Veterinary Specialty Boards Reading Lists

ACVPM - Preventive Medicine

Primary references applicable to more than one subject area:

"The Environmental Health and Toxicology section includes nine subcategories: Air; Land/soil; Water; Waste; Emergency Preparedness and Response; Occupational Health; Vectors; Radiation; and Toxicology. An equal number of questions will be drawn from each subcategory in the multiple-choice section of the exam. The Toxicology subcategory draws upon the principles of toxicology and toxic substances in general. Applied knowledge of toxicology is incorporated into many of the subcategories areas."

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"The Epidemiology and Biostatistics section of the multiple-choice exam includes questions that are drawn from subcategories listed within the Model Curriculum.

Epidemiology is the basic science with tools to support decision making processes in veterinary public health and preventive medicine. It deals with the investigation of diseases, production losses, and health issues in animal and human populations. Essential activities within epidemiology encompass the broad areas of study design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Biostatistical methods and techniques are relied upon to objectively identify factors associated with specific outcomes.

Preventive medicine professionals and other practitioners must be able to integrate and synthesize epidemiological findings with their knowledge from other basic and clinical sciences to design effective disease control and health maintenance programs. This includes the ability to plan surveillance or research activities and to evaluate the results.

Additionally, the ACVPM Exam will require biostatistical knowledge that is essential for a diplomate to operate within the preventive veterinary medicine fields. Candidates will need to demonstrate the ability to use and interpret basic biostatistics used epidemiologic studies and investigations. More specific examples of hypothesis tests and statistical techniques are listed within the Model Curriculum. General biostatistics books will provide the underlying knowledge but may need to be supplemented with an analytic epidemiology text."

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"Food science in the ‘Farm to Fork” spectrum is essential for a diplomate to operate within the veterinary preventive medicine fields. See the ACVPM Model Curriculum for Food Protection subcategories."

Websites provide key reference materials and current topics:

Other

• Review food science basics in a food science text of choice
• Review food science basics in a food science text and current focus area and hot topics in journals such as the Journal of Food Protection and above cited references.  No specific text is required.

• Review basics of foodborne outbreak investigations and calculations in an appropriate food science and/or epidemiology textbook. No specific text required.

"The Infectious Diseases section includes eight subcategories:

Immunology and Pathogenesis; Transmission; Pharmaceuticals; Biologics; Diagnostics and Chemicals; Bacterial, Viral, Rickettsial, Parasitic, TSE, and Mycotic Agents; Foreign Animal Diseases; and, General."

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Supplementary References

Basic Immunology and Infectious Agent Textbooks – Current Edition

The Public Health Administration and Education section includes nine subcategories:  Risk Assessment; Communications (including Risk Communication); Governmental Function; Governmental Organization; Laws, Policies and Plans; Leadership; Prevention; Surveillance/Monitoring; and Evaluation.

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