The American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ACVAA) is one of 22 veterinary specialist organizations recognized by the

American Veterinary Medical Association The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is an American not-for-profit association founded in 1863 that represents more than 105,000 veterinarians. The AVMA provides information resources, continuing education opportunities, publicat ...

History

The American Society of Veterinary Anesthesiology (ASVA) was founded in 1970 during an AVMA conference in

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, Nevada. The founding officers were Drs. Charles E. Short, William V. Lumb, Donald C. Sawyer, Lawrence R. Soma, and Daniel Roberts, with Dr. Short serving as the first president. The society received approval from the AVMA the following year. In 1971, the ASVA appointed a committee headed by Dr. John Thurman to establish

anesthesiology Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative medicine, perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critica ...

as a formally recognized AVMA specialty. A proposal was prepared and submitted to the AVMA Council on Education in 1973; however, it was initially rejected, with the COE advising that anesthesiologists be incorporated into the existing internal medicine or surgery specialty colleges. However, two years later, the proposal was granted preliminary recognition, and the ASVA became the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia (ACVA). The first qualifying exam was held in 1976, and full AVMA accreditation was awarded in 1980. In 2012, recognizing the pivotal role of the specialty in treating pain in animals, the ACVA added "analgesia" to the name of the college, becoming the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ACVAA).

Membership

Members of the ACVAA are board-certified specialists in

veterinary anesthesia Veterinary anesthesia is a specialization in the veterinary medicine field dedicated to the proper administration of anesthetic agents to non-human animals to control their consciousness during procedures. A veterinarian or a Registered Veterinary T ...

and analgesia and may refer to themselves as Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (DACVAA). In order to become a diplomate,

veterinarians A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...

must have earned a

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded ...

(DVM) degree or equivalent, completed a 12 month postgraduate internship, completed training in an approved residency program (3 years minimum), and passed the ACVAA certifying exam. The certifying exam consists of separate multiple choice, essay, and clinical competency exams over a period of 2-3 days. Publication of original research is required for candidates to sit for the exam. , the AVMA reported 291 active ACVAA diplomates.

Function

The ACVAA serves as the only recognized organization in North America granting board certification in veterinary anesthesia and analgesia. Members of the ACVAA are sought for their expert opinion on matters related to

and analgesia. They may be employed in private or academic veterinary hospitals, research institutions, or in health-related industries. Veterinary anesthesiologists fill a wide variety of roles, from clinical practice to research and education in the field of veterinary anesthesia and pain management. The ACVAA occasionally publishes guidelines and position statements to promote

best practices A best practice is a method or technique that has been generally accepted as superior to alternatives because it tends to produce superior results. Best practices are used to achieve quality as an alternative to mandatory standards. Best practice ...

in veterinary anesthesia. ''Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia'' is the official scientific publication of the ACVAA, ECVAA, and the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists.

Executive officers

Residency programs

Most veterinary anesthesia residency programs are filled through the Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program. ACVAA-approved residency programs are registered at the following institutions: *

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a tota ...

Colorado State University Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University Syst ...

* Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine *

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public university, public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. ...

* Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine * Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine *

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

* Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine *

Mississippi State University Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, Un ...

Murdoch University Murdoch University is a public university in Perth, Western Australia, with campuses also in Singapore and Dubai. It began operations as the state's second university on 25 July 1973, and accepted its first undergraduate students in 1975. Its ...

* North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine *

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...

Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...

Royal Veterinary College The Royal Veterinary College (informally the RVC) is a veterinary school located in London and a member institution of the federal University of London. The RVC was founded in 1791 and joined the University of London in 1949. It is the oldest an ...

* Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine *

The University of Queensland The University of Queensland is a public research university located primarily in Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. Founded in 1909 by the Queensland parliament, UQ is one of the six sandstone universities, an i ...

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...

University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University ...

University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

University of Guelph The University of Guelph (abbreviated U of G) is a comprehensive Public university, public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College (1874), the MacDonald I ...

* University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine *

The University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state of Victoria. Its ...

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

* Université de Montréal Faculty of Veterinary Medicine *

University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, commonly referred to as Penn Vet, is the veterinary school of the University of Pennsylvania. Penn Vet is one of only two Ivy League veterinary schools in the United States. Establish ...

University of Prince Edward Island The University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) is a public university in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and the only university in the province. Founded in 1969, the enabling legislation is the ''University Act, R.S.P.E.I 2000.'' H ...

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

* Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine *

Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine The Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is the veterinary school and one of the ten colleges of Washington State University. Established in 1899, it is the sole veterinary school in the state of Washington and one of ...

* Western College of Veterinary Medicine

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://acvaa.org/
''Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia'' (journal)

American Board of Veterinary Specialties
Veterinary organizations