTS Credentials
• AVMA: Veterinary specialties
• AVECCTN: Application Information and History
• AVTAA: Credential Requirement FAQ
• AVDT: Credentialing Guidelines
• AIMVT: Core Requirements
• AVTCP: Home
• AVBT: How to Become a Specialist
• AVCPT: Home
• AVNT: Home
• AEVNT: Frequently Asked Questions
• AVZMT: Academy page
• ALAVTN: Home
• AVOT: Home
• ADVT: Home
• AVTDI: Home
• APRVT: Home
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Veterinary Technologists and Technicians, Occupational Outlook Handbook