BECOMING AN RVT
The Registration Process
Congratulations! Whether you are here as a student, a recent veterinary technician/technology course graduate, or a long-time veterinary technician looking to obtain their “R”, congratulations on taking the next step.
The registration process for each province is slightly different, so it is encouraged to reach out to the provincial association for the province you are looking to become registered in to ensure that current criteria are met.
As it stands, all provincial associations require the individual to be a graduate from an accredited 2 or 3-year veterinary technician/technology program, and for those graduates to complete the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE), which is hosted by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB)
There are two accrediting bodies for veterinary technician/technologist programs in Canada. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians (OAVT). As the OAVT is the regulatory body for RVTs in Ontario (see below), Ontario colleges MUST be accredited by the OAVT for graduates from their programs to sit for the VTNE. While Ontario colleges must be OAVT accredited, they may be duly accredited with OAVT and CVMA.
Other criteria to complete for registration in your province may include:
Submitting membership application to the provincial RVT association and/or veterinary medical association
A criminal background check
It is important to note that depending on the province in which you live, the regulatory body with which you register will be different. Currently, the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians (OAVT) is Canada’s only self-regulated veterinary technician association. In most other provinces, RVT members are regulated by their provincial veterinary medical association.