Introduction Titles and post-nominals (letters placed after an individual’s name to indicate academic degrees, honours, or professional affiliations) play a crucial role in professional identity. This article provides a general summary of recommendations on how veterinarians should use titles and post-nominals. If you are a registered veterinarian in Australia or New Zealand, you can seek specific guidance on the use of titles and post-nominals from the veterinary board/council in the jurisdiction in which you are registered. Overview Veterinarians must exercise caution in presenting their qua ..read more

Dr Susan Keane, Head of Sustainable Practice, AVBC In Australia and New Zealand, the veterinary profession is regulated by veterinary statutory bodies (VSBs)[1] in each jurisdiction. New Zealand has a single VSB regulating veterinarians – the Veterinary Council of New Zealand. Australia is a federation, so each jurisdiction independently regulates veterinarians, meaning there are 8 VSBs (“veterinary boards”) nationwide. The role of the VSBs is to safeguard the public and animal welfare by enforcing the veterinary acts within their respective jurisdictions. The Australasian Veterinary Boar ..read more

Important dates for those who wish to sit the 2024 AVE Preliminary (MCQ) Examination: AVE Preliminary (MCQ) Examination The next sitting of the Preliminary (MCQ) Examination is scheduled for 19 April 2024. The closing date for applications and payment for the examination is 8 February 2024. Before you can receive an application for the MCQ examination, you must first submit an application for assessment of your eligibility to sit the AVE, and have been assessed as eligible. AVE eligibility assessments can take up to 6 weeks to process. We endeavour to complete them in a shorter timeframe whene ..read more

AVE Preliminary (MCQ) Examination The next available sitting of the Preliminary (MCQ) Examination will be on 19 April 2024. The closing date for applications and payment for the 2024 MCQ will be 8 February 2024. Applicants assessed as eligible to sit the AVE will receive an application form for the MCQ either later this year, or at the time they are assessed as eligible.   AVE Final (Clinical) Examination Two full clinical examinations are scheduled for 2023: 30 October – 3 November 2023; and 27 November – 1 December 2023 Applications for these examinations are now closed. More clinical e ..read more

Dear AVBC Community, As 2023 comes to a close, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all our stakeholders for their invaluable contributions to the work of AVBC. Your support has been instrumental in our ongoing efforts to ensure the integrity and sustainability of the Australasian veterinary profession. As we approach the festive season, the AVBC office will be closed from 5 pm (AEDT) on Thursday, December 21, 2023, and will reopen at 9 am (AEDT) on January 3, 2024. Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and joyous festive season. We look forward to the challenges and achievements ..read more

The AVBC has recently announced an upcoming adjustment in migration skills assessment fees, set to take effect on 1 January 2024. A skills assessment is an evidence-based assessment of skills, qualifications and employment history. The assessment ensures that applicants have skills comparable to Australian standards. For veterinarians migrating to Australia under a points-tested skilled migration category, AVBC is the only specified assessing authority for the occupation “Veterinarian” (ANZSCO Code 234711) under the Migration Regulations 1994. You can apply for a Skills Assessment with AVBC if ..read more

The Australian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC) is embarking on an ambitious initiative to develop a National Veterinary Database in Australia. To lead this critical project, AVBC is searching for a talented Business Analyst to join their team. The current fragmented system makes it challenging for both veterinary professionals and the public to access accurate and up-to-date information. This project responds to the lack of data available on the veterinary profession and inefficiencies in maintaining a separate database in each jurisdiction. Reducing duplication of effort, facilitating effici ..read more

AVBC, through its Sustainable Practice Committee, works to achieve a coherent approach on post-qualification practice matters including collection of data for evidence-based regulation and quality assurance. The Challenge Currently, each veterinary jurisdiction in Australia and New Zealand has its own separate registration database, resulting in • Duplication and multiplication of effort and expenses, • Insufficient resources to recruit specialised technical support for a future-proof, secure, robust database, • The inability for a member of the public to find a general or specialist registere ..read more

Melbourne – 25 September 2023 AVBC is delighted to announce that City University of Hong Kong’s Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, has become the first veterinary school outside of Australia and New Zealand to be guided from “reasonable assurance” to accreditation by a series of its expert teams. After all Boards had time to consider the report from the site visit to the school at the end of May this year, the decision was ratified at the AVBC meeting on the 21 September. Over six days, the VSAAC team met with College staff and current students and toured the School ..read more

21 September 2023  [Melbourne, Victoria] – The Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC) today passed a special resolution to add the Veterinary Surgeons Board of South Australia (VSBSA) to its list of members. The unanimous vote on the return of the VSBSA to the AVBC signifies the possibility of adopting national (with New Zealand) policies supporting the highest standards of veterinary regulation and synergy within the Australasian veterinary regulatory community.  The AVBC is composed of veterinary regulatory boards and membership organisations across Australia and New Zealand ..read more