A veterinarian who does not possess a CQ but holds certification in a field of specialty practice awarded by a certifying body (“college”) recognized by either the American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) or the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS) is eligible to apply for registration in the Specialty Private Practice class. A Specialty Private Practice registrant must restrict their scope of practice to their recognized area of specialty.
An applicant must provide proof of their specialty certification and their current good standing with their certifying body as part of their application for registration.
For more information about recognized specialty designations, please refer to the websites of the American Board of Veterinary Specialties and the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation.
NOTE: The Specialty Private Practice class of registration is intended to provide a path to registration and practice in BC to individuals who have recognized qualifications in their chosen field (demonstrated by the certification in that field), but who would otherwise not be eligible for registration because they do not have a Certificate of Qualification.
A veterinarian who is a specialist and has a CQ would be eligible for Private Practice registration and thus not required to restrict their scope of practice (though they may still choose to limit the scope of services they provide to their chosen field of specialization), or they may prefer to choose to register in the Specialty Private Practice class (in which case they would be required to restrict their scope of practice). Regardless of the class of registration chosen in this case, the veterinarian must still provide the necessary documentation to have their specialist status recognized by the CVBC in order to advertise themselves as a specialist to the BC public.
