Job Title: Associate Veterinarian

Reports to: Medical Director

FLSA Status: Non-exempt or Exempt

Summary of Job Purpose and Function

Under policy direction of the Medical Director with support of the Leadership Team, the Associate Veterinarian provides professional medical, nutritional, dental and surgical diagnostics and treatment of companion animals.

Essential Responsibilities and Tasks

The following is a partial list of essential job responsibilities. This list may be revised at any time and additional duties not listed here may be requested and/or added.

PATIENT MANAGEMENT

  • Put Pets First – remembering that the patient’s well-being is the first priority.
  • Continually improve the quality of patient care through studying veterinary journals and texts and by attending seminars.
  • Perform examinations, diagnostic, medical, surgical and dental procedures in a way that will deliver the highest quality care while minimizing patient stress and discomfort. This will include care for both well pets and sick pets.
  • Perform medically appropriate euthanasia with compassion and concern for the patient’s comfort and the client’s emotional status
  • Recommend referral to a specialist when this is likely to significantly improve the prognosis.

CLIENT MANAGEMENT

  • Will promote and participate in the Pillars and our Standards of Conduct and help ensure that the above is known and practiced by all employees.
  • Develop rapport with clients through compassionate communication.
  • Determine client’s needs and wishes.
  • Question the client to ascertain the patient’s past medical and surgical history as well as a description of the current presenting signs.
  • Explain physical examination findings.
  • Recommend the appropriate preventive health care, including vaccines and appropriate nutritional products and protocols.
  • Recommend and explain plans for diagnostic procedures and for medical and surgical therapies; methods for home care procedures and follow up plans.
  • Provide the client with a prognosis of the pet’s problems.
  • Generate, or direct generation of fee estimates for recommended procedures and presents them to the client.
  • Keep clients informed regarding the status of their pet and results of diagnostic tests.
  • Provide telephone consultation, including follow-up calls for progress reports, etc.

ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT

  • Maintenance of client/patient medical/surgical records
    • Completely “SOAP” the patient’s medical records:
      • S = Subjective analysis of problem (history)
      • O = Objective analysis of problem (symptoms)
      • A = Assessment of problem (diagnosis)
      • P = Plan of dealing with problem (treatment)
    • Make certain all necessary logs are kept up to date through established protocols and guidelines:
      • Surgical logs
      • Narcotics logs
      • Radiology logs
      • Laboratory logs
      • Any other hospital logs
  • Accurately charge clients for all services performed.
  • Participate in the planning, execution and analysis of various methods of improving delivery of services to clients.
  • Support and participate in marketing and promotional events and programs.
  • Ready to report to work when the need arises.
  • Contribute to maintenance of a comfortable, clean and safe environment of which the clients, the staff and the management can be proud.

STAFF MANAGEMENT- PROFESSIONAL STAFF

  • Ensure an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect.
  • Keep patient records complete and up to date to assist colleagues in follow-up and future management of the patient.
  • Provide consultation when requested and assisting with diagnostic, treatment and surgical procedures.
  • Ensure that credit is accurately given for procedures performed by each veterinarian.
  • Maintain communication with clients when their pet’s primary veterinarian is not available.

STAFF MANAGEMENT- TECHNICIANS/ ASSISTANTS

  • Maintain an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect.
  • Clearly prescribe detailed directions regarding drug doses, routes, times, and rates for administration, diagnostic medical, surgical and dental procedures and instructions for patient monitoring.
  • Assist technicians where necessary and foster an educational environment.
  • Provide instruction in client education, diagnostic and treatment procedures, and anesthesia, care of instruments, surgical assisting and dentistry.

STAFF MANAGEMENT- RECEPTIONISTS

  • Maintain an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect.
  • Expedite the generation of fee estimates for recommended procedures and the invoicing of client charges for outpatients and for patients to be discharged.
  • Clearly record information, in a timely manner, regarding medications and supplies being dispensed.
  • Assist receptionists in providing answers to client’s questions.
  • Provide education regarding basic pet health to assist them in advising clients when scheduling appointments for examinations and various procedures.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Honesty in dealing with clients and colleagues.
  • Maintain an attitude and appearance that reflect favorably on the profession.
  • Empathy for colleagues when questions of clinical judgment arise.
  • Share information and concerns with other members of the profession by attending veterinary meetings regularly.
  • Represent the hospital to the professional community and the general public as requested.
  • Model an “owner” mentality in hospital by demonstrating willingness to assist all employees for the success of the hospital.

AUTHORITY

  • Directs and guides Veterinary Technicians, Veterinary Assistants and any other employee interacting with pet care

EXEMPLIFY AND EMBODY CARA’S CULTURE EVERY DAY

All employees are expected to exemplify Cara’s five pillars on a daily basis: Put Pets First. Trust the Parent. Authentically Human. Good Neighbors. Shake Things Up. Employees should also be willing and capable of multi-tasking, confidentially navigate various types of technology throughout the practice, and use mathematical skills accurately throughout their daily tasks. Employees must also mentally and physically stay organized to help ensure the clients and patients receive the best possible experience. Cara employees are also required to be mentally flexible, adaptable, and resilient to working in a stressful and demanding work environment. All Cara employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. They are also expected to be independent while working in their role, show integrity, be willing to collaborate with others, and to show always be a team player and show initiative.

Hiring Qualifications

Special Working Conditions

  • Employee should expect to spend nearly all of their workdays standing, sitting and typing at a computer.
  • They should have a physical strength and the ability to safely lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds without assistance.
  • Able to assist in lifting patients weighing more than 50 pounds.
  • Must possess sufficient strength and assertiveness to effectively restrain patients and ensure the safety of clients and personnel.
  • Ability to be confident around pets (ex: dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, etc.)
  • The noise level in the work environment is moderately high.
  • Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form and to solve problems involving several variables.
  • Requires ambulatory skills sufficient to perform duties while at hospital.
  • Ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and climb as well as manipulate (lift, carry, move) up to 50 pounds.
  • Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm-hand-finger dexterity with the ability to reach and grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read information.
  • Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
  • Staff is routinely exposed to pets that may bite or scratch, and on occasion, exposed to anesthesia, radiation, biological hazards and medication/ controlled substances.

Experience, Education and/ or Training

  • A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, or equivalent, from an accredited university.
  • A license to practice in the state in which he/she is employed.

DISCLAIMER: This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive listing of duties expected of this position. This job description, the duties and expectations may change at any time.