Established in 1983, the American College of Zoological Medicine (ACZM) is an international specialty organization recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) for certification of veterinarians with special expertise in zoological medicine. ACZM is responsible for establishing training requirements, evaluating and accrediting training programs, and examining and certifying veterinarians in the veterinary specialty of zoological medicine. ACZM Diplomates serve in responsible positions as zoo and wildlife veterinarians, teachers, researchers, government officials, and administrators of other relevant programs fostering high quality medical care for non-domestic animals and are actively involved in the discovery of new knowledge in the discipline and the dissemination of this knowledge to the veterinary profession and public.


Mission Statement:

Zoological medicine is a discipline that integrates principles of ecology, conservation, and veterinary medicine and applies them to wild animals within natural and artificial environments. The American College of Zoological Medicine is dedicated to excellence in furthering the health and well being of captive and free-ranging wild animals.

Objectives:

To advance competency and scientific progress in zoological medicine.

To establish standards for post-doctoral training and experience and to certify veterinarians as specialists in zoological medicine through comprehensive examination.

To encourage medical research that benefits wild animals.

To disseminate information relative to zoological medicine.