American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ACVAA): How to Become Board-Certified

A Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (DACVAA) is a board-certified specialist in anesthesia and analgesia — the credential behind the title board certified veterinary anesthesiologist.

The college describes the role as reaching beyond prescribing anesthetic drugs: before anesthesia, a diplomate evaluates the animal's physical condition and any disease that may complicate its response, may guide treatment to stabilize the patient, manages all aspects of peri-procedural pain, and monitors, diagnoses and treats anesthetic-related complications.

Many diplomates also make recommendations for chronic pain, and they consult for veterinarians who are not experts in anesthesia.

AVMA lists no separately named specialties under the organization — one college, one credential — and counted 476 active diplomates as of December 31, 2025.

ACVAA's stated prerequisites are a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree — DVM/VMD or foreign equivalent — and a 12-month general internship or equivalent training before the residency.

The residency then consists of 3 years of intensive training in anesthesia and analgesia under the direct supervision of ACVAA diplomates, in an approved residency program.

The 3 years is the program's length, and the 104-week figure the college also states is not a shorter version of it: at least 104 weeks of training in the approved program must be complete before a resident can submit credentials for the certifying exam; the college places that submission near or at the completion of the 3 years.

Registration is a start-of-residency step, with a one-time $300 fee.

Near or at the completion of the 3 years, a resident submits credentials for approval to sit for the ACVAA board certification examination.

The credential packet must be accepted by the Credentials Committee and includes a completed case and activities log plus an anesthesia-related manuscript accepted for publication in an approved journal; a passing score on the exam completes what the college lists for certification.

The examination is, in the college's words, a rigorous test in all aspects of veterinary anesthesia and analgesia: anatomy, physiology, pharmacology of anesthetic drugs, anesthesia equipment, and the specific management of veterinary species, including wild, zoo, companion, and food and fiber animal species.

The exam fee is $1500, the same for the initial application and any repeat exam attempts.

After passing, the veterinarian becomes a diplomate.

When a posting asks for a board certified veterinary anesthesiologist, it is asking for the DACVAA credential described above — AVMA's list names no separate specialties under the organization, so there is no second, species-specific version of it.

The sources on file say more about the work than about the employers, so this page will not guess at the mix of workplaces behind it.

What they do show: ACVAA's about page describes its diplomates practicing veterinary anesthesia across the globe, and its residency information page places residency programs all over the country and the world, listed with program directors and contact information.

The college's own site carries a Jobs section and a Find an Anesthesiologist list; its about page says the ACVAA keeps a list of the veterinarians it has certified.

The related link on where veterinary specialists work maps how settings differ across the specialty landscape, and the veterinarian job search sits at the bottom of this page.