Certification

How does a practitioner become certified?

CETA/ACTE Certification is both technique and species specific.

To become certified by CETA/ACTE, a practitioner must meet established competency requirements and pass both written and practical examinations supervised by qualified embryo transfer and reproduction specialists.
The practitioner must be a member in good standing with the veterinary associations of the provinces in which they conduct embryo transfer, as well as with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Practitioners must handle sufficient numbers of embryos annually to demonstrate and maintain competency.
The CETA/ACTE Certification Examination is offered exclusively at the Annual Convention, with an application deadline of May 1. For detailed information, including the minimum requirements, view the certification standards and contact the CETA/ACTE office with any questions.

How does a practitioner maintain certification?

Certification is reviewed annually. To maintain certified status, members must continue to handle a minimum number of embryos per year, submit the annual data survey (due by May 1), fulfill continuing education requirements (due every three years on May 1—reach out to check your cycle status), and remain in good standing with the CFIA and the veterinary associations of the provinces in which they conduct embryo transfer.

What does certification mean to the producer?

Producers can choose a CETA/ACTE Certified Practitioner with confidence, knowing that they will be provided with quality, informed services that will result in consistent, industry-standard results. A list of CETA/ACTE Certified Practitioners can be obtained using the “Members Search” on the member directory webpage.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which has jurisdiction over import and export of embryos and semen, requires CETA/ACTE Certification as part of its approval process. Practitioners must be approved by CFIA in order to collect and freeze embryos for export. This is a very important point to consider when choosing a transplant team to collect your embryos.

Is my practitioner CETA/ACTE certified?

You will know that the embryo transfer practitioner is certified by CETA/ACTE if they display the logo found at the top of this page, and if they are included in the list of CETA/ACTE Certified Practitioners within the member directory.