On March 12, 2006, the Academy for Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians (AIMVT) received provisional recognition from the Committee of Veterinary Technician Specialties at the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) to become the industry’s fourth veterinary technician specialty group.

The Academy of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Technicians is the first group to complete its 10-year provisional certification and is now formally recognized by NAVTA.

“As the profession continues to advance with services, [technician specialties] show or recognize accomplishments within a certain field,” said Linda Merrill, LVT, executive director of AIMVT. “This is such a new idea, but as the profession as a whole continues to advance with services and higher quality, technicians will also continue to improve.”

The AIMVT is the first and only technician specialty that is organized as an umbrella group, Merrill explained. It will comprise professionals who specialize in preventative medicine, non-surgical internal medicine diseases in small and large animals, complex, acute and chronic disease states, cardiology and oncology. Neurology is not included at this time, but will be down the line, Merrill said.

The AIMVT is aligned with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and will host its first exams during the ACVIM meeting in 2008. Applicants must pass a general internal medicine exam and a second test that is specific to their subspecialty. From October 2006-2007, technicians will gather their case logs and can submit applications for membership in November. Members must have at least three years in the field while charter members must have seven years with 75 percent of their time dedicated to the specialty, Merrill explained. Merrill and a group of other organizers announced their intention to create the technician specialty at the ACVIM conference in 2004.