According to the AVMA, a Veterinary Specialist is a veterinarian who has completed additional training beyond veterinary school. He/she focuses on a specific area of veterinary medicine and has passed a board examination that evaluates their knowledge and skills in that specialty area.
The Specialist’s expertise complements that of your veterinarian. You may be referred to a veterinary specialist if diagnosing or treating your pet’s health problem requires specialized equipment and/or expertise that your primary care veterinary hospital does not have.
