Training Veterinary Specialist

Training Veterinary Specialist

The training as a veterinary specialist is matter of the “Länder”: Any of the 17 veterinary chambers assigns its own veterinary specialist, additional and sub-specialization titles according to their further education regulation. The Lower Saxony veterinary chamber offers 32 veterinary specialists (FTAs) and 18 additional titles. They all have in common that further education cannot be started until the approval as veterinarian and the registration at the respective veterinary chamber.

After completing their vocational training, further education offers the possibility to learn special knowledge and skills that entitle the veterinarians to use further titles beside the occupational title. The specialization also facilitates quality assurance in veterinary practice.

Further education as FTA usually takes four years. The contents of the respective further education are regulated in performance catalogues. Thus, the veterinary specialist for small animals, for example, has to carry out at least 30 ultrasound examinations. Additionally, there is a prescribed number of case reports. Furthermore, a dissertation and a publication or alternatively three publications must be proven. Participation at subject-related advanced training courses is also mandatory. A PhD study can be counted as training time.

On completion of the further education, a test of at least 30 minutes is carried out by an audit committee of the veterinary chamber. The annual further education obligation for veterinarians is increased to 30 hours per year of which at least 15 hours must be attended in the respective field. Veterinarians who are authorized to carry out further education must have the respective FTA and must undertake further training of 40 hours per year, 20 of them in the field of the authorization.