In early 2022, a group of leaders representing several specialty veterinary colleges (see sidebar), including leaders from the ACVIM, began a series of conversations designed to identify and explore issues that transcended any one specialty. Driving these conversations was the recognition that veterinary medicine is undergoing transformational change, and the collective wisdom and influence of college leaders would help ensure the long-term sustainability of the role specialty medicine plays in the care of animals and in contribution to overall societal wellbeing.

Late last year, representatives from these veterinary specialty colleges were joined by representatives from veterinary associations, corporate practice groups, independent practitioners and industry representatives at an invitational meeting about the critical shortage of veterinary specialists. A summary of that work, which was shared with the ACVIM members in the April Diplomate Digest, defined priority areas and activities for collective action. Among these recommendations is a goal to collectively define veterinary specialist competencies, which we hope to begin working on in 2024.