Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Veterinary Specialists
Although all veterinarians graduate from veterinary school with the
same degree, some decide that they want to become more highly
trained in a particular discipline and attain board certification.
Currently there are 36 specialties in which a veterinarian can become
board certified. About 11.5 percent of the approximately 65,000 vet-
erinarians in the United States are board certified.
What Is a Feline Practice?
Veterinarians have the option of working on one or many species.
Regular small-animal and mixed-animal practices are able to capably
handle feline patients, but with the increasing popularity of cats as pets,
many veterinarians are dedicating their practices strictly to felines. Any
veterinarian can become a feline practitioner simply by treating only
cats, so if you want to differentiate among veterinarians, you may want
to check other credentials.
If you are interested in a feline-only practice, it's a good idea to con-
tact the veterinarian and investigate what makes that practice special. A
veterinarian can affiliate with three different organizations related to
feline medicine.They are:
•
American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP)
•
Fellow Membership of the AAFP
•
American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP)
Any veterinarian can affiliate with the AAFP and receive current
information on feline care through their newsletters and conferences.
The Fellow Membership is a subgroup within the AAFP comprised of
veterinarians who have completed certain amounts of continuing edu-
cation and have belonged to the AAFP for three or more years. Fellows
are given the opportunity for even higher levels of continuing educa-
tion in feline care and are involved with research grants and feline prac-
tice guidelines.
If a veterinarian truly wants to call herself a “feline practice special-
ist,” the only way to achieve this status is by becoming board certified
through the ABVP. Becoming board certified requires a lot of work and
dedication, and I think it shows the optimal commitment to feline
medicine.
