ACZM Reference Letters

Pay Fees

ACZM Experiential Mentor Form

ACZM Publication Criteria

ACZM Exam Reading List 2024

Exam Changes Starting in 2025

Request for Special Accommodations

JTA 2024 Qualifying Report - Executive Summary

JTA 2024 Certifying Report - Executive Summary

Studying for the Exam?

ACZM Application Materials

Credentials Information for ACZM Board Eligibility

The following requirements must be met to the satisfaction of the Credentials Committee before a candidate is eligible to take the board examination in zoological medicine:

• Be a graduate of a college or school of veterinary medicine accredited or approved by the AVMA, or possess an Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) certificate, or be legally qualified to practice veterinary medicine in some state, province, territory, or possession of the United States or Canada, or some other country.
• Have a satisfactory moral and ethical standing in the profession of veterinary medicine. 
• Members must be licensed to practice veterinary medicine in a country, state or province
• Be first author on at least three (3) publications relevant to the field of zoological medicine in refereed journals, no more than two (2) of which are case reports. The remaining publication is to be an original investigation. The publications must be accepted for publication prior to the deadline for applying for certification.
  • Publications that are not acceptable include book chapters, review articles or "what's your diagnosis?" type publications
  • If a candidate is not sure if their publications are acceptable based upon relevance to zoological medicine they can email the Credentials Committee for clarification.
    
• Additionally, one of the following routes of professional training is necessary for candidate eligibility:
  • ACZM Compliant Training Program - Complete three (3) years of professional training in zoological medicine (100%), subsequent to graduation from veterinary school, in an ACZM-approved training program supervised by (a) Diplomate(s) of the ACZM
  • Experiential Route - Complete six (6) years of professional training/experience in zoological medicine 100% (or equivalent, e.g., 12 years at 50%) subsequent to graduation from veterinary school and have formally identified two (2) ACZM Diplomates that are willing to serve as mentors by September 1 the year before sitting for the exam. Candidates and mentors must submit letters acknowledging acceptance and plans to formally engage in a mentor-mentee relationship for the purposes of supporting experiential candidates through the credentialing and examination process to the ACZM Secretary by September 1 the year before sitting for the exam.
    
    

Experiential Pathway ACZM Advisorship

The advisor is a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine who is formally named for one or more candidates for the ACZM, and who supervises the candidate/s following the alternate pathway for credentialing in completion of the requirements for successful application and credentialing for the certification examination of the ACZM.

 
For more information about ACZM advisorship, see ACZM Advisorship Guidelines.

For ACZM Diplomates in your vicinity, see the ACZM Roster.

If you need assistance finding an ACZM Advisor, please contact the ACZM Secretary.

American College of Zoological Medicine (ACZM) Certification Examination

The American College of Zoological Medicine Qualifying and Certifying Examinations will be administered within the period of October 17-21. The examination will be administered virtually, at the candidate's home location (or location of choice), using the web-based testing application called Exam-Soft. More information will be provided to 2024 candidates after the credentialing process has been completed.

The ACZM Day 1 Qualifying Examination began utilizing a compensatory scoring model in 2019.  An examinee's score is determined utilizing an aggregate mean score from all 5 sections combined. The passing score (a.k.a. “cut score”) for the Day 1 Qualifying Examination is set annually through a standard setting process. A panel of subject matter experts (Diplomates of the ACZM), who are independent from the examination committee, evaluates all exam content and difficulty.  The ACZM partners with Veterinary Specialty Exams, LLC to oversee this standard setting process, which validates the examination and determines the cut score needed to pass.  Utilizing this standardized process improves consistency of the examination from year to year, and ensures that we are appropriately evaluating the knowledge required to be an ACZM Diplomate.

Job Task Analysis as It Relates to Future ACZM Examinations

Maintenance of Certification (MOC)

Diplomates that credential after 2016 are required to maintain ACZM Diplomate status every 10 years through maintenance of certification. 

• Diplomates are not required to sit 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, editorialships, participation in peer-review, attendance at continuing education, presentation or leadership at conferences, obtaining additional board certifications, writing questions for the ACZM exam and serving the college in leadership positions.