The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), founded in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 69,000 US veterinarians working in academia, private and corporate practice, industry, government, and uniformed services.

The AVMA provides information resources, continuing education opportunities, publications, and discounts on personal and professional products, programs, and services. The AMVA also lobbies for animal-friendly legislation.

Specialists in veterinary medicine

"A veterinary specialist, as recognized by the AVMA, is a graduate veterinarian who has successfully completed the process of board certification in an AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organization (ie, board or college). To become board certified, a veterinarian must have extensive post-graduate training and experience and pass a credential review and examinations set by the given specialty organization."[[1]]

The AVMA recognizes the following 20 veterinary specialty organizations:

• American Board of Veterinary Practitioners http://www.abvp.com
• American Board of Veterinary Toxicology http://www.abvt.org
• American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine http://www.aclam.org
• American College of Poultry Veterinarians http://www.acpv.info
• American College of Theriogenologists http://www.theriogenology.org/
• American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists http://www.acva.org/
• American College of Veterinary Behaviorists http://www.dacvb.org/
• American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology
• American College of Veterinary Dermatology http://www.acvd.org
• American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Web site: http://www.acvecc.org
• American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine http://www.acvim.org
• American College of Veterinary Microbiologists http://www.vetmed.iastate.edu/acvm
• American College of Veterinary Nutrition http://www.acvn.org
• American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists http://www.acvo.org
• American College of Veterinary Pathologists http://www.acvp.org/
• American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine http://www.acvpm.org
• American College of Veterinary Radiology http://www.acvr.ucdavis.edu/
• American College of Veterinary Surgeons http://www.acvs.org
• American College of Zoological Medicine http://www.aczm.org
• American Veterinary Dental College http://www.AVDC.org