Veterinary medicine now offers many of the same areas of advanced medicine that are found in human health care. Some of these specialties include surgery, veterinary internal medicine, emergency and critical care, ophthalmology, radiology, dermatology and oncology.
A board certified veterinary specialist is a veterinarian who, after veterinary school, completes an internship and a minimum of two to three additional years of intense training in their area of specialty through completion of an approved residency training program. During the residency the veterinarian is supervised by approved mentors who are board-certified Diplomates of the specialty and who have completed the program themselves. Residency candidates must meet large case load requirements, demonstrate proficiency in performing specific procedures and publish a research paper in a recognized scientific journal. Once successfully completing their residency program, the candidate must pass a rigorous examination given by the specialty college. After passing the examination, the veterinarian is considered a boarded Diplomate of that specialty and, only then, may be called a veterinary “specialist.”
As a specialty hospital, SOVSC has board-certified veterinary specialists in the areas of Surgery, Emergency and Critical Care, Internal Medicine and Dermatology.
Does your patient need to see a specialist?
Common scenarios for referral may include:
- For a second opinion
- For advanced surgical procedures
- For advanced medical treatment such as chemotherapy or for other serious medical conditions
- For access to state-of-the art equipment such as laser, CT or ventilator support
- For medical diagnostics such as intradermal allergy testing, ultrasound or endoscopy
- For 24-hour emergency care or advanced critical care monitoring