The Examination Committee, under the direction of the ACVR Executive Council, is responsible for formulating and administering the examination annually to candidates determined to be qualified by the ACVR Executive Council. The examination committee consists of a Chairperson, Assistant Chair, and 8 members. The Assistant Chair and 2 new members are appointed annually by the President with approval by the Executive Council. The committee members are appointed for 4 year terms. The Assistant Chair is selected from one of the two outgoing members and will become the Chair the following year. Supplemental examiners, consisting of previous examination committee members, may be appointed as needed. The examination is designed to establish minimum levels of competence in veterinary radiology that candidates must attain to be recognized as diplomates. The examination consists of Preliminary (written) and Certifying (oral) sections.
General Guidelines
The eligible candidate must have completed a training program supervised by an Active ACVR Diplomate by September 1st of the examination year. The residency program must be judged by Council as meeting ACVR residency program guidelines. If this program is an alternative program judged comparable by the Council, the program must have been submitted to Council for approval by September 1st of the year, 2 years in advance of the anticipated examination.
An eligible candidate must be a graduate of a School or College of Veterinary Medicine accredited or approved by the AVMA, or possess a certificate issued by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG), or is legally qualified to practice veterinary medicine in some state, province, territory, or possession of the United States, Canada, or other country.
A candidate must submit to the ACVR Executive Director a complete application form. This application will be reviewed and voted upon by the ACVR Council. A two-thirds affirmative vote by the Council is required for eligibility. Additional information clarifying the application may be requested by the Council.
The examination committee chairperson in conjunction with the members of the examination committee will be responsible for the formulation and administration of the examination.
The ACVR examination consists of two parts: a Preliminary (written) Examination and a Certifying (oral) Examination. A candidate must successfully complete the Preliminary Examination prior to being eligible to take the Certifying Examination.
The examination fees charged to the candidate will be determined annually by the Council.
Preliminary Examination
The Preliminary Examination is administered the week of Labor Day (September) each year in Chicago, Illinois.
The eligible candidate must have completed all formal course work relative to the subjects covered in the Preliminary Examination prior to taking the examination.
The examination will be composed of six separate sections, each dealing with one of the following areas:
- Special Procedures
- Physics of Diagnostic Imaging
- Anatomy
- Physiology / Pathophysiology
- Alternate Imaging (CT, MRI, Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound)
- Radiobiology
Currently the examination is given over a two (2)-day period, with three (3) sections covered each day. Two hours will be allotted for each section.
The minimum passing grade for each section of the examination will be 70%. To successfully complete the written portion of the certification examination, an examinee must pass each section of the examination.
The candidate will be informed of the examination results within 1 month after taking the examination by the Examination Committee Chairperson.
A candidate failing only one section may retake the failed section during one of the next two test periods (two year time limit). The candidate will be allowed one attempt to retake and pass the reexamination within the allowed period, then must retake the entire Preliminary Examination. Candidates who fail more than one section must retake the entire Preliminary Examination. It is the candidate's responsibility to contact the ACVR Executive Director for the re-application form. The appropriate fee must accompany the re-application. There is no time limit under current ACVR By-Laws for retaking all six sections of the Preliminary Examination.
Certifying Examination
The Certifying Examination will held the week of Labor Day (September), in Chicago, Illinois.
Only those candidates who have successfully completed the Preliminary Examination are eligible to take the Certifying Examination.
The examination will be composed of 6 sections.
- Thorax
- Abdomen
- Musculoskeletal
- CT/MRI
- Diagnostic Ultrasound
- Special Procedures/Nuclear Medicine
Each examinee will be tested over a period of two (2) to four (4) days, depending on the number of candidates examined. Up to five (5) one and one-half-hour sections will be scheduled per day for the examination as a whole; however, no candidate will be assigned to take more than three (3) sections in any one day.
To successfully complete the Certifying Examination an examinee must pass each section of the examination with a minimum score of 70%.
The candidate will be informed of the examination results by the Examination Committee Chairperson within 24 hours of the end of the examination or by mail if the candidate so chooses.
A candidate failing only one section may retake the failed section during one of the next two test periods. The candidate will be allowed one attempt to retake and pass the section within the allowed period, then must retake the entire Certifying Examination. Candidates who fail more than one section must retake the entire Certifying Examination.