American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO): How to Become Board-Certified
A veterinary ophthalmologist is a veterinarian board-certified in eye care — a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO), the organization AVMA recognizes for veterinary eye specialists.
The path runs through a minimum of 48 months of veterinary experience — only 12 of which must come before the residency — a 3-year or longer residency under at least one DACVO, then the ABVO certifying examination.
AVMA lists no separately named specialties under the college, so one credential covers the field: 696 active ACVO diplomates as of December 31, 2025.
Active diplomates (AVMA)
696
AVMA-recognized specialties
One
Recognition
Recognized
Diplomate count: AVMA, “Veterinary specialists in the U.S.,” active board-certified diplomates as of December 31, 2025.
Some veterinarians belong to more than one specialty.
Confirm every requirement with the college
ACVO at a glance
American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) is on AVMA’s list of AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organizations.
Technicians in the field hold a separate credential: VTS (Ophthalmology).
Diplomate title: Diplomates use the certification DACVO, or "Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists."
The ACVO credentialing path, from the college’s own documents
Before training
Candidates need a minimum of 48 months of veterinary experience, including at least 12 months before starting residency.
The college’s wording
“Have attained the minimum required veterinary experience (currently 48 months; 12 months of which must be prior to residency training).”
Title Use & Definitions — ABVOTraining program
Ophthalmology residency training must run 3 years or longer, under the supervision of at least one DACVO.
The college’s wording
“complete a 3-year or longer residency training program in veterinary ophthalmology under the supervision of at least one DACVO.”
Title Use & Definitions — ABVOTraining program
Residency must be complete, or scheduled to complete, by August 1 of the year the exam is taken.
The college’s wording
“Have completed or be scheduled to complete an ABVO-approved residency training program by August 1st of the year in which the examination is to be taken.”
Title Use & Definitions — ABVOCredentials and publications
Candidates must be of satisfactory ethical standing.
Credentials and publications
Candidates must submit all required documentation and fees by the credentialing deadline.
The college’s wording
“Have completed and submitted by the deadline all documentation and fees required as part of the credentialing process.”
Title Use & Definitions — ABVOCertifying exam
The ABVO certifying exam is a multi-day process with multiple written and practical components.
The college’s wording
“The exam is a multi-day process consisting of multiple written and practical components.”
Certification — ACVO PublicKeeping the credential
Diplomates board-certified in 2015 or later must maintain certification through the MOC program.
The college’s wording
“Maintain Certification through the MOC program (Diplomates boarded 2015 or later).”
Title Use & Definitions — ABVOEach point is summarised from ACVO’s own published pages and candidate documents, as retrieved on the dates listed under Sources.
Open “the college’s wording” for the exact text and its source.
The general path to board certification, across colleges, is explained in how veterinary specialization works.
What is a veterinary eye specialist? One college, one credential (DACVO)
ACVO certifies veterinary ophthalmologists — the eye specialists of veterinary medicine.
AVMA's list names no separate specialties under the organization — one college, one credential — so the diplomate count covers the boarded field: AVMA counted 696 active ACVO diplomates as of December 31, 2025.
A veterinarian who meets the college's requirements is recognized as a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and may use the certification 'DACVO' or 'Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.'
The certification itself runs through ABVO, the American Board of Veterinary Ophthalmology — ACVO established its certifying criteria through ABVO.
The veterinary ophthalmology residency: 3 years or longer, after at least 12 months of practice
A veterinary ophthalmology residency sits at the center of the ACVO path.
ACVO's stated requirement is a minimum of 48 months of veterinary experience, of which only 12 must be accrued before residency training starts.
The college's own narrative reads as a single timeline — a minimum of 12 months of full-time clinical practice as a veterinarian, then the residency — which is how a 3-year residency and those 12 prior months together reach the stated 48-month total.
The residency is a 3-year or longer residency training program in veterinary ophthalmology, under the supervision of at least one DACVO, in a program ABVO approves.
Timing is tied to the exam calendar: the ABVO-approved residency must be completed, or scheduled to complete, by August 1 of the year the certifying examination is taken.
Credentials, fees, then a multi-day exam
Before the examination comes the credentialing: a candidate must be of satisfactory ethical standing, and must complete and submit all required documentation and fees by the credentialing deadline.
The certifying examination itself is the ABVO certifying exam, described as a multi-day process consisting of multiple written and practical components.
And for diplomates board-certified in 2015 or later, certification is not one-and-done: the requirement is to maintain certification through the MOC program.
Pay for ACVO diplomates
What Veterinarian Job Listings Show Right Now
From the 4,896 active veterinarian listings on VeterinaryHires as of November 9, 2026.
Employers with the most openings
Where the openings are
- California654
- Texas467
- Florida347
- North Carolina227
- New York196
Pay employers post
- Median $135,000 a year; the middle half of posted pay runs $125,000–$147,500 (732 listings that state a salary)
- 15% of veterinarian listings state any pay at all.
Benefits listings name
- Dental & Visionnamed in 83%
- Health Insurancenamed in 77%
- 401k Matchnamed in 72%
- PTO / Paid Time Offnamed in 69%
- CE Allowancenamed in 62%
Source: active veterinarian listings on VeterinaryHires, updated daily. Pay figures use only listings that state pay (midpoint of each posted range). Benefits count listings that name the benefit; a listing that doesn’t mention one may still offer it.
Browse 4,896 jobs →Frequently Asked Questions
What is a veterinary eye specialist called?
A veterinary eye specialist is a veterinary ophthalmologist.
The credential behind the title is the DACVO — Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists — granted through ACVO's credentialing arm, ABVO, the American Board of Veterinary Ophthalmology.
AVMA recognizes the college but lists no separately named specialties under it, so ACVO's diplomates all hold the same credential.
AVMA counted 696 active ACVO diplomates as of December 31, 2025.
How long is an ACVO residency?
Three years or longer: the requirement is completion of a 3-year or longer residency training program in veterinary ophthalmology, under the supervision of at least one DACVO, in a program ABVO approves.
The timing also anchors to the exam calendar — the residency must be completed, or scheduled to complete, by August 1 of the year the certifying examination is taken.
The path also carries a wider requirement: a minimum of 48 months of veterinary experience, of which at least 12 months — described as full-time clinical practice — must come before residency training.
How much veterinary experience does ACVO require?
A minimum of 48 months of veterinary experience — with only 12 of those months required before residency training begins, so the total is not 48 months owed before the residency starts.
The college's narrative describes the pre-residency months as a minimum of 12 months of full-time clinical practice as a veterinarian.
The college states the 48-month figure as the current minimum, so confirm the requirement with ABVO when you map out your timeline.
What is the ACVO certifying exam like?
The ABVO certifying exam is a multi-day process consisting of multiple written and practical components.
It comes after the credentialing requirements are cleared: all required documentation and fees submitted by the deadline, satisfactory ethical standing, and a residency that is complete or scheduled to complete by August 1 of the exam year.
The credential that follows is the DACVO — Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
Does ACVO certification expire?
Diplomates board-certified in 2015 or later must maintain certification through the MOC program.
Because the requirement is stated by certifying year, a veterinarian certified in or after 2015 should treat the MOC program as part of holding the credential rather than as settled at the exam.
Confirm the details that apply to your own certification year with the college before you rely on the timing.
More Specialty Resources
Sources
- AVMA — Veterinary specialties (AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organizations) (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- AVMA — Veterinary specialists in the U.S. (diplomates as of December 31, 2025) (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- ACVO — Certification (retrieved 2026-09-23)
- ABVO — Title Use & Definitions (retrieved 2026-09-23)