Our doctors at Southern Colorado Veterinary Internal Medicine are board certified.  So, what exactly is a veterinary internist?   A veterinary internist is a veterinarian with advanced training in the area of veterinary internal medicine.  To become board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialists, our doctors completed additional training following graduation from a four-year veterinary school.  The first year of advanced training is called an internship, and the next three years are called a residency.  During this time, the veterinarians are trained by other board-certified specialists in the intricacies of internal medicine.  At the completion of their residency, they became classified as “residency trained”, but were not yet board-certified.  In order to become board-certified in veterinary internal medicine, each doctor submitted their credentials in addition to having an original article published in a peer-review journal.  After their credentials were accepted, they sat for an intense 8-hour qualifying exam.  After passing the qualifying exam, the Veterinarian became eligible to take the certifying examination.  This exam is given over a two-day period and involves essay questions, a practical examination, and multiple choice and short answer portions.  Only after successful completion of this exam is a veterinarian declared a board-certified specialist in veterinary internal medicine by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.