Certification
BECOME AN ACEPM® DIPLOMATE
Certification
Certification is awarded to veterinarians who have earned 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.
​
Diplomates are strongly encouraged to offer a residency program under ACEPM® guidelines.
A candidate needs 100 points, these points can be earned by:
ALL TOPICS MUST BE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO EXOTIC PET/ANIMAL MEDICINE
-
A PhD, or University Master, or National Specialization, or GP/AP Certificate, or some postgraduate education (10) per degree or certificate (Max 30)
-
A Residency in exotics (avian, exotic small mammal or herptiles) (30)
-
Original peer-reviewed scientific article (main author 10, co-author 3) (Max 50)
-
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)
-
Published books (10) and Book chapter (main author 5, co-author 3) (Max 30)
-
Teacher or Faculty member at Universities (10 per year) (Max 30)
-
Teaching Courses to other veterinarians (5 per lecture) (Max 30)
-
Having been speaking at International conferences (3 per presentation) (Max 20)
-
Applicants have to be active in the scientific community demonstrating to have participated in at least FIVE International conferences.
-
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:
-
​Completed application form
-
Letter of intent expressing the applicant’s interest in becoming board certified by ACEPM® and evidence of their contribution to the field of exotic pet medicine
-
Detailed resume including: education, clinical experience, additional training, teaching and lecture experience, research experience, and publications
-
Application fee
-
Recommendation/reference letter from an ACEPM® member or a Diplomate in another specialty
Maintenance of Certification (MOC)
Diplomates are required to maintain their ACEPM® Diplomate status every 10 years through maintenance of certification.
-
An ACEPM® Diplomate is not required to sit for the exam again.
-
Instead, credentials are maintained by accrual of points earned from participation in clinical and non-clinical professional activities.
-
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:
-
Name
-
Institution
-
Described caseload
-
Available mentorship
-
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.)
