A brief history of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (2009–2024)

My oh my, how time flies. . . . 2024 marks 75 years for The American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP)! It seems like only yesterday that I was nearing completion of my 7-year tenure on Council as Councilor (2013–2016), followed by President Elect-President-Immediate Past President (2017–2019) and preparing for our 70th anniversary festivities, including an overview of our 7 decades during the “Pillars of Pathology” mini-symposium at our 2019 Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. During the course of my extensive research that included sorting through our records archived in the Iowa State University Library Special Collections Department, I stumbled across invaluable articles on ACVP’s history, including our journal, written by some of our prior elected officials.^1,2,5,7 I would be a negligent steward of the College were I not to chronicle our significant accomplishments since those prior articles with an updated synopsis of ACVP history and coordinate its publication with our diamond jubilee.

General College Business

The trajectory of the College has been guided by our strategic plans since the first plan in 2000. The 2012–2017 plan included strategic initiatives on the certifying examination, lifelong learning, training programs, domestic and international strategic partnerships, and enhanced communications to engage membership and improve visibility and impact. The 2018–2022 plan was ambitious and included actionable goals focused on the future practice of veterinary pathology, expanding the impact and influence of veterinary pathologists, research, and strategic collaborations to propel veterinary pathology to the cutting edge of science and medicine for the advancement of animal and human health. The 2023–2027 plan is shaped by the previous plan and focuses on education of the veterinary pathology community at all career stages and sectors as well as building organizational infrastructure and outreach programs to support and advance our profession.

One of the task forces that arose out of the 2018–2022 strategic plan was charged with examining the infrastructure and processes that ACVP had in place to govern itself and recommending changes that would result in a more effective and efficient organization. Our governance model at the time (Council) included a current President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary-Treasurer, and 4 Councilors supported by an Executive Director from a management company. The task force identified gaps in that model and made recommendations that would maximally leverage assets and expertise; improve transparency, nimbleness, and efficiencies; and create more volunteer opportunities. The new governance model (Board of Directors, BOD) introduced in 2020 maintains a current President, President-Elect, and Immediate Past President; established new positions of a Chief Operations Officer (COO) with a 6-year term and an elect year, as well as a Treasurer with a 2-year term who can serve for a maximum of 3 terms and is appointed by the BOD following nomination by the Finance Committee; and 4 Directors instead of Councilors. Each position now has a defined position description and a vote. Drs Amy Durham and Kevin Esch serve as our first COO and Treasurer, respectively.

As referenced above, ACVP has relied upon a management company and Executive Director to help our elected officials manage our ever-expanding initiatives and working groups required to execute our mission. The Rees Group, in place since 2001, remained our management company until 2021, with Wendy Coe (2005–2016), Amy Overby (2017–2020), and Bill Stoeffler (2020–2021) serving as our Executive Directors. In 2020, Dr Michael J. Topper chaired the task force charged with issuing a request for proposals for association management services. The Association Management Center (AMC) was contracted and took over management responsibilities in October 2021 with Sarah Bilissis serving as our Executive Director to date.

Several policies pertaining to professional citizenship were also developed during this period, including the Anti-Harassment/Discrimination and Whistleblower Policies in 2013. In response to the reignited #MeToo movement with numerous publicized accounts of sexual harassment in 2017, ACVP updated these policies, developed guidelines for complaint investigation and resolution, and widely disseminated an “if you see or hear something, say something” email to College members with the policies prior to the Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada. Codes of Conduct and Professional Ethics were developed in 2019, and ACVP became the first veterinary organization to join the Societies Consortium on Sexual Harassment in STEMM, with the mission of advancing professional and ethical conduct, climate, and culture.

The ACVP also conducted the first salary and benefits survey in 2012 to understand compensation trends among ACVP diplomates, with subsequent surveys conducted in 2017, 2020, and 2023.

Membership

The vast majority of our now 2000 plus members have always been Diplomate Members, including Distinguished and Emeritus Members who successfully completed the ACVP certifying examination. We also have a limited number of individuals elected to Honorary Membership who have contributed in an extraordinary manner to the advancement of veterinary pathology. In 2020, ACVP voted to adjust our membership paradigm to include 2 categories of Affiliate Members. Individuals with a veterinary degree who are in a veterinary pathology training program and not yet ACVP-board certified can apply to become ACVP Trainee Affiliate Members or joint ACVP/American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP) Trainee Members. Persons who are qualified by virtue of training and/or experience, and are actively involved in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, molecular pathology, and/or pathology informatics through administration, teaching, research, or work in the biopharmaceutical industry, or are engaged as scientists or professionals in areas related to pathology, are eligible for election as Allied Professional Affiliate Members. However, only individuals certified by examination and complying with maintenance of certification requirements (for those certified in 2016 or after) are eligible to use the title Diplomate, ACVP, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Pathologists, or abbreviated Dipl. ACVP.

The ACVP is a college comprised of amazing members including, but not limited to, astronauts, Nobel Prize winners, and leaders such as department chairs and veterinary school deans. We can now add Jeopardy! winner to that list thanks to Dr Kyle Webb who made a 3-day appearance in January 2016, as well as American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) President thanks to Dr Michael J. Topper who was the first pathologist to serve in that role in 2017–2018!

We have multiple mechanisms to recognize our amazing members including Distinguished Member designation for diplomates who have rendered exceptionally distinguished service to the College or contributed in an exemplary manner to veterinary pathology, as well as Presidential Awards given to individuals at the discretion of the current ACVP President for impactful contributions. The addition of a Mid-Career Excellence Award was conceptualized and fundraising commenced in November 2012, with the inaugural award given to Dr Thijs Kuiken in 2013. Since 2019, this award has been given annually to up to 3 different individuals exhibiting excellence in diagnostics, education, and research, respectively.

Each year during our Annual Business Meeting, we take a moment to recognize the diplomates who passed away that year and reflect upon their contributions to the discipline of veterinary pathology. Sadly, the list of deceased diplomates over the last 15 years is too long to highlight all of them and their impactful contributions; however, I would be remiss without a special notation of 3 individuals. Dr Leon Z. Saunders, who was co-founder of our journal, Veterinary Pathology, and its managing editor for 25 years, died on 4 March 2009 at the age of 89. ⁶ Interestingly, he passed the first certifying examination administered by ACVP, served as ACVP President, and authored a Biographical History of Veterinary Pathology featuring biographical sketches of 150-plus veterinary pathologists throughout the world whose contributions established and developed the discipline of veterinary pathology. ¹¹ Dr Clarence R. Cole, the last of our 39 charter members died on 11 April 2017 at the age of 98. In addition to his role in the organization and recognition of ACVP as the first veterinary specialty, Dr Cole served as ACVP President and Secretary-Treasurer and was also a Distinguished Member. Dr David C. Dodd died on 22 December 2019 at the age of 97. Dr Dodd reportedly saved our journal which was 1 year behind its publication date back in 1971, prompting Council to consider ceasing publication were it not for his sole dissenting vote and subsequent willingness to take over the job of Editor-in-Chief for 8 years, during which he helped to “right the ship.” He later served as President of ACVP and authored the second installment of ACVP history. ⁵

Diversity and Inclusivity

Unfortunately, veterinary medicine in North America is one of the least racially and ethnically diverse fields, and the demographics of our veterinary students influence the demographics of our veterinary pathology residency training programs. The encouraging news is that veterinary schools are committed to changing this through adoption of intentional recruitment strategies and holistic admissions processes. Increasing diversity of graduating veterinarians should ultimately be reflected in our training programs, with delayed changes reflected in the membership and leadership of ACVP. The ACVP has only had 15 female Presidents, with 9 holding office since 2012, including our current Dr Madame President Lauri Diehl. Also of note, our 2017 and ninth female President, Dr Anne Barger was the first “out and proud” President representing the LGBTQIA+ community. In 2019, a membership initiative led by Drs José Vilches-Moure and Sue Knoblaugh resulted in the development of a Diversity Statement posted to the ACVP website and a Diversity Initiative Reception at the Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Coincidentally, at the same meeting, Dr K. Paige Carmichael became the first African American to receive Distinguished Membership. The ACVP now has a standing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee charged with creating and promoting a culture of diversity, inclusion, and acceptance within ACVP, fostering a sense of belonging and community within our organization, and serving as an educational resource to other committees for promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity in their efforts. There is still so much ground to make up, and we will do better.

Veterinary Students, Residents, and Training Programs

The ACVP has undertaken numerous initiatives over the years to promote pathology to our veterinary students, beginning with providing externship scholarships, recognizing pathology clubs at North American veterinary schools, developing “careers in veterinary pathology” presentations, offering $1000 travel awards for veterinary students in active pathology clubs to attend our Annual Meeting, and holding veterinary student receptions and offering veterinary student poster awards at our Annual Meeting. In 2014, ACVP instituted the ACVP Award for Excellence in Pathology to acknowledge a student at all AVMA-accredited veterinary schools in North America with an active pathology club. Certificates of Recognition may be linked to a preexisting pathology-related monetary award at a respective school or can be awarded separately.

A goal of the 2012–2017 Strategic Plan was to promote uniformly high-level training on testable and non-testable veterinary pathology competencies to make veterinary pathology residency training consistent across all programs and provide justification for maintaining or increasing faculty numbers and training resources in academia. Consequently, the ad hoc Training Program Development Task Force developed training guidelines for anatomic pathology, ¹⁰ given that the clinical pathology training guidelines had been previously published,^3,8,12 and initiated conversations about training program accreditation. Over a decade later, the ACVP initiative most transformative for trainees in veterinary pathology residencies alone or in combination with graduate programs will be the forthcoming training program accreditation. In 2020, the BOD assembled a task force chaired by Dr Lauren Richey that was charged with reviewing processes used for training program accreditation by other specialty colleges, developing a framework for training program accreditation by the ACVP, outlining the advantages and disadvantages of the framework, identifying possible roadblocks to implementation of the recommended process, providing suggestions for maintenance of the accreditation process over time, and reviewing the alternate training track option. In their 2021 report, the task force recommended that the ACVP BOD establish a program for ACVP training program accreditation worldwide that sets minimum standards of training across programs, encourages and supports a culture of continuous growth and improvement of all training programs, and allows for each program to collaborate and continue to offer unique specialty tracks and curricula critical to develop entry level pathologists ready for the many diverse career paths and changing needs in our profession. The task force’s recommendations were also shared in a Town Hall Meeting and webinar prior to the approval of the ACVP Bylaws revision, which included establishment of a Training Program Accreditation Committee. It is anticipated that this committee will roll out the voluntary accreditation process for veterinary pathology residency training programs worldwide in the coming months. The ACVP’s accreditation of training programs is a truly innovative initiative that integrates a competency-based educational framework. Following the trend in veterinary medical education with the American Association of Veterinary Medical College’s competency-based veterinary education, the ACVP is the first veterinary specialty college to design domains and competencies for our profession—keeping us at the forefront of education and training, and trailblazing a path for other veterinary specialties.

The Certifying Examination

An essential component of our mission—to promote excellence in veterinary pathology through our members as they protect and improve animal, human, and environmental health to benefit society—is the certification of veterinary pathologists. An outcome of the 2012–2017 Strategic Plan, which included a goal to advance ACVP certification as a premier credential in veterinary pathology, was the establishment of the Certifying Examination Board (CEB), first led by Dr R. Keith Harris, in 2012 to provide oversight and governance for all aspects of the certifying examination process and continually evaluate the examination for improvement. Since then, the CEB has instituted broad sweeping progressive changes to the certifying examination that align with best practices for high-stakes examinations. The CEB revised the examination by utilizing multiple-choice questions with 4 potential responses instead of 5, removing the General Pathology section from the 4-part examination in Ames, Iowa to become Phase I of the phased examination process delivered by a third-party vendor at testing centers worldwide, and implementing the first standard setting study to establish a cut score for the examination through a criteria-referenced process (2014). In 2016, the CEB implemented 10-year time-stamped certificates and maintenance of certification to comply with the AVMA’s American Board of Veterinary Specialties and completed a Job Task Analysis to ensure that the skills and knowledge tested on the examination reflect the current practice of pathology and identify required skills that are non-testable. Further modifications of the 3-part Phase II anatomic pathology and clinical pathology certification examination formats were implemented in 2017, transitioning to a single, pass-fail, 1-day examination given at the American Board of Pathology testing center in Tampa, Florida, which necessitated another standard setting study and marked the last time the Phase II examinations were offered in Ames, Iowa, to only certain candidates, heralding the end of an era that began in 1978. Relocation of the Phase II examinations to the American Board of Pathology facility was transformative in that candidates now had the option of using American Board of Pathology’s microscopes or continuing to transport their own, images were now integrated into the examination format, and examination security was increased. It also eliminated the “hunt/find” microscopic sections of the examinations, which were a huge source of stress in so many of our lives! In 2020, eligibility requirements for dual certification candidates were clarified to stipulate 12 months of training under the mentorship of a diplomate sponsor over a period of 1 to 5 years, of which a minimum of 50% was in person. In 2021, the phase II examinations transitioned to an all-multiple-choice question format, necessitating another standard setting study. The phase II certification examinations remain in that format to date and are delivered through a third-party vendor at testing centers worldwide or online via Live Remote Proctoring at any appropriate location of the candidates’ choice. Multiple-choice questions are specifically designed to test skills previously evaluated in essays and include descriptive questions such as “seek and find,” cell and tissue recognition, and identification of key diagnostic features. The CEB is a “well-oiled machine” comprised of diplomates organized into teams dedicated to specific functions that include credentialing, test item writing, examination assembly and administration, psychometrics and quality assurance, and maintenance of certification.

Other notable certifying examination milestones include relocation of the 2010 examination from the Iowa State University Scheman Center to the Cornerstone Church due to flooding, and cancelation of the 2020 phase II examination due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The former is still somewhat of a triggering memory for me given that I served as General and Anatomic Pathology Examination Chairs that year, with Dr Anne Barger serving alongside me as the Clinical Pathology Chair!

The Journal and “Pathology in Practice”

In 2009, Veterinary Pathology became the official publication of ACVP as well as the European (ECVP) and Japanese (JCVP) Colleges of Veterinary Pathologists. This was also the last year that Allen Press published Veterinary Pathology, with Sage taking over as publisher in 2010 and continuing to this day. Synergy between Editor-in-Chief Dr Carl Alden and Sage resulted in significant journal advancements, including digitization and online availability of volumes 1 to 18, dedicated professional staff for RGB to CMYK conversion, mandated color images unless the substrate was black and white (i.e. electron micrographs), 2 free color plates per manuscript, and publication of the first 2 special focus issues on (1) Emerging Diseases and Global Surveillance and (2) Research Challenges and Animal Models in Biological Defense (2010). In 2011, whole slide scanning and hosting by Flagship Biosciences enabled readers to view slides up to 20× of images in online journal articles but was discontinued shortly thereafter due to cost and lack of utilization. A strategic plan was developed for the journal in 2012 that included implementation of a mobile interface and electronic only subscription option. As Dr Jeff Caswell assumed the Editor-in-Chief position in 2014, it was noted that paid journal subscriptions had quadrupled, approximately 2500 subscriptions were provided free to developing nations through the World Health Organization, and the journal’s impact factor exceeded 2.0 for the first time. In 2018, a new feature entitled “Image Challenge” was introduced, enabling readers to test their diagnostic skills based on gross, histologic, or cytologic images. ⁴ Each image is accompanied by a multiple-choice question, and answers are provided on a different page of the same issue. Under Dr Caswell’s 8-year tenure, the journal also published 10 special focus issues on a variety of topics, including, but not limited to, Pathology of Bones and Joints (2015), Aging (2016), Immune-Mediated Diseases (2018), Infectious Diseases of Domestic Animals (2014), Modeling Lethal Emergent Viral Diseases in Laboratory Animals (2015), Veterinary Forensic Pathology (2016), Diagnostic Veterinary Oncologic Pathology (2021), and Investigative Techniques (2014). The special focus issues helped to boost the journal’s visibility beyond veterinary pathology disciples and the impact factor continued to increase. As Dr Joshua Webster took the reigns as Editor-in-Chief in 2022, the journal posted a record high impact factor of 3.157! Lastly, as of January 2024, Veterinary Pathology is an online only publication, thereby saving innumerable trees!

In 2009, the first recognized veterinary specialty became a permanent component of the Clinical Challenges feature in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) through the “Pathology in Practice” manuscript category. Cases in which clinicopathologic abnormalities, gross pathological lesions, and associated histopathologic or cytologic findings are integral for their diagnosis provide a learning opportunity for the broader veterinary community, many of whom are general practitioners. This has become a popular option for our veterinary students and pathology residents to author their first publication, as exemplified by the first manuscript on dermal candidiasis in a camel. ⁹

Annual Scientific Meetings and Symposia

The ACVP’s annual scientific meetings held in conjunction with ASVCP are always great opportunities to catch up with colleagues, including future pathologists in the form of veterinary students and residents, as well as acquire continuing education. The 2014 meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, was a joint meeting between ACVP, ASVCP, and the American Society for Investigative Pathology. The 2015 meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was especially memorable because it was also a joint meeting between ACVP, ASVCP, and the Society of Toxicologic Pathology, giving all veterinary pathologists, regardless of their employment sector, the rare opportunity to convene in the same location. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, our meetings in 2020 and 2021 were noteworthy for being virtual. The 2022 and 2023 meetings demonstrated the continued appreciation for ACVP comradery and education with attendance trending on the rise.

The ACVP has also been mindful about implementing community outreach opportunities tailored to the meeting location. At the 2010 meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, we engaged with local high school students via poster presentations from previous summer’s work, discussion with mentors, and lunch. Since 2012, our annual community outreach activity (CO-Act) provides meeting attendees a volunteer opportunity such as packing meal kits donated to a local food bank or hygiene kits donated to a local shelter for people experiencing homelessness, as well as sorting donated clothes to be sold in a store that funds a local women’s shelter.

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Veterinary Pathology in 2012, an inaugural mini-symposium entitled “Pillars of Pathology” was held at the meeting in Seattle, Washington, to recognize ACVP members from our recent history who have supported the expansion of our discipline. Drs Stephen W. Barthold, Donald J. Meuten, John M. King, and Mary Anna Thrall were chosen to populate the 2012 inaugural symposium, recognizing that the candidate list was long and the choice of only 4 was difficult. The intent of the mini-symposium was not to be an awards/recognition ceremony or career send-off as all were still active in their fields; however, the spirit of the session was educational to feature how ordinary people can become extraordinary pathologists. While the Education Committee proposed repeating the mini-symposium every 3 to 5 years featuring different extraordinary pathologists, it was not revived until 2019 which corresponded with ACVP’s 70th anniversary. The 2019 “pillars” chosen from yet another long candidate list included Drs Linda J. Lowenstine, M. Grant Maxie, Rose E. Raskin, and Jerrold M. Ward. Hopefully, we will have another “Pillars of Pathology” mini-symposium to look forward to soon.

The ACVP also created a scientific symposium with the American Society for Investigative Pathology at the Experimental Biology Meeting, which started in 2009 and ran continuously through 2022, with the exception of the 2020 meeting which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thematic presentations were delivered by ACVP’s most prominent scientists on topics including, but not limited to, one medicine/one health, stem cells and genetically engineered models, heat shock proteins, the intestinal microbiome, imaging, epigenetics and cancer, hemostasis and thrombosis, and neuropathology animal models, with the goal of exposing ACVP and its activities to other scientists, investigators, and pathologists working outside our veterinary realm.

Final Thoughts

A pivotal meeting in Chicago, Illinois, among 15 veterinary pathologists at the Conference of Research Workers in Animal Disease in North America birthed the ACVP in 1949 with 43 charters members and Drs William H. Feldman, Alfred G. Karlson, and Thomas Carlyle Jones (Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Veterinary Corps and author of the first installment of ACVP history ⁷ ) serving as the first President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer, respectively. Our specialty, the first veterinary specialty group recognized and approved (2 October 1951) by the AVMA, has grown into a worldwide, first class organization of diagnosticians, educators, and researchers. The advancements of the past 15 years that I highlighted above have contributed to the tremendous evolution ACVP has collectively experienced over the past 75 years. This evolution would not be possible without the constellation of member volunteers, including, but not limited to, countless unnamed individuals serving on our committees, task forces, and working groups who credential individuals, write examination questions, participate in standard setting, and administer our certifying examination; review submitted manuscripts and set editorial policy for our journal; organize our annual scientific meetings and judge posters; strategic plan; advocate; fundraise; and so on, as well as our elected officers and Councilors/Directors who manage all of these activities for our beloved profession. It has been such an honor and privilege to volunteer, serve, and contribute to the College’s evolution alongside innumerable colleagues and lifelong friends for so many years, as well as document this short period in its history.