Priority Areas

• A member survey was launched in early September to inform a second set of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) immigration webinars that were hosted by CVMA in December 2023.

• The CVMA offers an Immigration Concierge Service exclusively for CVMA members/employers to help navigate the process of recruiting internationally trained veterinarians and veterinary technologists/technicians for employment in Canada. This service includes helping members connect with Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Outreach Officers and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) program officials to flag an issue; determine the status of immigration files and work permits; identify factors to consider when using an immigration consultant in the process.

  • Please contact Mike Bradshaw if you are a CVMA member/employer and are currently in the process of bringing an internationally trained veterinarian or veterinary technologist/technician to Canada for employment or have questions about this process. This concierge service is free and exclusively for CVMA members/employers.

A set of research articles offering information to improve veterinary team member retention and service delivery have been selected and reviewed for CVMA members. These recent articles explore topics such as cost of treatment, utilization of veterinary technologists, veterinary healthcare team dynamics, communications with companion animal owners, and other key areas and activities. Additional articles will be added as they are identified and validated for their relevance to veterinary practices. Please share relevant articles with Mike Bradshaw, CVMA’s Workforce Supply project manager.

• The Ontario government introduced legislation designed to enhance access to professional animal care. The Enhancing Professional Care for Animals Act would, if passed, pave the way to formalizing the broad scope of practice for veterinary technicians that could result in an expanded role. The legislation would also streamline the complaints resolution process and increase penalties for actions that intentionally harm an animal.  The proposed new legislation would provide a number of important benefits, including:

  • Enabling the creation of a formal scope of practice for veterinary technicians that would allow them to perform to the full potential of their training and expertise.
  • New requirements for continuing education similar to other regulated professions.
  • An improved complaints resolution process to allow disputes to be addressed more quickly.
  • Increased penalties to better reflect the seriousness of actions that could harm animals.
  • Ensuring more public representation on the council of the regulatory college overseeing veterinary professionals to bring broader perspectives.
• The Government of Saskatchewan is recognizing the demand for veterinary professionals across their province and have taken steps to support demand in this field in its 2024 Labour Market Strategy by:
  • Increasing the number of subsidized veterinary student seats at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine from 20 to 25; and,
  • Expanding the veterinary professional loan forgiveness program to encourage professionals to practice in rural Saskatchewan.
    • Read more here.
  • The amount of eligible forgiveness is calculated annually and is paid as a reduction to their provincial student loan. Veterinarians and veterinary technologists will receive forgiveness of one-fifth (20%) of their outstanding Saskatchewan Student Loan debt, up to $4,000 annually, for up to five years, to a maximum of $20,000.
  • The total amount of forgiveness an applicant will be eligible for is calculated on the value of the provincial student loan the day before the start date of the forgiveness period of the first application. This balance is divided by five to calculate the total amount allowed, up to $4,000 annually.
  • To be eligible for Saskatchewan Student Loan Forgiveness, applicants need to:
    • Practice as a veterinarian or veterinary technologist in a designated rural community or provide services to livestock clients from designated communities. Designated communities include any Saskatchewan community with a population of 10,000 or less;
    • Have started your current employment (full-time, part-time, or casual) on or after January 1, 2021;
    • Read more here.
• The Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA), in partnership with the Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS) and the Government of Manitoba, unveiled the Limited Access Vaccinator Program, slated to begin on June 1, 2024.
  • This initiative is specially designed to deliver crucial veterinary services to underserved areas, focusing on communities located above the North 53rd parallel and all First Nations communities in Manitoba.
  • The program's training will include how to administer over-the-counter medications like non-prescription deworming medications, microchips, and combination vaccines for cats.
    • Read more about the program here.
• The governments of Canada and British Columbia, under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, launched a new initiative for veterinary and veterinary technologist students working in BC food animal practices.
  • Veterinary practices in British Columbia that offer food animal services are eligible for support to hire veterinary and registered veterinary technologist (RVT) students for work placements of 12 consecutive weeks or longer in 2024.
  • Read more about the program here.
• The Ontario government is launching the Veterinary Incentive Program to encourage newly licensed veterinarians to practice in northern and underserviced communities. The program intake opens today and will provide grants of up to $50,000 over five years to veterinarians who provide care to livestock and poultry in these communities.
• Dr. Jason Coe of the Ontario Veterinary College will conduct research related to these areas in the next 12 to 24 months as part of his ongoing research agenda and will make these studies available through the CVMA.
• The CVMA-IRCC immigration webinars delivered in February and March 2023 presented specialized immigration programs for the Atlantic region and rural and remote regions across Canada.

• The Canadian Council of Veterinary Registrars (CCVR) and the National Examining Board (NEB) are working on a new pathway to assess competencies for designated/species specific veterinary assessment and licensure for internationally-trained veterinarians.
  
  

  Milestones	Target Date
  1. Secure platform set-up	February 17, 2023
  2. Assessment and supervisory parameters established	August 18, 2023
  3. Orientation modules ready for launch	August 18, 2023
  4. Conduct pilot, validate tool	September 6 to November 24, 2023
  5. Train administrator and assessors	December 8, 2023
  6. Close-out	December 20, 2023

• The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM)'s foreign-trained veterinarian swine residency certification program is expected to help address the shortage of swine veterinarians across Canada.
  
  • Read more about the program here.

• The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) is offering additional Preliminary Surgical Assessment (PSA) and Clinical Proficiency Examination (CPE) seats in 2023. The NEB is also looking at other exam site options (e.g., the CVMA accredited veterinary technician colleges).
  • WCVM is looking at expanding its capacity to administer the CEP on behalf of NEB with the aim of becoming the National Testing Centre.
• The University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) is looking to implement a bridging program that will support candidate credentialing through the NEB clinical year option, pending funding approval.

• As a result of the efforts of veterinary college deans, veterinary medical associations, and stakeholders, provincial funding has been secured for additional student seats:
  • The Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) will expand the total number of seats available for first-year Nova Scotia students from 16 to 24 from fall 2024, thanks to a five-year, $50.8-million investment from the Government of Nova Scotia. Read more here.
  • The Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) at the University of Guelph is expanding its Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program to train more veterinarians in partnership with Lakehead University. Read more here.
  • British Columbia is to fund an additional 20 seats
  • Alberta is to fund from 30-50 up to 100 seats
  • Manitoba is to fund an additional 5 seats
  • Saskatchewan is to fund an additional 5 seats
  • Quebec is to fund an additional 25 seats
  • The University of Calgary - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) received provincial funding to address growing demand for vets, particularly in rural Alberta.
    • A ground-breaking ceremony was held at the university's Spy Hill campus on December 1, 2023 to mark the start of construction on the new Veterinary Learning Commons building. When complete, it will double veterinary medicine seats to 100.
    • Read more here.
  • The Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) applied for funding of an additional 20 seats
    • OVC will double the number of international students from 15 to 30 for fall 2023 and 2024 and is also now accepting students from the University of St. Georges and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.
  • The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) now has all 88 seats funded, and will conduct a study in the fall of 2023 to develop requirements for a 50% expansion.
    • Note: The funding from BC, MB, and SK does not increase the number of seats at WCVM but increases the number of funded seats.
  • The University of PEI, Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) is preparing proposal to fund 40% more seats to keep pace with the growth in the rest of Canada.
• The Government of Saskatchewan is recognizing the demand for veterinary professionals across their province and have taken steps to support demand in this field in its 2024 Labour Market Strategy by:
  • Increasing the number of subsidized veterinary student seats at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine from 20 to 25; and,
  • Expanding the veterinary professional loan forgiveness program to encourage professionals to practice in rural Saskatchewan.
    • Read more here.
•  The Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association (MBVMA) has sent a letter to the Manitoba provincial government requesting subsidization for eight (8) un-funded veterinary students at the WCVM. If successful, this request would not increase the total seats, but increase the funding for existing seats.
• CVMA met with the Deans Council: Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Medicine on June 9, 2023 to update on the various workforce shortage priority pathways and the status of provincial commitments for seats at veterinary colleges.

• The University of Saskatchewan and the University of Montreal are planning to introduce programs for foreign-trained veterinarians (FTV). These programs have been tailored to provide FTVs with the necessary education and certification to seek licensing at the provincial levels. 
• The Department of Large Animal and Clinical Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan are establishing the Swine Medicine Advancement Recruitment and Training (SMART) program. This SMART program includes the Foreign-Trained Veterinarian (FTV) Swine Residency Certification Program. This program provides an alternative route for FTVs who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents and presently working in Canada to upgrade skills, achieve board certification in swine health management, and eligibility for VMA licensure in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba at this time. Please contact Dr. John Harding, SMART program director, at john.harding@usask.ca for more information.

• The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FMV) of the Université de Montréal will introduce a new qualification program in veterinary medicine in 2024. This new program will lead to an attestation of qualification in veterinary medicine. It will allow veterinarians, who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents and who hold a degree from an educational institution that is not accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), to complete a preparatory trimester and a year of clinical practice at the FVM by enrolling in the Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program.

  • Candidates will then be eligible to take the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE). An application for licensure may subsequently be filed with the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ), after successful completion of the clinical year and the NAVLE.

  • Read more about the program here.

• Dr. Jason Coe, DVM, of the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) has begun forwarding studies in these and other clinical practice management areas.
  • A number of research papers have now been authorized for free access by Dr. Coe and the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA) that include topics such as, “Veterinary Technicians contribute to shared decision-making during companion animal veterinary practice,” 2022; and, “Discussion of costs continues to be uncommon in companion animal veterinary practice,” 2022.
  • These research articles will soon be posted on this landing page.
• We will continue to identify and seek permission to post research articles specific to veterinary work and practices that impact attrition and retention.
• Efforts will also be undertaken to share best practices in these areas from veterinary clinic owners and administrative managers.