Reptile and Amphibian Practice

The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners is the species specialty certifying organization accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association. ABVP oversees board certification in ten species categories, including Reptiles & Amphibians. The Recognized Veterinary Specialty in Reptile & Amphibian Practice was granted provisional recognition by the AVMA in June 2009 and includes snakes, lizards, crocodilians, chelonians, tuataras, anurans, caudates, and caecilians. It does not include birds. Veterinarians who certify in this category become ABVP Diplomates, board certified in Reptile & Amphibian Practice. ABVP is now accepting applications for this specialty. Those interested in reptile/amphibian certification should be aware that it has special requirements in addition to the traditional certification process of ABVP's other practice categories.

Whether you are considering or actively pursuing ABVP certification in Reptile and Amphibian Practice, the documents found in the Certification section of the website will help explain what to do for pre-application, application, and examination. The Applicant Handbook in particular provides a wealth of information. It is ABVP's official guide to assisting veterinarians with board certification. Included are detailed instructions regarding application materials, recommendations for exam preparation, and much more. The Pre-applicant Program differs from other ABVP species categories, so please read the instructions as they apply to earning credentials for certification in Reptile and Amphibian Practice. Additional resources are also available in the Guides & Forms section of the website.

Should you have any additional questions about certification in Reptile and Amphibian Practice, please feel free to contact the ABVP office at 800.697.3583 or the Reptile and Amphibian Regent listed below.

Special Note for Reptile & Amphibian Pre-Applicants & Applicants:
ABVP’s Reptile and Amphibian specialty covers thousands of species and many subjects that are not included in the curriculum of veterinary medical school. Therefore, we require that the two written manuscripts address separate species and that pre-applicants earn their credentials under the guidance of an approved Advisor before submitting an application.

Special Note for Veterinarians Wishing to Certify in Reptile & Amphibian Practice as well as Avian Practice and/or Exotic Companion Mammal Practice:
ABVP realizes that some veterinarians will seek certification in more than one of these exotic animal specialty groups. The Specialty Examinations for all practice groups are scheduled during the same time on the same day and it is not possible for an applicant to sit for more than one Specialty Examination during the same year.

It is the applicant's responsibility to plan accordingly because ONLY ONE Specialty Examination can be taken in any one year. After your credentials are accepted and you are eligible to sit for a particular specialty examination, you then have three consecutive years to pass the examinations. Please be advised that if you overlap your Avian Practice, Exotic Companion Mammal Practice, and Reptile & Amphibian Practice applications, then you run the risk of not being able to sit for each examination the maximum number of three times. ABVP will not give an exemption to this requirement.

For current ABVP-Avian Diplomates who may be recertifying in Avian Practice in the near future and want to pursue certification in Reptile & Amphibian Practice, you may want to consider recertifying in Avian Practice using the non-examination route so overlap with the Reptile & Amphibian examination does not occur.

Special Note for Residents:
ABVP offers a concurrent residency pathway for those applicants who wish to obtain the necessary credentials to qualify for up to two practice categories at once. Although the residency may cover Reptiles & Amphibians together with Avian or Exotic Companion Mammals, the applicant must complete a SEPARATE application for each category. This will include one for Reptile & Amphibian Practice and one for either Exotic Companion Mammal or for Avian Practice. Each application is separate and distinct from the other (including fees).

Reptile & Amphibian Residency Program:
The Reptile and Amphibian residency must include training in natural history (general herpetology), husbandry, herpetoculture, internal medicine, surgery, anesthesiology, radiology & diagnostic imaging, endoscopy, ophthalmology, clinical and gross pathology, pharmacology, clinical nutrition, epidemiology, individual preventive medicine, population-based preventive medicine, and literature search/appraisal. The experience must include exposure to a wide variety of reptile and amphibian species.

A concurrent residency is to be a minimum of 36 months and must fulfill all the requirements of both species categories. For more information, see the Residency Program Guide.

 

Reptile & Amphibian Regent

Dr. Paul Gibbons

2100 W Silver Spring Dr.
Milwaukee, WI 53209
Office: 414.540.6710
Fax: 866.651.3087
Email: pmgibbons@gmail.com