American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care

American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care

CREDENTIALS APPLICATION PACKET

(FORM AND INSTRUCTIONS)

For Residents, Fellows, and Candidates

Credentials Deadline: January 15 of the Year of Intended Examination

Credentials Fee: $300

Table of Contents

Overview-The Credentials Process3

Credentials Application Checklist4

Procedural Information5

Rejections and Reapplications5

Credentials Evaluation Procedure7

Instructions for Publications8

List of Acceptable Journals9

Instructions for Multiple Choice Questions10

Credentials Application Form12

Mentor Statement15

Mentor Experience and Skills Statement 16

Waiver and Release Form17

Standard Referral Letter Form for Recommendations18

APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION TO EXAMINATION FOR

DIPLOMATE STATUS

(The Credentials Process)

All Residents and Fellows must apply to the Credentials Committee for acceptance of final credentials and approval to take the Certifying Examination.

1.Application for examination (Credentials Applications) must be made to the Credentials Committee via the Office of the Executive Secretary on a form provided by the College (see attachedCredentials Application form). The application is submitted along with the prescribed application fee and required documentation (see Credential Application Checklist) by January 15th of the year of intended examination. Late, incomplete, or incorrectly formatted credentials applications will not be reviewed, and the Resident or Fellow will be requiredto reapply the following year. Application fees will not be refunded if the resident or fellow is determined not eligible to take the examination.

2.All residents and fellows must provide the Credentials Committee (via the Office of the Executive Secretary) with certification that they have completed all of their training and credentialing requirements by July15th of the year in which they plan to take the examination, if this certification has not been completed and included with the credentials application. This certification must be submitted tothe Credentials Committee via the Office of the Executive Secretary by July 15th, and includes:

a.A copy of their residency certificate,

b.A final progress report documenting completion of all training and credentialing requirements (see Resident/Fellow Progress Report Packets), and

c.Proof of final acceptance of their first-authored manuscriptby June 30 of the year of credentials application, if it was not accepted or in print by the time of credentials submission.

3. Residents and fellows should refer to the Credentials Application checklist (page 4) and subsequent pages for detailed instructions. Any questions or clarifications should be directed to the current Chair of the Credentials Committee.

4.Eligibility rulings are made by the Council of Regents on recommendation by the Credentials Committee, and residents and fellows will be notified whether they are eligible or provisionally eligible for examination by April 1st of the year of intended examination.

ACVECC CREDENTIALS APPLICATION CHECKLIST

The applicant must submit a single PDF as a file attachment emailed to the office of the Executive Secretary, attention and the file should be uploaded to the documents section of the database. A hard copy of the credentials packet should be kept by the candidate and can be requested by the committee during the review process.

The following must be included:

1.The completed application form (attached).

2.Acopy of the applicant’s residency certificate. Individuals completing residency programs may omit the residency certificate at the time of credentials submission, but must forward the certificate to the office of the Executive Secretary by July 15 of the year you submit credentials.

3.The signed Program Mentor Statement of Certification (part of the Credentials Application Form) confirming successful completion or expected completion of the training program.The statement must be signed by the applicant’s residencymentor,or the application will not be reviewed. If the program mentor has not supervised 25% of the emergency and critical care supervision, then an explanatory statement by the mentor must be included.

4. The signed Mentor Experience and Skills Requirements Statement of Certification (part of the Credentials Application Form) that the applicant has completed the skills and experience list as outlined by the ACVECC.

5.A copy of the progress report letter from the Credentials Committee (or the Residency Training Committee) approving submission of credentials.

6.A copy of the applicant’s preferred first authored publication. If the article is in review or in press, then the applicant must also document its submission or acceptance with a letter from the editor at the time of the application. Emailed confirmations are acceptable.If confirmation from the editor is not included, the manuscript will not be reviewed.A copy of the manuscript under consideration must also be submitted. Manuscripts under review at the time of credentials submission must have final acceptance (in press) documented by June 30th of the year of intended examination in order for a candidate to successfully fulfill credentialing requirements.

7.Three (3) letters of recommendation, one of which must come from the applicant’s program mentor. Letters should come from individuals able to attest to the resident's or fellow’s clinical skills/ abilities/experience/involvement in the emergency and critical care arena. The standard ACVECC Recommendation form (attached with the Application Formand available separately on the ACVECC website) must be used.

8.The signed waiver, release, and indemnity agreement (part of the Application Form).

9.All applicants and re-applicants must complete and include proof of 50 hours of Continuing Education in emergency/critical care over the 3 years immediately preceding and including the year of Credentials submission. A separate form must be submittedONLY IF proof of continuing education it is not already uploaded to the Residency Training Program Database. The documentation must include date, meeting, subject/title, speaker, and hours attended.

10.Application fee. The ACVECC Fee Submission Form (available at should be used for all fee submissions.

Do NOT include a copy of thecheck or any credit card information on the electronic copy.

Procedural Information:

The Application Packet must not be sent to the Executive Secretary unless it is complete. The applicant must submit a single PDF as a file attachment emailed to the office of the Executive Secretary, and the file should be uploaded to the documents section of the database.The deadline is January 15 of the yearof intended examination.A hard copy of the credentials packet should be kept by the candidate and can be requested by the committee during the review process.

Unless otherwise indicated, all deadline submissions must be timestamped on the email by the deadline date.

The College requires that the resident/fellow/candidatekeep a copy of the email confirming receipt of their submission.

Individuals submitting applications should download the most recent instructions and application which is available on the ACVECC website; specific application requirements are subject to change, and all applicants must adhere to stipulations for the year of application or re-application.

All questions should be directed to the current Chair of the Credentials Committee.

REJECTIONS AND REAPPLICATIONS:

If the Credentials Application is rejected, a complete new application (fee included) must be submitted the next time that individual submits Credentials.Previous letters from the Credentials Committee pertaining to Credentialing and the final progress report must be included with all submissions.

1. If all other Credentials items (including the final progress report in July) have been accepted and ONLY acceptance of the manuscript for publication is lacking (not accepted for publication by June 30th of that year), these individuals will be given one (1) additional year to have their manuscript accepted.

1. In this instance the resident/fellow/candidatemust only submit an updated application form the following January (with current mentor signature and waiver), along with a copy of the manuscript and documentation from the Journal editor (and all pertinent prior correspondence).

1. If the manuscript has not been accepted for publication by June 30th of the following year, that individual’s credentials will no longer be considered accepted and a complete new application must be submitted, along with the Credentials Application fee.

1. Regardless of the status ofthe manuscript, if other significant items are lacking from the Credentials application or the final progress report by July 15th of the year of application, that individual’s Credentials become rejected and a complete new application (including the Credentials Application fee) must be submitted the next time that individual submits credentials.

1. In order to be eligible to apply to become credentialed after rejection, candidates must maintain an active status. To maintain an active status, the guidelines require the candidate to:
2. Maintain the most current Knowledge requirements
3. Maintain the most current Experience and Skills requirements
4. Complete all assigned Training Benchmarks with the programMentor
5. Submit Annual Progress Reports detailing the completion of requirements to the Credentials Committee (Annual Progress Reports must be approved by the Credentials Committee for a Resident to be considered active)

1. Once aCandidate that has had their Credentials accepted by the Credentials Committee and been given permission to sit the Certifying Examination they are considered a Credentialed Candidate until they have:
2. Passed the Certifying Examination
3. Been granted Diplomate status by the ACVECC Council of Regents

CREDENTIALS APPLICATION EVALUATION PROCEDURE

1.Both the basic credentials and first author publication must be accepted. Strict attention to detail is critical for applications to be accepted. Omission of any item on the checklist may cause the application to be rejected.

2.The basic credentials will be evaluated as "acceptable" or "unacceptable." The reviewer will record his/her evaluation on a standard form that will be retained by the College.

3.Subsequent to review of the basic credentials, the publication will be evaluated by the Credentials Committee. Once the publication is graded acceptable it will remain accepted for five (5) years from publication.

4.The Committee will seek to notify the resident or fellow of the acceptance or rejection of his/her credentials by April 1st of the year of intended examination. It is the responsibility of the resident/fellow/candidate to notify the Office of the Executive Secretary in writing of any address or email change, and to ensure that contact information on the ACVECC website is updated. Failure to notify the above of address changes may cause a significant delay in communicating results.

EVALUATION OF THE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Three (3) letters of recommendation must be in the office of the Executive Secretary of the College by the application deadline date. The form letter for Credentials Letters of Recommendation is attached to the Credentials Application form(page 17). One letter must be from the program mentor. If for any reason three (3) letters are not present at the time of credentials submission, the credentials will not be accepted.

1.Each letter of recommendation will be evaluated on the following criteria:

a.Source of recommendation (Evaluator). Letters will only be accepted from those individuals directly familiar with the applicant's scientific and clinical skills.

b.Content of recommendation. An unsatisfactory recommendation is one wherein the letter fails to support the candidate's application.

2.If two (2) of the three (3) letters of recommendation are deemed unsatisfactory by two (2) members of the Credentials Committee, the application will be rejected.

If one (1) of the three (3) letters of recommendation is unsatisfactory, the Credentials Committee will review and discuss all the letters of recommendation. At least one (1) of the two (2) acceptable letters written for the candidate must be from an ACVECC Diplomate. Personal contact with the evaluator may be deemed necessary prior to a decision regarding the application.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLICATIONS

The publication must be in print (but cannot be > 5 years since publication) or accepted for publication or under review following submission. Manuscripts that are submitted (under review), but not accepted by the Credentials deadline must be accompanied by a letter from the journal editor verifying submission.Publications pending acceptance must have final acceptance by June 30th of the calendar year for which examination is applied to/planned. If the manuscript has been submitted or accepted but not yet published, the letter of submission or acceptance must be included with the manuscript or the publication will not be evaluated. If the applicant is unsure whether a response is considered "acceptance," the Chair of the Credentials Committee should be petitioned in writing, for clarification prior to the credential application or publication acceptance deadline. A minimum of 6 weeks time may be needed for the Credentials Committee to respond to the request for clarification.

Residents and Fellows are encouraged to submit manuscripts well before November 1stto ensure adequatetime for editorial review and revisions. In past years otherwise strong applicants have not been able to sit for the examination because of failure to achieve final acceptance of their manuscript by the deadline.

The manuscript must be published in a refereed, scientific, medical or veterinary publication. If the resident/fellow has two (2) or more publications, he/she should be careful to select the one that meets the stated criteria. Only one manuscript may be submitted. The topics of the submitted publication should be relevant to the discipline of emergency and critical care. Original research, retrospective studies, prospective studies, review articles, and case reports are examples of potentially acceptable publications. Book chapters do not qualify as refereed publications. A refereed journal is one that is governed by policies and procedures established and maintained by a standing editorial board that requires critical review of all papers and approval of at least one recognized authority on the subject. Mainstream journals of major disciplines are acceptable providing the journals adhere to the principles of peer review, and the subject of the paper is relevant to CC/EM. It is the candidate's responsibility to include a letter from the editor of that journal that outlines the editorial process in detail, should potential question exist with respect to rigor of peer review process (e.g., unfamiliar journal). If the letter does not adequately document to the Credentials Committee that the journal is acceptable, the publication will be rejected without further review. Any questions concerning the acceptability of a publication or journal should be directed to the Chair of the Credentials Committee in writing, at least 12 weeks prior to the credentials deadline to allow for committee action on the candidate’s request. In past years, otherwise strong applicants have had difficulty determining whether a specific article is satisfactory. Program mentors and residents/fellows are counseled to consult the Chair of the Credentials Committee with any questions.

ACCEPTABLE JOURNALS

American Journal of Veterinary Research

Australian Veterinary Journal

BMC Veterinary Research (added 13 Nov 2014)

British Veterinary Journal

Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research

Canadian Veterinary Journal

Compendium of Continuing Education

Equine Veterinary Journal

In Practice

Journal of Equine Veterinary Education

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery

Journal of Medical Toxicology (added 21 May 2014)

Journal of Small Animal Practice

Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association

Journal of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Journal of Veterinary Cardiology(added 2 May 2014)

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation

Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care

Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Research in Veterinary Science

Topics in Companion Medicine

Toxicon

Transfusion

Veterinary Anesthesia

Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports

Veterinary Radiology

Veterinary Record

Veterinary Science Research Communications

Veterinary Surgery

NOTE:This list is not exhaustive and many other journals may be acceptable. Candidates are reminded that the topics of acceptable publications must be relevant to the discipline of emergency/critical care medicine.

If you are uncertain of the suitability of a journal, you should petition the Chair of the Credentials Committee for clarification, in writing, well in advance of the application deadline as noted above.

THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE PUBLICATIONS

Proceedings of . . . (various meetings, specialties)

Short communications

Serial articles (e.g., ECG of the month, Topics in drug therapy, What's your diagnosis?)

Letters to the Editor

Lay Publications (e.g., Equus, Cat Fancy)

Book chapters

Standards of Care

Veterinary Clinics of North America (all versions)

The journal entitled “Case Reports in Veterinary Medicine”

Instructions for Multiple Choice Questions

It is highly recommended that the applicantfamiliarize themselveswith the question submission process well in advance of the submission deadline, as it will require effort and steps that may not be expected.

Developing and submitting multiple-choice questions takes considerable thought and effort. It is strongly recommended that individuals allow enough time; a minimum of two (2) to three (3) weeks may be necessary!

1. All individuals submitting a Credentials Application must submit four (4) multiple-choice questions.Potential applicants will be assigned specific subject categories for questions by Dr. Bernie Hansen in an email that will be sent to the email address on file with the ACVECC Executive Secretary’s office.

1. All questions must be submitted online at . Thelogin for the exam question submission template is the same as thatused to login on the ACVECC website.

1. Detailed instructions are found below, online at the question submission template, and in the email instructions from Dr. Hansen. Please be sure to read and follow ALL instructions carefully.

1. The format and structure of your questions, subject category, and reference choices are limited and controlled by the question submission template, butthe applicant isresponsible for content and grammar.

1. Question authors must follow the principles outlined in the Applied Measurement Professionals Question Writing Guide, which can be accessed at the same website, and the National Board of Medical Examiners Constructing Written Test Questions for the Basic and Clinical Sciences (third revision), available at (choose the link to download the “Entire Item Writing Guide”).

1. The multiple-choice examination is divided into two parts: a GENERAL exam (GMC) and a SPECIES SPECIFIC exam (SSMC). All candidates will be required to submit 2 questions suitable for the GMC and 2 questions suitable for the SSMC. The GMC questions may be simple recall questions, but the SSMC questions must be application or analysis-level questions. For the definitions of simple recall and application/analysis see the Applied Measurement Professionals Question Writing Guide at the link in #4 above. Examples will be provided in the instructions from Dr. Hansen. The general exam consists of questions that are pertinent to all species including humans, and is slanted toward questions regarding basic physiology and pharmacology that are broadly applicable across species; hence, these are more likely to come from reference textbooks or publications on human medical issues. The species specific examinations are either small animal- or large animal -specific. Any question regarding human medical issues must be suitable for the GMC and will not be allowed as a submission for the SSMC.

1. To limit spelling errors, consider creating each question using a word processing program such as Microsoft Word FIRST, spell check it, then copy and paste into the online question template fields. Take care to avoid copying extraneous bits into the question submission template (for example, do not copy question numbers or choice letters (a, b, c, or d).

1. If more than 4 questions are submitted through the online template, the Committee will consider only the first 4 submitted. Questions will be considered submitted only if they are submitted via the online template no later than 11:59:59 PM (EST), January 15, 2015.

1. References should be limited to those under the “required reading” lists (not supplemental reading) of latest Knowledge Requirements for books and journals; these will be made available on the ACVECC website; in addition,the applicantwill be required to use only the editions listed on the pull-down menus in the online question builder templateso check to be sure the intended reference is on the question builder pull-down list before it is used. For the journal citations, no reference may be greater than three (3) years old (2012).

1. Unless the question is specific to a single journal report of original research, two (2) references must be provided for each question. References are limited to those included on the pull-down list provided on the question template. Journal references must be from a peer-reviewed journal published within the past 3 years (2012 or later); textbook references are limited to those editions included in the drop down list. Most application- or analysis-level questions will require more than a single journal citation for proper referencing.

1. If a single journal report of original research is referenced, the question MUST be about the main finding(s) of the research reported in the results section. Questions should NOT be based on the discussion or introduction sections of that report unless 2 references are used.

1. Most review articles are journalistic narratives similar to books, and require a second reference. Consequently, articles published in journals such as Compendium and Veterinary Clinics are not acceptable as single references. Please note that 2 different review articles or book chapters written by the same primary author are considered a single reference.

1. Each question must be categorized according to the subject categories (topics) assigned via email. No more than 1 question is allowed per topic; be sure to read the rules for category assignment on the next page.

1. Although it isrecommended that the program Mentor review questions prior to submission, the applicant isexpected to be the sole author.

1. For any questions regarding authoring or submitting questions, or to report problems with the question submission website, please contact Dr. Bernie Hansen () immediately.

1. All other credential questions should be directed to the Chair of the Credentials Committee,

Dr. James Barr ().