Letter to the Members of the AVMA Board from Latinx

Board of Directors
American Veterinary Medical Association
1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173 

Dear Members of the AVMA Board,

On behalf of the Latinx Veterinary Medical Association (LatinxVMA), I write to request your support for commissioning an independent, third-party audit of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE), administered by the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (ICVA), and to respectfully urge the Board to issue a public statement endorsing such a review.

Members of our community, along with colleagues across the profession, have raised ongoing concerns about fairness, item construction, and potential bias within the NAVLE. While many of these concerns remain unverified, the persistence of these reports, combined with the experiences shared by examinees, underscores the need for greater transparency. A licensing examination that is equitable, scientifically sound, and trusted is essential to safeguarding the integrity of the profession and the diverse student body preparing to enter it.

As an organization advocating for Hispanic and Latinx veterinary professionals, we consistently hear from students and graduates who believe that aspects of the NAVLE may disproportionately disadvantage underrepresented groups. Whether these perceptions reflect actual structural issues or a gap in communication, an objective evaluation by an independent auditing body is the most reliable way to address them.

A third-party audit would provide a formal assessment of potential cultural, linguistic, or socioeconomic bias, evaluate the psychometric methods and item-development process, confirm alignment with contemporary educational standards, and build confidence through transparent reporting. This step is not a criticism of the ICVA’s work. It is an opportunity to strengthen the examination process and further AVMA’s commitments to equity, inclusion, and accountability.

Comparable professions have long recognized the importance of independent review. The National Board of Medical Examiners regularly commissions external psychometric evaluations of the United States Medical Licensing Examination to assess fairness, detect differential item functioning, and validate exam design. Likewise, the National Conference of Bar Examiners and several state bar authorities periodically engage independent experts to conduct validation studies and fairness reviews of bar examination components. These practices reflect a recognized standard of care for high-stakes licensure testing.

For these reasons, LatinxVMA respectfully urges the AVMA to publicly support an independent audit of the NAVLE and to encourage the ICVA’s full cooperation in that process. Our aim is not to cast doubt on the examination, but to ensure that every future veterinarian, regardless of background, can trust that the licensing pathway is fair, rigorous, and thoroughly evaluated.

Thank you for your consideration. We welcome the opportunity to discuss these concerns and to contribute constructively to efforts that strengthen the examination process for all candidates.

Sincerely,

Mitsie Vargas, DVM, MSTCVM, MSIVM
President LatinXVMA 2024-2026