AIMVT Application Process

Thank you for your interest in specialty credentialing in veterinary internal medicine.  A primary purpose of AIMVT is to provide the “opportunity for the veterinary technician to demonstrate superior knowledge in the care and management of cases within the selected discipline of the specialty of Internal Medicine when credentialed as a VTS (Internal Medicine)”. (AIMVT constitution, Article 2)

Eligibility requirements for examination are detailed in the AIMVT constitution and bylaws and although meticulous and comprehensive, they are intended to assure the public and the profession that technicians certified by AIMVT are truly qualified and deserving.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Read the AIMVT bylaws, which explain examination requirements, on pages 3 & 4.  These sections will clarify the required work experience, time periods, and letters of recommendation.  Applicable sections from the AIMVT bylaws are included in these instructions in italics.

Complete each step delineated on the AIMVT Checklist that correspond in numerical order with these instructions.  Your application packet must be assembled following the Checklist’s order.   Include all of the following items in your application packet:  

  1. Photocopy of your diploma or current certificate from your state’s credentialing agency.  Proof of year of graduation and/or first year of credentialing should be evident from these documents.  If not, please provide additional proof of length of time since graduation and/or credentialing  (AIMVT Bylaws: Article 2, Section 3A)

  2. Sign the Waiver, Release and Indemnity Agreement Form.
  3. Complete the Professional History and Employment Form and include in your application packet.  Minimum work experience is at least 3 years and 6,000 hours in Internal Medicine.  This experience must be completed within five years prior to application. You must spend 75% (at least 4,500 hours) of your time in your area of specialization in Internal Medicine.  Use a separate sheet to continue with any additional qualifying employment data, using the same format. Further verification may be required in the form of pay stubs or a letter from your employer(s).  (AIMVT Bylaws: Article 3, Section 1-2)

  4. Complete the Internal Medicine Continuing Education Form (this form must be used, no substitutions please). The content of qualifying Continuing Education must meet the definition of Internal Medicine.  70% of the continuing education must be in the sub specialty of application; up to 30% of the continuing education may be in general internal medicine topics.  Photocopies of attendance certificates must be included in your application packet.  A detailed listing is required; CE may not be listed by conference.  (i.e. can not list ACVIM 20 hours on the form, actual lecture titles must be included)  CE attended before graduation from an AVMA accredited program or before credentialing by a state will not qualify.  All CE must be completed within the last five years immediately prior to the application submission deadline.  CE must meet RACE (Registry of Approved Continuing Education) certification requirements or its equivalent (as determined by the AIMVT Credentialing committee).  A minimum of 40 hours of CE is required.  Use additional sheets as necessary.  Further verification of CE attendance such as receipts or proceedings may be required. (AIMVT Bylaws: Article 3, Section 1a, AIMVT Bylaws: Article 3, Section 3) 

  5. Complete the Advanced Veterinary Internal Medicine Technician Skills Form and Knowledge Form in your specialty. Provide documentary evidence of advanced competence in the selected area of specialization of internal medicine through clinical experience, as demonstrated by completion of the Advanced Veterinary Internal Medicine Technician skill form. You will also need to cross reference these skills on your case logs. You are not required to reference every skill in your case logs, but you are encouraged to do so. AIMVT candidates must demonstrate mastery of 80% of the skills for the application packet. Mastery is defined as "consistently being able to perform with great skill and/or knowledge without being coached or directed". Each skill should be verified and signed by the DVM or VTS who is the most qualified to verify the skill. In order of preference - Diplomate or VTS in ANY specialty of ACVIM or AIMVT, Diplomate or VTS in Anesthesia or Emergency & Critical Care, or a Diplomate in Practice or Surgery. If none of these Diplomates or VTS is available the Academy will accept verification by a licensed DVM with a letter from them stating that no Diplomate or VTS is easily available for the candidate to utilize. (AIMVT Bylaws: Article 3, Section 4A)
  6. Case log:  The Case Logs should include cases from October 1st of the preceding year through September 30th of the year of application. The AIMVT case log form format must be utilized.  The case logs should be typed for ease of reading.  Brevity is required so please only include information pertinent to the case.  A minimum of fifty cases must be recorded.  Cases may be rejected; therefore applicants are encouraged to submit more than 50 cases, with a maximum number of 75 cases.  Submit your Case Log in sequential pages, oldest to newest, numerated at the bottom of the page.  Multiple visits by the same patient count as only 1 case unless presented for an entirely new problem.  They can be utilized to demonstrate advanced nursing skills but they will not count towards your total case count after the initial entry.  Cases selected for inclusion in the log should reflect management of cases in the area of sub specialization of application.  Cases should also demonstrate your mastery of the advanced nursing skills and must be cross referenced in your skills log. Basic technician skills can be listed but advanced skills must also be represented for a case to qualify.  Every effort to document your advanced nursing skills should be reflected in your case selection.  You are encouraged to select cases that demonstrate more than one advanced skill.

    Diagnosis is the working, tentative, or differential diagnosis of the patient, not a problem list. 
    Outcome is intended to relay information on the case to the credentialing committee and should include your participation.  For example – acceptable – "discharged to client with instructions on (specific) home care".  Not acceptable – "discharged"
    Additional information on case variation and specialty overlap for small animal and cardiology case logs is found on the prerequisite page of the website.  
    One complete case log plus two additional photocopies should be included in your application packet along with a copy of the log on the CD Rom. (AIMVT Bylaws: Article 3, Section  4C)

  7. Select four Case Reports from your Case Log Form. 
    All Case Reports must be:

1.      Written in style of third person

2.      Word-processed

3.      Double-spaced

4.      Written in Times New Roman: Font size 12

5.      Formatted with 1.0” margins on 8 ½” x 11” paper

6.      Case reports cannot exceed 15,000 characters (with spaces) for the text.

7.      A minimum of 10,000 characters is recommended, a minimum of 9,000 is required. Microsoft Word: use word count; or WordPerfect: properties can be utilized to determine the character count. This character count does not include appendices. 

Case Reports should be carefully considered for the following:

·         Should reflect management of cases in the area of sub specialization of application.

·         Should demonstrate your mastery of advanced nursing skills and highlight your understanding of diagnostics, therapies, and pathophysiology in your area of specialization.

·         Should demonstrate an understanding of the case which includes detailed discussions of the disease process.  Including possible etiologies, diagnostics, procedures, treatments, goals of therapy, medications and the reason for their use, and alternative or suggested procedures or treatments.

·         Should demonstrate your mastery of the advanced nursing skills. Every effort to document a wide variety of your advanced nursing skills should be reflected in your case selection.  Basic technician skills do not need to be listed.

·         Should represent differing clinical disease processes. Please be thorough and describe diagnostics, case management, therapies, and pathophysiology.

·         Pharmaceuticals must use generic names and include frequency, dosage and amount administered.  For example – vincristine (Oncovin®) at 75 mg/m2 for a total dose of 0.56mls)

·         All abnormal laboratory or ancillary tests should be discussed, including their involvement in the elimination of differential diagnoses.

·         Appendices may include laboratory data, radiology reports, neurologic examination reports, ECGs, ultrasound reports, cytology reports, pathology reports, microbiology and serology reports and should be typed and dated (day 1, etc.). Sample laboratory report appendices are included in these instructions on page 7

·         A thorough patient history is encouraged, including vaccination, travel history, housing, diet, and for neonates include gestational history, gestational age, parturient history, and health of the dam.

·         Narrative should follow a problem oriented medical record.

·         Spelling and grammar must be flawless.

·         Abbreviations must be expanded at first mention and shown in parentheses.  A complete list of accepted abbreviations without expansion is available on the website.

·         All Case Reports must be the original work of the applicant and become the property of AIMVT. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.

·         Specific individual laboratory data appendices should be included in each word processing file. 

A Case Report Outline has been posted on the AIMVT website.   (AIMVT Bylaws: Article 3, 4D) 
  1. Write and submit three (3) Potential Examination Questions specific to your area of specialty or general internal medicine.  These questions will be reviewed and added to the AIMVT database for possible use on future examinations.  Each question must be:  1.  Advanced in nature.  2.  Multiple Choice in format with 4 possible answers, correct answer listed first.  3.  Referenced from one of the AIMVT Suggested Reading List texts (include page numbers)  (AIMVT Bylaws: Article 3, 4E) 

  2. Two letters of recommendation from a VTS (Internal Medicine) or a Diplomate of ACVIM.  Until sufficient VTS (Internal Medicine) are established, recommendations will be accepted from individuals credentialed as VTS (Anesthesia), VTS (Emergency & Critical Care) and Diplomats in Anesthesia, Emergency & Critical Care, Practice, or Surgery.  Letters of recommendation are submitted directly by the letter writers and are due by September 1st of the application year.  (AIMVT Bylaws: Article 3, 4F) 
  3. One (1) complete application packet must be submitted and bound in a 1-inch, 3-ring binder.  Also submit two (2) photocopied additional sets of the case logs and case reports, and staple the two sets individually and one (1) CD Rom of the case reports, case logs and all other forms and documents that are in computer format.  Scanning in of the entire application is encouraged but not required  (You will submit one 3-ring binder with everything included, 1 CD Rom, and 2 stapled sets of case logs/case reports to be distributed to the reviewing organizing committee members.)  Please do not place in plastic sheet protectors or other binding methods.  The applicant is encouraged to retain an additional copy.  All applications become the property of AIMVT.  CD-R must be labeled with your name.
  4. Include the application fee of $50, by check or money order, payable to AIMVT and submitted to the address to be announced on the website prior to the deadline.


All applications must be received by AIMVT no later than October 1, 2010. Material arriving after this date will not be accepted.  You are encouraged to use delivery confirmation (i.e., guaranteed delivery with tracking number, certified delivery with tracking number, etc).  If also requiring a signature for delivery please submit the application one week early.  Retain all receipts for guaranteed delivery in the event your package does not arrive as scheduled. AIMVT is not responsible for late, lost, misdirected or otherwise delayed delivery.  AIMVT will not accept any packages after the above deadline for any reason except where proof of package delivery can be provided.   Applicants that do not meet the basic requirements will be denied and their applications will not be fully reviewed.  Rejected applications are subject to appeal.  Appeals must be requested in writing to the AIMVT Appeal Committee before the date given in the notification letter.  The AIMVT Appeals Committee is required to review and rule on appeal status within 60 days.  Decisions of the Appeals Committee are final. For successful applications the examination fee ($150.00) is due to AIMVT no later than February 1, 2011.  Applicants may request an examination fee refund if written notification is received at the AIMVT office by March 1, 2011. It is the responsibility of the applicant to insure that his or her application is complete.  The AIMVT Credentialing Committee is not responsible for incomplete applications.  Questions should be addressed to the Credentialing Chair:   Tracey Elmes, LVT, VTS (SAIM); 170 Perry St.; Putnam, CT 06260.  Tracy.Elmes@Tufts.edu