Two proposed veterinary specialties under consideration: Acupuncture, embryo transfer

The American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) has put out a call for public comment on two proposed specialties.

The American Board of Veterinary Acupuncture (ABVA) and the American Embryo Transfer Association (AETA) have asked to be recognized veterinary specialty organizations (RVSOs). The organizing committees of the proposed specialties submitted letters of intent to the ABVS in November 2024, which were accepted by the ABVS at its meeting in March.

Acupuncture

The ABVA organizing committee estimates that 4,000 to 5,000 veterinarians in the U.S. have completed acupuncture certification through one of six organizations: Chi University, International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS), CuraCore, Canine Rehabilitation Institute (CRI), Evidence-Based Veterinary Acupuncture (EBVA), and College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies (CIVT).

Approximately 80% of these practitioners work primarily with small animals, the committee says, followed by 10%-20% with equine patients, and a smaller percentage with other species, including farm animals, exotics, and zoo animals.

The ABVA organizing committee says acupuncture enhances outcomes in several veterinary specialties “due to its established role in managing pain, aiding in cancer care and treatment and improving performance, neurorecovery, fertility and quality of life.”

It goes on to say, “Despite widespread clinical use and established training programs, veterinary acupuncture lacks formal specialty recognition. This gap limits oversight, consistency in credentialing, and advancement in education and research. The scope of acupuncture—its diagnostic methods, technical skills, and foundational physiology—is distinct from other existing specialties, and it is not encompassed within any current RVSO.”

The American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (AAVA) was admitted as a member of the AVMA House of Delegates (HOD) in 2014. However, when the AAVA applied for the recognition of veterinary acupuncture as a specialty in 2016, it was denied.

At that time, the ABVS advised the AVMA Board of Directors on specialty petitions. The Board then approved or denied the petitions. The ABVS had recommended denying AAVA’s petition after finding a lack of scientific basis for such a specialty, among other issues.

Earlier this year, the HOD approved the policy “Integrative Veterinary Medicine,” which considers veterinary acupuncture part of complementary and alternative therapies.

“The AVMA believes that all aspects of veterinary medicine should be held to the same standards as outlined in the Model Veterinary Practice Act (MVPA) and Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics (PVME),” part of the policy states.

Embryo transfer

The AETA organizing committee says this assisted reproductive technology is “a unique and specialized field in veterinary medicine” that requires extensive training and mastering the technical and invasive skills.

The association points to its status as the organization selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to certify individuals and companies to export embryos.

To become AETA certified, individuals must pass an examination, demonstrate experience, participate in continuing education, and abide by the rules and regulations established by AETA, International Embryo Technology Society (IETS), and the USDA, including facility and laboratory inspections. “These high standards of excellence align very well to the certification requirements of diplomate status,” according to the committee.

Clinical applications take place on several species. In 2023, there were 565,111 bovine embryos transferred in the United States as well as 14,619 ovine transfers and 12,178 caprine transfers.

“Our high level of scientific knowledge and skills are evident in embryo collection, processing, cryopreservation, and export, a requirement to ensure biosecurity and public health safety and trust. Conventional in-vivo and in-vitro fertilized applications are invasive and require the strict guidelines and attention to detail that is provided to AETA members,” according to the organizing committee’s one-page summary of the proposed specialty organization.

Public comment

In compliance with ABVS procedures, the AVMA is seeking comments on the proposals through August 12.

The AVMA currently recognizes 22 specialty organizations and 46 specialties. All AVMA-recognized specialty organizations and specialties comply with recognition guidelines outlined in the ABVS Policies and Procedures manual. Refer to those guidelines when developing comments regarding the proposed specialties of acupuncture or embryo transfer.

The primary purposes of public comment are to gauge both the distinctiveness of the proposed specialty from current recognized veterinary specialty organizations and recognized veterinary specialties as well as the public need for, and potential acceptance of, a veterinary specialty in the intended facet of veterinary medicine.

The AVMA website includes submissions from the ABVA organizing committee and AETA organizing committee detailing the justification and goals for the specialties. All comments should be emailed to ABVSavma [dot] org (ABVS[at]avma[dot]org) and must be submitted separately for each request.

That means all comments for the proposed ABVA must be submitted with the subject line “Public comment – Acupuncture Specialty.” For the AETA, the subject line should read “Public comment – Embryo Transfer Specialty.”

A version of this story appears in the July 2025 print issue of JAVMA