Bigstock I am a third-generation veterinarian, raised among barn calls and exam rooms, with a deep respect for the science behind animal care. However, it was not until I pursued my own combined veterinary degree and PhD that I understood the essential role licensure plays in protecting the profession and the public and why it is needed more than ever. The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) estimates the U.S. will need roughly 70,000 new veterinarians by 2032 to address acute shortages in rural, food animal, and public health roles.1 Even though veterinary student enrollment has reportedly increased more than 35 percent over the past decade,2 and new training models and pathways into the profession diversify, growth in the number of students is not the only sign of a healthy talent pipeline. Standards matter more than ever Increasing the number of veterinarians must go hand-in-hand with maintaining confidence in the competence of those entering the field. A degree reflects education, but licensure measures competence. The North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) is our profession’s independent safeguard. It builds public trust by ensuring every newly licensed veterinarian, regardless of where or how they were trained, meets a baseline standard of knowledge necessary to practice safely. It is not designed to identify the most polished clinician or future specialist, but to answer a far more important question: Can this veterinarian be trusted with animal and public health? How rigor works Few topics generate as much anxiety as a licensure exam. I remember my own fears as a student. Would I get “too many pig questions?” Would I be tested on something I hadn’t thought about in years? That anxiety is understandable, and I see it often, having worked in academia for more than a decade. Now, as chair of the board of the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA), which oversees the development of NAVLE content, my appreciation for the rigor and integrity of the exam has only grown. As our field evolves, so has the licensure exam, but without compromising standards. Each question is formulated by trained subject matter experts from across veterinary medicine–from private practitioners and academicians to industry professionals–who represent diverse species, geographic regions, and career stages. These experts undergo formal training in best practices for item writing before they submit a question. From there, the process becomes even more rigorous. Items are reviewed, edited, and critiqued repeatedly by multiple trained subject matter experts from various areas of veterinary medicine. Some are rejected outright. Those that advance must be pre-tested to gather performance information before they can ever count toward a candidate’s score. The council uses the performance information to determine: 1) how the candidates interpret the question, 2) if the question performed as intended, and 3) if the question appropriately assesses entry-level competency. Only after passing through this rigorous process can an item be eligible for inclusion as a scored question on the NAVLE and earn a place on an exam. When I try to explain this to students, I often compare it to the most intense group project imaginable: you submit your work, it is openly critiqued by peers and experts, revised or rejected, and then evaluated again years later based on how real candidates performed. Fairness at the forefront A common grumble you hear about the NAVLE is different candidates see different questions. While that’s true, every NAVLE exam is built on the same published blueprint, which defines the proportion of species, diagnoses, and competencies represented on the exam. Fairness is at the core of the NAVLE. That blueprint is not arbitrary. It is derived from a large-scale practice analysis that reflects a survey of thousands of practicing veterinarians across North America. It is designed to capture what veterinarians encounter in day-to-day practice. The goal is alignment with real-world entry-level practice, not any single educational program or regional emphasis. Candidates may remember the species they felt least comfortable with, but the overall exam composition remains consistent. Importantly, exam forms are assembled using automated procedures to ensure comparable difficulty, and scores are statistically equated, so no cohort is advantaged or disadvantaged based on the specific form they receive. This is how fairness is operationalized, not by identical questions, but by equivalent standards. Protecting the profession and the public Standards don’t just happen. They are built, tested, and maintained through intentional, ongoing work. They involve having a clear purpose, transparent process, and uncompromising rigor. It means continuously revisiting standards, engaging expert voices, and refining assessments to reflect contemporary veterinary medicine. As someone who has spent a career teaching, mentoring, and now contributing to assessment at a national level, I strongly believe these processes deserve trust, not because they are perfect, but because they are deliberate, evidence-based, and continually improving. The NAVLE is not the culmination of veterinary education. It is a checkpoint. What truly defines our profession is what comes after: lifelong learning, ethical practice, and a commitment to excellence that goes far beyond minimum competency. But the minimum matters. It protects the public. It protects the profession. As we continue to grow our profession, we cannot lose sight of this critical milestone and its role in shaping the field. It’s incumbent upon all of us to remember that standards, when thoughtfully designed and rigorously upheld, are not barriers, but foundations for the future. Hilari French, DVM, PhD, DACT, DABVP, is a third-generation veterinarian, educator, researcher, and veterinary leader. She serves as the department head of Clinical Sciences and a professor of Theriogenology at the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine of Rowan University. Dr. French earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and PhD from Louisiana State University and is board-certified in both Theriogenology and Food Animal Practice. Her research focuses on education, reproductive health, wildlife contraception, and One Health initiatives. As the chair of the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA) Board of Directors, French helps oversee veterinary licensure and assessment programs, including the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE), which supports veterinary competency standards across North America and beyond. References Gitter, R., Lafayette, B. (2024). Demand for and Supply of Veterinarians in the U.S. to 2032. https://www.aavmc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Demand-for-and-Supply-of-Veterinarians-in-the-U.S.-to-2032-New.pdf Larkin, Malinda. “US Veterinary Colleges Increase Seats at Accelerating Rate.” American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), 26 Sept. 2023, www.avma.org/news/us-veterinary-colleges-increase-seats-accelerating-rate.
