AVDC® COVID-19 RESPONSE

COVID-19 Pandemic Exceptions 2021

All Residents and Residents Credentialing July 15, 2021

ALL 2021 credentialing residents in full-time and part-time programs have until January 1, 2022 to finish acquiring required direct supervised and unsupervised clinical service time if their package is provisionally approved by the Credentials Committee. Please complete the Completion of Credentials Form (form CRED 511) located under resident forms on the website as soon as this requirement is met. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MUST RECEIVE THESE FORMS BY JANUARY 1, 2022 TO ENSURE ACCESS TO THE PHASE 1 EXAM. Provisionally approved residents who do not complete the requirement prior to January 1, 2022 will not be granted access to the Phase 1 examination.

A 2021 credentials package can receive provisional approval without all specialist in training (SIT) hours logged. If the credentials package is accepted provisionally by the Credentials Committee, the resident will have until January 1, 2022 to complete the SIT hours. Please complete the Completion of Credentials Form (form CRED 511) located under resident forms on the website as soon as this requirement is met. Send this form along with the completed Specialty Hour Form (CRED 500) to the Executive Director for processing. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MUST RECEIVE THESE FORMS BY JANUARY 1, 2022 TO ENSURE ACCESS TO THE PHASE 1 EXAM. Provisionally approved residents who do not complete the requirement prior to January 1, 2022 will not be granted access to the Phase 1 examination.

The pandemic cadaver program has been extended to December 31, 2021. The opportunity was retroactive to April 2020, so any cadaver work performed between April 2020 – December 31, 2021 will be considered under the pandemic cadaver program. ALL residents had the opportunity to add a significant amount of additional cadaver cases to their MRCL log. Form TSC 441 is no longer available for use as the logging deadline for those cases has expired. As of now, the current MRCL Cadaver Procedure form TSC442 should be used for all cadaver cases.

Former Pandemic Cadaver Guidelines:

Reminder that a MAXIMUM TOTAL of cadaver case numbers were allowed in MRCL for credential package submissions:

Small animal residents: Only a total of 30 cadaver cases can be in your MRCL log at time of credentialing.
Equine residents: The 30 pandemic cadaver cases are in addition to the already allowed cadaver cases. The pandemic cadaver cases CAN be used in the equine OS, OR1, and OR2 categories, but these cases must be performed on equine cadavers.
Dual track residents: The 30 pandemic cadaver cases are in addition to the already allowed cadaver cases. For categories with species-specific requirements, the case must be performed with the required species cadaveric specimen.

All pandemic cadaver cases must have been performed by December 31, 2021 and logged by January 31, 2022. Pandemic cadaver cases added after this time will not accepted. As pandemic cadaver cases are to replace an “in vivo” case, your mentor has the standard amount of time (1 year) to fill out the MRCL form, but it is recommended to complete them as soon as possible to reduce risk of complications or confusion later. Note: pandemic cadaver cases can be swapped out for standard cadaver cases at the time of credentialing if needed. (Example: A resident starting a residency January 1, 2021 does 30 pandemic cadaver cases all within OS2 and EN1. One month prior to credentialing in 2024, they still need an EN3 and a PR case. In order to finish the MRCL log, they can swap out two OS2 pandemic cadaver cases for an EN3 and a PR standard cadaver case. The deficiency left in the OS2 category can then be filled with in vivo cases done during the residency.) Please remember to use TSC 442 form to document the new case.

All cadaver documentation (whether pandemic or standard) are now treated as a “regular” MRCL patient case with respect to logging. All cases require an MRCL form, which your mentor needs to complete within 1 year for the procedure being performed.

SA-pandemic cadaver cases have the following restrictions on them:

Pandemic cadaver cases cannot be used in the OM category
Two cadaver cases can be used in the EN3 category
Pandemic cadaver cases cannot exceed 50% of any category

Specialty hours can still be acquired via virtual and online options. Time can include, but is not limited to, e-learning opportunities, virtual/online rounds, case discussions via an online platform, and online RACE approved CE hours. All hours must be provided by Diplomates of the respective college. For anesthesia and radiology requirements, 75% of the required time can be virtual. For surgery, 50% of the required time can be virtual. Time spent with OMFS Fellows (not OMFS candidates) can count for 16 surgery hours. The Specialty Hour Form (CRED 500 form) has been updated to allow for tracking of in-person and virtual/online hours. This opportunity will be available through December 31, 2021. At this point, the success of this change will be evaluated for possible non-pandemic related future use by the Residency Education Committee and the Board.

All current Delayed Submission Requests and those submitted for 2021 credentialing will be extended by an additional year.

** Reminder: The Board wants to help residents achieve success. If you are experiencing personal/professional challenges secondary to COVID that prevent you from meeting requirements, please send an email describing your situation to the Executive Director. He will ensure that the board reviews the communication to look for opportunities to assist you.**

2022 AVDC® Certifying Examination

Phase 1 (January 13-14th, 2022)

Phase 1 examination candidates will be receiving up to date information regarding the Phase 1 exam. The positive results regarding the remote Phase 1 exam in 2021 means that the test will be administered again via the examinee’s own computer at a place of their choosing with examination and security software onto their computer. Candidates will work with Dr. Robert Malinowski, PhD, DVM, MA and Veterinary Specialty Exams, LLC for test administration and support.

Phase 2 (June 11-17th, 2022)

Phase 2 will be held at the Oquendo Center in June 2022 barring any National/State restrictions due to world/national chaos. Details regarding the administration of this examination will be shared via the DMS and AVDC® webpage as they become available.

Updated July 21, 2021

Historical:

2020 Residents Credentialed Summer 2020

ALL residents in full-time and part-time programs have until January 1, 2021 to finish acquiring required direct supervised and unsupervised clinical service time if their package was provisionally approved by the Credentials Committee. Please complete the Completion of Credentials Form (form CRED 511) located under resident forms on the website as soon as this requirement is met. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MUST RECEIVE THESE FORMS BY JANUARY 1, 2021 TO ENSURE ACCESS TO THE PHASE 1 EXAM. Provisionally approved residents who do not complete the requirement prior to January 1, 2021 will not be granted access to the Phase 1 examination.

If a 2020 credentials package was accepted provisionally by the Credentials Committee, the resident has until January 1, 2021 to complete the Specialist in Training (SIT) hours. Please complete the Completion of Credentials Form (form CRED 511) located under resident forms on the website as soon as this requirement is met. Send this form along with the completed Specialty Hour Form (CRED 500) to the Executive Director for processing. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MUST RECEIVE THESE FORMS BY JANUARY 1, 2021 TO ENSURE ACCESS TO THE PHASE 1 EXAM. Provisionally approved residents who do not complete the requirement prior to January 1, 2021 will not be granted access to the Phase 1 examination.

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Effective January 1, 2021, new part-time residents will once again be REQUIRED to spend the first 4 weeks of their residency with their residency supervisor. The pandemic modification in effect from August – December 2020 is no longer allowed due to the considerable challenges faced by part-time residents that started their residencies under the past exception.

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General AVDC® Membership

The 2021 Diplomate-Only Winter Meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming has been canceled. As details become available, they will be shared through the DMS.

English is the official language of AVDC®. All documents, forms and examinations provided by AVDC® are written in English, and all materials submitted by applicants and residents are to be written in English.

Use of Specialty Titles: The AVMA Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics state: It is unethical for veterinarians to identify themselves as or in any way imply that they are members of an AVMA recognized specialty organization until such time as such certification has been awarded. AVDC® has adopted the Guidelines for Use of Specialty Titles, prepared by the American Board of Veterinary Specialties of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

By signing the AVDC® Training Program Registration form, an individual submitting an application for registration of a training program acknowledges that s/he may not use the terms ‘board eligible’, ‘board qualified’, ‘veterinary dental specialist’ or ‘veterinary dentist’, and may not make or imply any connection with AVDC® until such time as the individual passes the AVDC® examination and is awarded the AVDC® Diploma.

The registration of an AVDC® training program of an individual who is not in compliance with the policy stated above may be terminated by AVDC®, in which case the individual will not be permitted to complete the AVDC® credentials and/or the examination procedures, and, when appropriate, the circumstances may be reported by AVDC® to the individual’s State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.