ACVS Residency Program Documentation and Requirements

ACVS Residency Program Guidelines 2009-2010 (pdf format) - All residents beginning programs between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010 must follow these requirements. This PDF document contains the following information:

• Veterinary Surgery Residency Program
• Program Description
• Residency Program Overview Checklist
• Participation of the Diplomate
• Documentation of Training by the Resident
• Resident Training Log - web-based documentation program
• Program Director's Statement 
• Registration of Resident Advisor
• Large and Small Animal Curricula
• Approved Journals List

The Program Director's Statement and Registration of Resident Advisor can be downloaded separately as PDF files.  The PDF files contain form fields so the information can be typed easily.  Please complete and either mail or fax to ACVS.

Program Director's Statement - Form 1a (pdf) - must be sent to ACVS within 30 days of the start of the residency program or change in Program Director for an existing resident. 

Registration of Resident Advisor - Form 1b (pdf) - must be sent to ACVS within one calendar quarter of the start of the residency program or change in Resident Advisor for an existing resident

Summary of changes to the Guidelines in 2009:

1. The Program Director's Statement has been revised. Question 3 has been revised to reflect that only Specialty Service rotations can be performed in other than week blocks for all programs begin July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010.
2. The text regarding the internship requirement has been clarified.  It is the decision of training programs to decide if prior experience may be used in lieu of the one-year internship.
3. A “week” of training has been officially defined as a minimum of 5 days of training occurring during a 7-day period.  
   • Only training that occurs in week blocks can be counted toward the Special Rotation requirement of 31 weeks.
   • Specialty service rotations (Anesthesia, Radioloy, Internal Medicine/Critical Care, and Pathology) that take place as hours or days over time can no longer count toward the 31-week Special Rotation requirement.  These rotations can only count toward the 31 weeks if they take place in week-long blocks.
4. The Resident Credentialing Committee (RCC) will review no more than 60 weeks of a resident’s training during any given annual review by the RCC. 
5. Residents with more than 8 weeks of training prior to August 1 must submit that training for the annual RCC review.
6. The explanation of the seminar requirement has been expanded.  Seminars must promote exposure to a broad variety of surgically related subjects and allow the resident to gain experience giving a formal presentation followed by a discussion period in a public forum.
7. A Minimally Invasive Surgery category has been added to the Small Animal Curriculum.  Residents in small animal programs must now document 20 cases in the MIS category, with at least 15 of the cases being directly supervised by an ACVS Diplomate.
8. The Radiology specialty service requirement must consist of general diagnostic imaging. 

Surgery case lists have been revised for both Large and Small Animal programs.  View changes to the lists.