2025 Highlights & Recap

WEDNESDAY

Specialty Symposium

Wednesday kicked off with the Opening General Session, Neurosensitive Networking: Supporting Neurodivergence in Veterinary Medicine presented by Matthew Schexnayder, DVM, MS, DACVP. Specialty Networking Luncheons for cardiology, large animal internal medicine, neurology, nutrition, small animal internal medicine and oncology were held early in the afternoon. The Technician Program for specialty technicians also began in the afternoon with Technician Case Reports, Sponsored by Hill's Pet Nutrition.

Opening General Session

Neurosensitive Networking: Supporting Neurodivergence in Veterinary Medicine

Matthew Schexnayder, DVM, MS, DACVP (he/him/his) Clinical Pathologist at IDEXX

Specialty Networking Luncheons

THURSDAY

Opening Day of the Exhibit Hall

The Exhibit Hall opened on Thursday morning, giving attendees the chance to discover exhibitors and check out areas like the Bark Park, Sponsored by SAGE Veterinary Centers part of  ETHOS Veterinary Health; the Cat Lounge, Sponsored by Elanco Animal Health; the Wellbeing Zone, Sponsored by MedVet; and the Knowledge Corner, Sponsored by Antech, BluePearl, Ceva, IDEXX, Zoetis and Zomedica. At the ACVIM Hub, attendees chatted with ACVIM staff and learned more about membership, JVIM, VetSpecialists and the Career Center.

The evening wrapped up with the Wine and Cheese Happy Hour, bringing attendees and exhibitors together for food and drinks to cap off an eventful day.

Networking, Social Events and Lounges

Throughout the live event, attendees were able to network and relax in these dedicated areas:

FRIDAY

Friday was marked by several highly-anticipated events, starting with the ACVIM Awards Ceremony and Luncheon, where we honored the recipient of the 2025 Robert W. Kirk Award for Professional Excellence, Joan R. Coates, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Neurology), and the recipient of the 2025 Lee and Inge Pyle Service Award, Wendy A. Ware, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology).

The Companion Animal Research Exchange Sponsored by Purina Institute and the Large Animal Research Exchange connected colleagues with similar interests in specialty medicine, while learning about ongoing research projects and programs. Presentations were in a five-minute rapid format with brief Q&A after. In the evening, Colleagues and Cocktails: Connecting Communities, Sponsored by BluePearl Specialty + Emergency, ETHOS Veterinary Health, Hill's Pet Nutrition, MedVet, VCA Animal Hospitals and Veritas Veterinary Partners brought attendees together for drinks, networking and celebrating diversity in the veterinary profession with participating Vet Med Affinity Groups, ACVIM DEI Committee, BlackDVM, Latinx VMA, Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association, PrideVMC and Veterinary Hope Foundation.

ACVIM Specialty Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 Recipients

Resident Research Abstract Awards, Sponsored by 

SATURDAY

Saturday was the final day of the 2025 ACVIM Forum and it did not disappoint!  The day kicked off with two Industry Session Breakfasts: Cats and Dogs as Sentinels for Human Risk of Influenza and Tick-borne Pathogens, Sponsored by Antech, and Paws for Progress: The Benefits of Clinical Trials for Pets and Practices, Sponsored by Ceva.

A dedicated Spanish-language track also took place on Saturday featuring four expert-led sessions presented in entirely in Spanish. Topics included equine strangles, parasite resistance, neurology, and client communication.

More educational sessions and programs took place throughout the day featuring over 20 tracks in all specialties, exploring unique conditions, treatment options, hands-on application, and featuring the latest research available.