Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, DVM

Glen Carbon, IL

Summary: Veterinarians are under guidance and supervision of the owners and management team. Veterinarians are expected to make every effort to help improve the quality of care given to the clients of Hawthorne Animal Hospital. The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) diagnoses and treats injured or ill animals. Primarily, DVM’s administer medication, vaccinations, perform surgeries, and provide general and preventative health care for pets.

Locations: Glen Carbon and Troy, IL

-        Signing bonus of $10,000

-        Compensation based on the ProSal model - average new graduate makes $200,000/year

-        Industry-leading benefits include vacation, health insurance and 401k worth $20,000/year

-        Continuing education to stay ahead of the latest innovations in care

-        Mentoring and support available 24/7 for new graduates

-        A full range of specialties, from oncology to orthopedics


Typical Tasks: The DVM shall be responsible for, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Laboratory

    1. Collects body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other bodily fluids for examination and analysis .

    2. Operate select laboratory machines and interpret results and images.

    3. Knowledgeable of the use, care and storage of veterinary instruments, materials and equipment.

  1. Surgical and Dental

    1. Assesses animals prior to surgery (TPR’s, bloodwork etc.).

    2. Conducts surgical operations required to treat  or maintain patients and their health.

    3. Conducts dental operations in order to treat patients related to oral related health.

    4. Oversees procedures in order to ensure anesthesia and other operation-related procedures are operating safely according to standards of patient care.

    5. Develops appropriate anesthetic protocol based on individual patient's needs or status.

    6. Instruct technical staff on surgical needs required for each procedure.

    7. Prepare detailed discharge instructions for discharge nurse after patient’s procedure and release to the owner.

  1. Examination and Treatment

    1. Examines animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.

    2. Administers emergency first aid to animals (excluding wildlife or stock animals).

    3. Treats sick and injured animals by setting bones, dressing wounds, hospitalizing or performing surgery.

    4. Prescribe medications and explain dosage/purpose of medications (i.e. current illness or chronic disease, etc.), and reinforce through discussion the proper care and procedures that should be continued and followed at home.

    5. Prepares and administers vaccines such as rabies and distemper to ensure the pet is as protected as possible from serious disease.

    6. Provide care to a wide range of animals or specialize in a particular species, such as rodents or exotic birds.

    7. Operates diagnostic equipment (e.g. dental tools, water therapy treadmill, endoscope, ultrasound, etc.) in order to effectively diagnose, assess and treat patients.

    8. Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, and general care necessary to promote health of animals.

    9. Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.

    10. Establishes or conducts quarantine or testing procedures that prevent the spread of disease to other animals or humans.

    11. Humanely euthanize animals when it has been mutually agreed upon by the patient’s owner.

  2. Office Management

    1. Answers phone calls from clients and owners to get patient questions and concerns addressed.

    2. Utilizes health care plans in order to help clients understand financial responsibility and payment options for healthcare.

    3. Create, fulfill and complete all patient medical records including notes, surgery SOAPS and all other necessary notations for complete medical history of patient.

  3. Customer Service

    1. Counsels clients about the death of their pet or about euthanasia decisions for their pets to provide support and knowledge during a difficult time.

  1. Continuing Education

    1. Attends lectures, conferences, and other continuing education courses in order to fulfill continuing education requirements and discover new, effective practices within the veterinary field.

  2. Attends all staff and training meetings.

  1. Completes other duties as needed.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of the job.

Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Monitoring – Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself or other individuals to make improvements or take corrective action.

Service Orientation – Actively looking for ways to help people and animals or the corporation.

Oral Expression – The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Customer and Personal Service – Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Critical Thinking- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Biology – Knowledge of animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Chemistry- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, productions techniques and disposal methods.

Judgment and Decision Making – Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Mathematics- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Complex Problem Solving – Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Medicine and Dentistry – Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat animal injuries, diseases, and deformities.  This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventative health-care measures.

Active Learning- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision making.

Qualifications:  In order to be eligible for the DVM position, applicants must adhere to the following:

  1. Must work effectively in a fast-paced  and high stress environment.

  2. Must have a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from an accredited university.

  3. Valid and in good standing State Veterinary License and DEA license.

  4. At least 6 months of experience is preferred (job shadowing and internships are acceptable) .

  5. Pass a drug screen test.

  6. Pass a criminal background check.

  7. Be able to, on occasion of need, lift at least forty pounds of weight.

Additional Information:

Reports to: Management and Owner Doctor

Works most closely with: Reception, Nurses and other DVM’s

Equipment commonly utilized: Sterilizers, x-ray, anesthesia, dental machine, doplar (blood   pressure), oxygen cage/tank, pumps, lab machines, centrifuges, nebulizer, lasers (surgical and therapy), computers, client tracking database, ultrasound, laser therapy, endoscope, surgical equipment, and general animal care equipment

Working condition considerations: On feet walking and standing 95% of working time, noisy working conditions, requires bending, stooping, and lifting for shifts of at least 12 hours at a time, on average at least 40 hours in a week. Medical records must be completed at the end of every hospital shift.

Common hazards: Animal-related hazards such as bites, scratches, zoonotic illness transmission, working with sharp objects, chemical exposure, unpleasant odors, noises, and back injuries due to lifting and stooping

JOB CODE: DVM