Certification
BECOME AN ACEPM DIPLOMATE
Certification
Certification is awarded to veterinarians who have earned board certification from the ACEPM by successfully completing a residency program, as well as meeting all of its requirements, including passing a final exam.
De Facto Diplomates
De facto diplomate certification is awarded to the founding members of the ACEPM for their efforts and proven accomplishments in this field. Application must be submitted and approved by December 31, 2027. To become a Diplomate through the de facto route there are two options:
An existing Diplomate of (ABVP, ACZM, ECZM, ANZCVS) may earn de facto status pending Board decision.
OR
A candidate must spend at least 90% of their time working at specialist level in Exotic Pet/Animal Medicine. Have demonstrated competence and a proven track record in the field of Exotic Pet Medicine, as well as having made a significant contribution to the field as clinicians, researchers and/or educators.
A candidate needs 100 points, these points can be earned by:
ALL TOPICS MUST BE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO EXOTIC PET/ANIMAL MEDICINE
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A PhD, or University Master, or National Specialization, or GP/AP Certificate, or some postgraduate education (10) per degree or certificate (Max 30)
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Original peer-reviewed scientific article (main author 10, co-author 3) (Max 50)
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Case reports do not count. Retrospective case studies may be acceptable depending on a sufficient number of cases (#6) and be published in a peer-reviewed journal. (main author 10, co-author 3) (Max 30)
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Published books (10) and Book chapter (main author 5, co-author 3) (Max 30)
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Teacher or Faculty member at Universities (10 per year) (Max 30)
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Teaching Courses to other veterinarians (5 per lecture) (Max 30)
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Having been speaking at International conferences (3 per presentation) (Max 20)
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Applicants have to be active in the scientific community demonstrating to have participated in at least FIVE International conferences.
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All of the above needs to be approved by the board and the board has the ultimate decision on final requirements.
De facto application must include:
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​Completed application form
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Letter of intent expressing the applicant’s interest in becoming certified by ACEPM and evidence of their contribution to the field of exotic pet medicine
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Detailed resume including: education, clinical experience, additional training, teaching and lecture experience, research experience, and publications
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Application fee
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Recommendation/reference letter from an ACEPM member
Maintenance of Certification (MOC)
Diplomates are required to maintain their ACEPM Diplomate status every 10 years through maintenance of certification.
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An ACEPM Diplomate is not required to sit for the exam again.
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Instead, credentials are maintained by accrual of points earned from participation in clinical and non-clinical professional activities.
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Professional activities that provide points include: publications, editorials, participation in peer-review, attendance at continuing education, presentation or leadership at conferences, serving the college in leadership positions, and sponsoring a resident.
Become a Mentor
Please email a letter of intent to info@acepm.org along with the following information:
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Name
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Institution
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Described caseload
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Available mentorship
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Please consider whether your current practice setting is able to support a residency program and/or your willingness to support a residency program in the absence of certain requirements (for example, if your hospital does not have a CAT scan machine on premises, or does not perform a high enough volume of endoscopic procedures, the resident would have to gain that required experience elsewhere.)
