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Available Certifications



Veterinarians are now required to provide oversight on the use of medically important antimicrobials in honey bees. However most veterinarians in the United States and Canada have not been trained in honey bee veterinary medicine. The CertHbV designation will provide a way to ensure that the veterinarian has the knowledge and skills required to safely and effectively work with honey bee colonies.  It will also provide a way for beekeepers to identified veterinarians that have the competencies required to examine, diagnose, and treat their colonies.

The CertHbV program is largely self-directed.  Applicants must provide documentation of 150 continuing education credits covering topics within the 7 modules, followed by submission of a final project or successful completion of an online examination.  
  • Module 1: Husbandry and the beekeeping industry (min 20 credits)
  • Module 2: Anatomy and Physiology (min 10 credits)
  • Module 3: Pathobiology & Epidemiology of Honey Bee Diseases (min 30 credits)
  • Module 4: Diagnostics and Treatment of Honey Bee Diseases (min 30 credits)
  • Module 5: Clinical Veterinary Experience, the VCPR, and Client Communications (min 50 credits, 40 of which are hands-on)
  • Module 6: One Health and Public Health (min 5 credits)
  • Module 7: Legislation, Regulations, and Policies (min 5 credits)
The CertHbV program is open to veterinarians (those that hold a DVM degree or equivalent) that are members of the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium (HBVC).
The program must be completed within a 2 year period. The fee for certification is $249 USD.  Once approved, the CertHbV designation will be good for 5 years, after which there is a renewal program with 50 continuing education credits and a fee of $50 USD.
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