The ICAVL explicitly states that a DVL is a “unit performing noninvasive vascular diagnostic testing under the overall direction of a medical director” [4]. The intent is to place the overall responsibility for a VDL in the hands of a qualified physician who can then ensure that the lab is complying with accepted standards. The medical director should be (1) legally qualified physician and (2) have achieved one or more of the following: (a) completion of a formal residency or fellowship (e.g., vascular surgery fellowship or residency, vascular medicine, radiology, or cardiology with dedicated vascular laboratory rotation during fellowship) that includes appropriate clinical and didactic vascular laboratory experience with a defined number of studies interpreted (this would be the ideal qualification for both a medical director or interpreting physician), (b)self-study training through formal accredited postgraduate education and supervised vascular laboratory experience (preferably in accredited vascular laboratory under formally trained medical director) with interpretation of a defined number of cases, and (c) previous work in a vascular laboratory (preferably in accredited vascular laboratory under formally trained medical director) with interpretation of a defined number of cases [4]. The latter criteria also apply to the interpreting physician.

The general qualifications of physicians interpreting in the DVL and eligible to sit for the RPVI examination are outlined in Table 2.2. Besides the basic requirement of a medical degree and formal training in the field, the following qualifications are essential [10]: