American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM): How to Become Board-Certified

ACLAM certifies veterinarians in laboratory animal medicine, and that is the one specialty AVMA carries for the college — AVMA's list names no further specialties beneath it.

The college describes certification as recognizing expertise in areas such as animal resource management, clinical care, research collaboration, and education.

Certified veterinarians hold the title Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine.

AVMA counts 1,330 active ACLAM diplomates as of December 31, 2025, and its table gives no per-specialty split for the college, so the total is the only size figure AVMA publishes for the field.

Candidates must have completed a training program in laboratory animal medicine by the application deadline, and the requirements set the conditions on the program itself: it must meet the ACLAM Training Program Minimal Standards, be at least two years in duration, and be recognized by ACLAM, with a Diplomate serving as director.

The two-year figure is the floor the college states — a minimum, not a set duration.

Read together, the conditions make the program choice the first decision on this route: recognition and the Diplomate director are properties a program must already have, so confirming a program's ACLAM recognition comes before counting years.

The alternative route is experience-based: candidates may qualify to take the examination after 6 years of relevant, full-time experience in laboratory animal medicine following receipt of a veterinary medical degree.

The requirements page details how broadly that time can be accumulated: part-time laboratory animal medicine work is credited in proportion to the time spent in it; work outside the field and graduate or post-degree research programs that include the use of animals carry limited credit; and time spent in a laboratory animal medicine training program counts toward the relevant activities whether or not ACLAM recognizes the program and whether or not it was completed.

Set against the training program's minimum of two years this is the longer road, but it is the more flexible one — and both routes converge on the same publication requirement and the same exam.

Certification also asks for a publication: the candidate must be the first author of an original research article in a peer reviewed journal.

The certifying exam is a multiple-choice exam designed to assess knowledge across a broad range of topics in laboratory animal medicine — the college's certification FAQ lists areas such as animal biology and husbandry, diseases and pathology, veterinary care and clinical procedures, research methodology and regulations, and facility management and program oversight, with a detailed content outline available to guide preparation.

The credential is not held passively either: recertification is required at 8-year intervals, commencing with the first calendar year following initial certification, and a total of 400 recertification credits must be attained during each recertification period.