Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians (OAVT)
Accreditation/Approval of Veterinary Technician Programs in Ontario
The Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians has obtained special legislation (Bill Pr3) to enable it to govern and discipline its members. It also has the power to grant its members the right to the exclusive use of the designations "Registered Veterinary Technician", "Registered Veterinary Technologist" and "R.V.T.". In Ontario, only the OAVT has legislative jurisdiction over RVT status.
According to subsection 6.2 (b) of said Bill, the OAVT may pass by-laws, "prescribing the courses to study to be pursued by students and candidates in order to satisfy the academic requirements of any class of membership".
And furthermore, according to subsection 7 of the same Bill, "the Association shall grant membership to every person who applies in accordance with the by-laws, if the person,
- Is of good character;
- Has complied with the academic and experience requirements specified in the by-laws for the issuance of membership; and
- Has passed such examinations as the board may prescribe by by-law".
In order for a college to receive the Accreditation/Approval of the OAVT Board, an educational program has to meet a comprehensive set of standards as satisfied in the OAVT College Approval Process. Programs are evaluated to see if they meet the approval standard.
Programs which are accredited by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), or renewing their CVMA accreditation at the same time as they are applying for OAVT College Approval/Accreditation, have been extended the following concessions:
- allowed to submit copies of documentation submitted for the most recent CVMA process, plus the report received back from the CVMA Accreditation Committee;
- visited by a site inspection team only in unusual circumstances, usually to verify information that cannot be determined with certainty from the written material or by other methods. (i.e. When a conditional approval is given by CVMA or when the CVMA report is lacking information the Committee deems important). This inspection may not require the full four (4) member visitation team. Every effort will be made to spare them unnecessary administrative burden and expense. Such programs will, however, be required to meet the same OAVT standard as other programs.
The objective for accreditation is to certify Veterinary Technician educational programs, produce competent technicians for employment in the animal health field. Accreditation evaluates facilities, resources and faculty. The OAVT has appointed an evaluation team to assess these programs and recommend qualification for accreditation. CVMA accredited colleges in Ontario will have to be approved by the OAVT in order for their graduates to qualify to write the examination. Please note the above concession that has been made for CVMA accredited colleges.
Accredited programs are required to renew accreditation with terms set by the OAVT Veterinary Technician Program Accreditation (usually every three – five years). This ensures that the Veterinary Technician programs continue to meet or exceed the standards set by the OAVT College Approval Process.
In order to be registered (RVT), all technicians in Ontario must:
- Be a graduate from a program of study that has been approved by the Directors;
- Write the Veterinary Technician Examination recognized by the OAVT Board of Directors. The examination is currently offered in Ontario every January and June each year;
- Successfully complete an examination prescribed by the Directors on professional ethics and the regulatory environment;
- Produce evidence that he has not been convicted of a criminal offence;
- Be a member in good standing of the Corporation.
As a current RVT in Ontario, reciprocity has been made available Canada wide upon written request to the OAVT.
