Call for Sessions
The annual ACVIM Forum offers a unique opportunity to present innovative research, share expertise, and engage with a global community of veterinary professionals dedicated to advancing the field of veterinary internal medicine.
Important Dates
Scientific Sessions
July 28, 2025
Call for Scientific Sessions Closes:
August 29, 2025
Scientific Session Status Notifications:
By January 2026
Research Abstracts
January 9, 2026
Call for Research Abstracts Closes:
February 1, 2026
Research Abstracts Status Notifications:
By April 2026
Research Exchange
February 4, 2026
Call for Research Exchange Closes:
March 11, 2026
The 2026 ACVIM Forum Call for Sessions is now closed
If your session submission was selected and you are chosen to speak at the 2026 ACVIM Forum, you will be notified by January 2026. Please hold all dates of the conference until further notice.
Questions? Contact the ACVIM Forum Team, Speaker Support - Presenters@ACVIM.org.
What are the different session types?
All program submissions should be targeted toward veterinary specialists and experienced technicians. General practitioners with the desire to participate in advanced programming are encouraged to attend. Session lengths may vary to reflect the necessary time to deliver the proposed content. When presenting topics that cross over specialty areas, participants are strongly encouraged to work in tandem with a specialist in the corresponding area relevant to the presentation.
Scientific Sessions
Scientific session lectures provide an extensive, critical, up–to–date overview of a topic that is directly or indirectly applicable to veterinary internal medicine. Scientific submissions may cover a review of fundamental principles of disease or an area of applied medicine and content should be derived from evidence-based reports and similar sources with minimal inclusion of empirical information. The subject matter goes well beyond an advanced graduate or advanced professional student/resident lecture in complexity and depth.
Technician Program
Technician sessions explore the latest research, best practices and strategies in veterinary specialty medicine, specifically designed for AIMVT (Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians) and experienced technicians.
General Program
General programming includes sessions focusing on business, leadership, communication, education, research and wellbeing content.
Research Abstracts
Research abstracts are short, scientific summaries that showcase cutting-edge research findings relevant to the ACVIM specialties. Delivery methods include 15-minute oral presentations or poster formats. Anyone may submit abstracts to be considered in the research abstract category.
Research Exchange
Short, interactive research presentations and networking amongst Academic and Private Practice Specialists.
Hybrid Offerings
The 2026 ACVIM Forum will include in person and virtual components.
- In Person: Live program sessions are taking place in Seattle, Washington.
- In Person, Livestreamed: Select in-person sessions will be broadcast to a live, virtual audience in real time.
- In Person, Content Captured: Select in-person sessions will be recorded and made available online to conference attendees after the event, by mid-July.
- On Demand: Virtual, pre-recorded sessions will complement the in-person, live sessions. These will be available to both the in-person and virtual audience at the start of Forum. On demand sessions will focus on session topics that are successfully delivered in a virtual environment and are primarily lecture-based. All on demand offerings will be available through the end of October 2026.
- Spanish On Demand: The Spanish track for 2026 will be on demand only. This will include select, pre-recorded sessions available to all attendees in Spanish.
What are the different session formats?
The ACVIM Forum offers sessions in a variety of formats and will be delivering sessions both in-person and virtually during this hybrid event. Sessions that are difficult to be presented virtually will be prioritized for in-person delivery, based on session reviews and programming decisions. Live sessions that are able to translate to online delivery may be captured and made available to virtual participants. Opportunities to engage attendees in smaller discussions or hands-on settings are strongly encouraged. These sessions may be prioritized for the in-person portion of Forum.
Panel Discussion
A group of experts discuss a topic from varying perspectives and elicit audience questions.
Workshop
Courses that demonstrates the practical application of skills and principles using animal models, videotapes, or slides and/or one that encourages free discussion or exchange of ideas.
Hands-on Lab
Small group dry labs offer limited hands-on, skill-based experiences.
Interactive Lecture
Single or multi-presenter lecture-based sessions with audience participation. Interactive components can include: think-pair-share, audience discussion opportunities, posed questions to the audience, audience movement within the room, audience polling, and other interactive techniques. Interactive lectures will be prioritized for the in-person event.
Didactic Lecture Only
Single or multi-presenter sessions with no dedicated opportunities for audience participation aside from Q&A at the end of the session (for in-person sessions and some virtual formats). Material delivery is lecture-based only.
Additional Session Formats
Additional formats may be identified by the ACVIM Forum Program Committee to create a compelling program. Additional session formats identified by the planning team may include the following:
- Lunch with the Experts – Lunch-time sessions that offer a limited attendee size focusing on in-depth discussion with experts on the topic.
- ACVIM Endorsed Statements – A panel of experts discusses their comprehensive analysis of a scientific or medical related issue.
Industry Sessions
For more information for sessions available to our industry partners, contact the ACVIM Associate Director, Strategic Partnerships (Leah Gayheart) at Leah@ACVIM.org. Industry session types include:
- Industry Sessions – Sessions that are 60-90 minute educational presentations with information about veterinary products and services that are impacting the veterinary industry.
- Knowledge Corners – Quick 25 minute bites of learning provided in the Exhibit Hall for all conference participants.
Additional fees and pre-registration may apply to some sessions and will be determined by the ACVIM office. Maximum attendee levels may pertain to specific sessions to limit attendance size to allow for greater interaction. Please be as specific as possible during the submission process to outline your session needs, including recommended fees, unique technical requirements, session capacities and more.
Session Sponsorships
All sponsorships must be coordinated through the ACVIM office. Recognition is not guaranteed without the ACVIM sponsorship team's involvement. Please include suggested sponsorship opportunities and companies in your submission and the ACVIM team will follow up upon session acceptance. For questions, contact Leah Gayheart.