About the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA)

Updated July 2018

Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities

In 1972, the House of Delegates authorized a program of accreditation of training for animal technicians - the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA). 
 

Charge/Objective

  1. To recognize veterinary technician training programs that are fully capable of graduating acceptable assistants for veterinarians and to assist in the development of such programs.
  2. To study all matters pertaining to activities of veterinary technicians, and to advise the Board of Directors concerning the implementation of AVMA policy concerning such matters.

 Membership, Method of Appointment, and Representation

The Committee consists of 20 members. The membership includes eight veterinarians—one each from the following categories: Council on Education, clinical veterinary medicine-large animal, clinical veterinary medicine-small animal, laboratory animal medicine, faculties of colleges of veterinary medicine, educators of veterinary technicians, and two at-large. In addition, the Committee includes seven veterinary technicians (two of whom must be non-program affiliated, one who must be an educator in a veterinary technology program). The following two categories may be either a veterinarian or a veterinary technician: representing state boards of examiners in veterinary medicine and a veterinary medicine industry representative. A Canadian member of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Animal Health Technologist/Veterinary Technician Program Accreditation Committee (AHTVTPAC) who may be either a veterinarian or a veterinary technician, and two public members who must be engaged in activity other than veterinary medicine or employment as a veterinary technician. A member should represent only one area in the context of appointment to the Committee. All technician members must be graduates of an AVMA or Canadian VMA-accredited veterinary technology program and be currently licensed/registered/certified. All US technician members must be members in good standing of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. Canadian veterinary technician members must be members of the Registered Veterinary Technologists and Technicians in Canada (RVTTC), and Canadian veterinarian members must be members of the CVMA.
 

The AVMA CVTEA Selection Committee appoints the members of the Committee with the following exceptions; the Council on Education appoints one member from its membership, the Committee appoints public members, and the AHTVTPAC appoints the Canadian member. Members serve six-year terms, beginning at the close of the AVMA annual meeting. The COE representative is appointed by the chair of the COE to serve as a voting member for a one-year term.

Meetings

Meetings are held twice each year in Schaumburg; meetings are 2 ½ days in duration for the spring meeting and 2 ½ days in duration for the fall meeting.