American College of Exotic Pet Medicine

What American College of Exotic Pet Medicine does

American College of Exotic Pet Medicine (ACEPM), founded in 2022, is a private non-profit certifying organization that awards board certification to veterinarians specializing in exotic pet medicine across three branches: avian, exotic small mammals, and reptiles and amphibians. ACEPM was established after years of practitioner discussion and unsuccessful attempts to create a combined specialty college; the organization fills a gap by offering a unified, homogeneous certification where prior pathways were predominantly practitioner-track with shorter residency requirements. The organization is headquartered under US jurisdiction (inferred) and is not currently recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

ACEPM's product portfolio comprises a 3-year mentored Residency Program, a Diplomate Certification awarded upon passing a 90-120 minute oral exam at a 75% passing threshold, a De Facto Diplomate Certification route open to founding members and existing Diplomates of ABVP, ACZM, ECZM, and ANZCVS through December 31, 2027, a Mentorship Program connecting residents with Diplomates, a 10-year Maintenance of Certification (MOC) cycle, and a public Find a Board Certified Vet directory. Approved residency training sites include Exotic Vet Care (Charleston, SC), Long Island Bird and Exotics Veterinary Clinic (NY), and three Italian sites (Ambulatorio Veterinario Belvedere, University of Parma, Centro Veterinario Animali Esotici).

ACEPM generates revenue through three streams: a $250 annual residency program fee (recurring, payable by the resident's sponsor over 3 years), a $450 one-time certification exam fee, and a $250 one-time de facto application processing fee. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on the veterinary exotic pet community, conferences, journal clubs, case rounds, and a public directory that directs pet owners to certified Diplomates. Operations span at least 11 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Australia. Revenue and funding are not publicly disclosed.

Name

American College of Exotic Pet Medicine

Legal name

American College of Exotic Pet Medicine

Website

https://acepm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

American College of Exotic Pet Medicine (ACEPM), founded in 2022, is a non-profit certifying body that awards board certification to veterinarians specializing in exotic pet medicine, including avian, exotic small mammals, and reptiles and amphibians.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Residency Program Fees: Annual fee of $250 payable by the resident's sponsor at registration and yearly thereafter for veterinarians participating in the 3-year residency program.
2. Certification Exam Fee: One-time exam fee of $450 charged when a resident submits credentials for approval and scheduling of the certification exam.
3. De Facto Application Processing Fee: One-time processing fee of $250 for veterinarians applying through the de facto route for board certification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ACEPM is a certifying non-profit organization that offers veterinarians a 3-year mentored residency program and board certification in exotic pet medicine across avian, exotic small mammals, and reptiles/amphibians. It also offers De Facto certification for established specialists, a Mentorship Program, a Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, and a public directory to help pet owners find board certified veterinarians.

Product overview

The American College of Exotic Pet Medicine (ACEPM) is a certifying non-profit organization offering a unified portfolio of veterinary certification and training programs. The core offering consists of a 3-year Residency Program that trains veterinarians in exotic pet medicine across avian, exotic small mammals, and reptiles/amphibians specialties. Upon completion, veterinarians earn Diplomate Certification through examination. ACEPM also offers De Facto Certification for established specialists, a Mentorship Program connecting residents with board-certified veterinarians, and a Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program for ongoing credential maintenance every 10 years. The organization also operates a public directory enabling pet owners to locate board certified exotic pet veterinarians globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACEPM Residency Program A rigorous 3-year mentored residency program for veterinarians to become board certified in exotic pet medicine, covering avian, exotic small mammal, and herpetological medicine. Residents receive clinical training at approved exotic specialty hospitals under mentorship of ACEPM board certified veterinarians, with materials for board eligibility submitable after 2.5 years.
• ACEPM Diplomate Certification Board certification awarded to veterinarians who complete the residency program and pass a final oral exam (90-120 minutes, graded pass/fail at 75%). Certified veterinarians demonstrate expertise in exotic pet medicine including internal medicine, cardiology, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, and surgery.
• De Facto Diplomate Certification Certification pathway for founding members and established specialists (ABVP, ACZM, ECZM, ANZCVS Diplomates) with proven accomplishments in exotic pet medicine. Requires 100 points earned through education, residency, publications, teaching, and conference participation. Available until December 31, 2027.
• Find a Board Certified Vet Directory

Quantifiable outcome

• 3-year residency program with 100-point certification requirement
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Exotic Vet CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved residency training site for ACEPN residents. Located in Charleston, SC. Provides hands-on clinical training under ACEPN board-certified mentorship.
• Long Island Bird and Exotics Veterinary CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved residency training site for ACEPN residents. Located in Long Island, NY. Provides specialty exotic pet clinical training.
• Ambulatorio Veterinario BelvederecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved residency training site for ACEPN residents. Located in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Provides European training opportunity for exotic pet medicine.
• University of ParmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved university-based residency training site for ACEPN residents. Located in Parma, Italy. Provides academic and clinical veterinary training.
• Centro Veterinario Animali EsoticicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved residency training site for ACEPN residents. Located in Rome, Italy. Provides exotic pet specialty clinical training.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine: ACVIM is a large established AVMA-recognized specialty certifying college for veterinary internal medicine. Broader incumbent in the veterinary specialty certification space with overlapping credentialing infrastructure.
• Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons: The RCVS is the UK regulatory and credentialing body for veterinarians, including specialist recognition. Comparable as a veterinary credentialing authority with formal specialty recognition frameworks.
• American Veterinary Medical Association: The AVMA is the primary US veterinary professional association and the body that grants specialty recognition to colleges like ACEPM. Relevant as the gatekeeper for ACEPM's mainstream US credentialing status.
• American College of Veterinary Surgeons: ACVS is a long-established AVMA-recognized specialty certifying college for veterinary surgeons. Comparable as a mature specialty college with similar residency and examination model but focused on surgery.

Direct peers

• European College of Zoological Medicine: The European College of Zoological Medicine is the European counterpart to ACZM, certifying veterinarians in zoological medicine specialties. Directly comparable in mission and structure, with overlapping exotic pet scope.
• American College of Zoological Medicine: The American College of Zoological Medicine certifies veterinarians in zoological and exotic animal medicine through a residency and examination pathway. Directly comparable to ACEPM as a specialty college covering overlapping exotic species.
• Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists: ANZCVS certifies veterinarians in numerous species-specific and discipline-specific chapters including exotic pet medicine. Comparable as a specialty credentialing college whose Diplomates are explicitly eligible for ACEPM's de facto pathway.
• American Board of Veterinary Practitioners: The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners certifies veterinarians in species-specific categories including Avian/Exotic Companion Mammal practice. Directly comparable as a veterinary specialty board with overlapping exotic pet scope.

Others

• American Association of Veterinary State Boards: AAVSB coordinates veterinary licensing across US states and operates the veterinary technician credentialing exam. Adjacent regulatory body relevant to the broader veterinary credentialing ecosystem.
• International Council for Veterinary Assessment: ICVA develops and administers standardized veterinary examinations including the NAVLE. Adjacent to ACEPM as a veterinary testing and assessment infrastructure provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American College of Exotic Pet Medicine