Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) / American Veterinary
Medical Association (AVMA)
Accreditation Recognition
At its July 2006 meeting, the Council of the CVMA approved recognition
of the accreditation process of the AVMA Committee on Veterinary
Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) as being equivalent
to the process of the CVMA’s Animal Health Technologist/Veterinary
Technician Program Accreditation Committee (AHTVTPAC).
The AVMA Executive also made a corresponding decision. This mutual
recognition will allow graduates of CVMA-accredited programs to
be eligible to apply for registration in the USA, and graduates
of AVMA-accredited programs will be eligible to apply to provincial
AHT/VT associations in Canada. In addition, Canadian graduates will
have access to baccalaureate options in the USA that are not available
in Canada.
The foregoing action recognizes the increasing integration of veterinary
medicine in North America, and the high quality of the accreditation
processes of the CVMA and the AVMA. Moreover, we will each have
a representative on the other’s accreditation committee, which
will help to ensure that our standards continue to be equivalent
for the purpose of maintaining reciprocity.
There has been a tremendous cooperative effort between the CVMA
and the AVMA in reaching this milestone. With this new relationship
formally established the next set of steps have been taken toward
the goal of individual technologists qualifying for membership in
the Provincial or State Technical Association of their choice, recognizing
that technicians may change Provinces and States at various times
during their careers.
To facilitate both US and Canada applications and qualifications
for membership in a technical association, by-law and policy infrastructure
must be developed and adopted.
While AHT/RVT’s are eligible to apply for membership in the
Province or State of their choice; at this time it does not necessarily
mean automatic membership. While the provincial associations that
are members of CAAHTT have reciprocity within its membership base
(see Movement of CAAHTT Members),
most associations have specific rules in their by-laws or policies
regarding ‘foreign’ grads or in this instance, graduates
of AVMA accredited programs. As the CVMA/AVMA Accreditation agreement
was released, the provincial associations are reviewing their by-laws
and membership policies with regards to AVMA graduates. Most associations
employ the ICAS system (International Credential and Assessment
Service) for foreign graduates. This system enables applicants to
be filtered efficiently without bias.
On the U.S. side, CAAHTT is undertaking a campaign to the Veterinary
State Medical Boards to ask them to include CVMA graduates as a
part of their membership criteria. While the AVMA has suggested
to the State Medical Boards to consider the above recommendation,
we expect that it will require some time for each state technical
association to alter their membership bylaws and policies to reflect
the CVMA/AVMA decision on accreditation recognition. The American
Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) is aware of the accreditation
decision and is making similar recommendations to the veterinary
state boards.
Letters were sent to all 51 state boards asking that their Veterinary
Medical State Board recognize Canadian technicians as meeting the
eligibility requirements for registration in their state. This letter
indicated that including Canadian technicians in their membership
By-Laws would simplify cross border movement of technicians, recognize
the increasing globalization of veterinary medicine and acknowledge
the parity of the AVMA and CVMA accreditation processes. The responses
to date have varied.
The following states have indicated that they will accept graduates
of a CVMA accredited veterinary technician program: Arizona, Maryland,
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
Four states have agreed to present it to their Boards: Idaho, North
Dakota, New Mexico and Washington.
Two states have indicated that they would review the requests on
a case-by-case basis: Indiana and Missouri.
Four states do not license or regulate veterinary technicians,
therefore you do not have to be a member to work in the following
states: Vermont, New Hampshire, Montana and Minnesota.
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