Internship/residency in Small Animal Surgery

The Austin Vet Specialists is growing! Since opening in May 2022, the clinic has already expanded, and our team has doubled in size. Our surgical case load is ever-growing and exciting with a wide variety of soft tissue, orthopaedic and neurosurgery.

Therefore, we are looking for an Intern in Small Animal Surgery to join our team.

This is an internship with potential to extend into a residency in Small Animal Surgery. We are looking for proactive people with excellent communication skills and a positive demeanour.

About us

The Austin Vet Specialists is an independent-owned veterinary specialist centre (it makes a difference!) with a team of almost 60 people. Our custom-built hospital (1100m2) is designed around a synergistic approach to patient care, and has all the instruments necessary to enable our specialists to relish their chosen careers, and flourish. This includes a specifically designed surgical wing with fully equipped theatres including a wide range of new orthopaedic and soft tissue equipment, minimally invasive equipment for laparoscopy, thoracoscopy and stenting, dedicated neurosurgical instruments, arthroscopy equipment, positive airflow, electrical adjustable operating tables, human-grade anaesthesia machines with ventilators, orthopaedic suite with fluoroscopy, and separate soft tissue suite with all the tools.

The Internship

The Internship is a one-year full time (4 day week + rotating weekend discharges and on call) clinical position with a start date as soon as possible (ideally August/September 2023 onwards). The goal is to give the Intern a deeper knowledge and gain experience within the field of small animal surgery. The Intern will be part of the Surgery team, and will be supported by board-certified specialists in surgery (ECVS), internal medicine (ECVIM and ACVIM) and diagnostic imaging (ECVDI and ACVR) including imaging resident, surgery interns, imaging intern and a team of amazing nurses.

The daily work will revolve around the participation in the small animal surgery service as well as providing collaborative care of the patients in hospital. This will include supporting the anaesthesia and surgical preparation of surgical patients, the pre- and post-operative in-hospital patient care and assisting with consults and discharges. The Intern will scrub into a wide range of advanced soft tissue, orthopaedic and neurosurgeries, as well as active involvement in the pre-operative and post-operative care.

Needless to say, the Intern can expect full support and instruction (including journal club, film reading and other teaching), but initiative and desire to pursue further specialisation will be advantageous. Surgery residency programmes are planned for the future (dependent on approvals) and, for the right person, this internship would be a stepping stone into further training programmes.

The ideal candidate will have the following skills and expertise:

Veterinary degree that is recognised in South Australia
Minimum of one year working experience in small animal veterinary practice
Previous rotating internship is useful but not essential
Willingness to participate in rotating roster including Saturday mornings

Our values

We will invest in your continuing education but need you to bring the motivation. In return, we will provide you with a challenging and satisfying career.
We will provide a happy workplace (including dealing with any negative workplace behaviour) to ensure you enjoy working with us. At The Austin, we take recruitment very seriously because we know it is important to get the right people.
Being a specialist centre, expect ambitious standards and awesomeness but also expect a lot of happiness and fulfillment from your job.
Oh...and bring your dog to work – we have a dedicated pooch lounge for our team!

Our current surgical intern (Dr Jono Chinner) says:

“I had the incredible opportunity to start a surgical internship at The Austin Vet Specialists, as I was looking to pursue my passion for surgery and be challenged to continue learning. I can wholeheartedly say that the internship has exceeded my expectations. The journey is demanding, requiring a lot of hard work and long hours, but I have grown so much in a short time. It has been extremely rewarding and has only deepened my passion for small animal surgery. Fui is a remarkable mentor, who generously shares her wealth of knowledge and patiently guides me through intricate procedures, enhancing this learning experience exponentially. The entire team is amazing, everyone has been so welcoming and helpful, and it has been a pleasure to work with friendly like-minded individuals. The Austin Vet Specialists provides an environment that fosters growth, collaboration, and a genuine love for patient care, making this internship an invaluable stepping stone towards a successful surgical career.”

If you believe you have the talent to fulfil this role and want to be a part of a friendly, but dynamic environment, please Apply Now.

Please note that applications will close 24th July 2023 unless the position is filled prior to this date so submit your application promptly.

Application process

Please send your CV and cover letter to Fui Yap at career@theaustin.vet. Please include a cover letter including your reason for applying for this position and what attracted you to The Austin. Please also include your future career goals and prior experience. All applications will be treated confidentially, but please make sure you include contactable referees.