The American College of Veterinary Radiology, which grants board certification to veterinarians who go on to specialize in radiology, was founded in 1961. The first certification examination was administered in 1965, with six veterinarians becoming board-certified. As of March 28th of this year, the United States had 401 board-certified “diplomates” in radiology. It also had 67 diplomates in radiation oncology, a designation developed in the early 1990s for those who specialize in the treatment of cancer with radiation therapy. Seventeen other diplomates held dual certification, for a total of 485.
To become board-certified in radiation or radiation oncology, a veterinarian must complete a one- to two-year internship and a multi-year residency under the supervision of someone who is already a diplomate. He or she then sits for an exam with both written and oral components (those taking the exam for radiation oncology complete a written portion only).
The College of Veterinary Radiology has four specialty societies, and you do not have to be a veterinarian to belong to any of them. Membership is open to anyone with a special interest in the field. The four societies are called the Veterinary Ultrasound Society, the CT/MRI Society, the Society of Veterinary Nuclear Medicine, and the Large Animal Diagnostic Imaging Society. For more information, or to locate a veterinary radiologist in your area, search acvr.org.
