A veterinary specialist may be consulted when an animal's condition requires specialized care above and beyond that which a regular veterinarian can offer.
[citation needed] Admission or entry into a veterinary specialty residency program is highly competitive in the United States and Canada.
Some veterinarians complete additional specialty internships before being accepted into a residency program.
Most specialties require the resident to produce some academic contribution (often in the form of a scientific publication) in order to qualify to sit the certifying examination.
According to the AVMA, a board-certified veterinary specialist is "a veterinarian who has completed additional training in a specific area of veterinary medicine and has passed an examination that evaluates their knowledge and skills in that specialty area.