BVMS vs. DVM

[canadaprevet]

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I am still confused on what the difference is between the BVMS and DVM program. As far as I know, the DVM is North American and BVMS is European. But what are the implication for a North American student who receives a BVMS at an accredited school and then comes back to practice in North America? Can you be called Doctor with a BVMS?

 

[devyn]

I am still confused on what the difference is between the BVMS and DVM program. As far as I know, the DVM is North American and BVMS is European. But what are the implication for a North American student who receives a BVMS at an accredited school and then comes back to practice in North America? Can you be called Doctor with a BVMS?

Yes.... you are still a doctor... there are no implications... if you go to an AVMA accredited school in a Europe/UK then you just take the NAVLE and whatever other boards your state requires and then you can practice - it is just like going to school in the states - the letters behind your name are just different.


Not sure why people get so hung up on this 😕

 

[hopefulinva]

Just don't get confused with BMVS, which is Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences (at some schools) and offers MS/PhD's... not medical degrees. 😉

 

[CalliopeDVM]

I am still confused on what the difference is between the BVMS and DVM program. As far as I know, the DVM is North American and BVMS is European. But what are the implication for a North American student who receives a BVMS at an accredited school and then comes back to practice in North America? Can you be called Doctor with a BVMS?

Sure you can still be called "Doctor", though it's actually an honorary, not a legal, title. Still, legally you have all the same rights since you have the same license. According to the AVMA: "Veterinarians should use only the title of the professional degree that was awarded by the school of veterinary medicine where the degree was earned. All veterinarians may use the courtesy titles Doctor or Veterinarian." I'm not sure if the CVMA has something similar, but I'm pretty sure the same idea applies.

That means that you couldn't call yourself "canadaprevet, DVM", since you didn't earn a DVM, but you could call yourself "Dr. canadaprevet".