Associate Veterinarian

VCA Seaside Animal Hospital; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Production-based compensation

100% after-hours fee payments to the D

No negative accrual

Paid time off

Continuing education support

Licensing support

Practice vehicles and equipment

Support from team and assistants

Opportunities to pursue clinical areas

Job summary

Appalachian Veterinary Services in Southwest Virginia seeks a dedicated large animal veterinarian. You will perform ambulatory and in-clinic care across equine, cattle, and small ruminants, with autonomy and team support. The role emphasizes client relationships and evolving clinical expertise.

We offer a productivity-based compensation package, shared emergency coverage, paid time off, CE support, and full practice vehicle/equipment access. New graduates are welcome to apply.

Qualifications

• DVM or equivalent degree and eligibility for Virginia licensure.
• Strong interest in large animal medicine and client interaction.
• Able to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team.

Responsibilities

• Provide ambulatory and in-clinic care for large animals.
• Engage with clients and producers to develop herd health plans.
• Participate in shared emergency call and after-hours coverage.
• Utilize available practice vehicles and equipment for field work.
• Continuously develop clinical skills and service quality.

Skills

Virginia license eligible

Large animal medicine

Independent work

Team collaboration

Client service

Reliability

Education

DVM or equivalent degree

Virginia veterinary licensure eligibility

Job description

What You'll Do

Our large animal caseload includes a mixture of equine, beef cattle, dairy cattle, small ruminant, and general livestock medicine. Depending on your interests and experience, your days may include:

• Equine wellness, vaccines, dentistry, lameness, reproduction, emergencies, and general ambulatory medicine
• Beef and dairy herd work, including pregnancy diagnosis, reproductive work, herd health, processing, sick animal evaluation, and emergency care
• Small ruminant medicine, herd health, parasite management, kidding/lambing cases, and emergencies
• Field surgery and procedures
• Diagnostic workups and treatment of medical cases
• Client and producer education
• Haul-in appointments at our Christiansburg location
• Participation in the large animal emergency rotation

You won't be expected to know everything on day one. We want doctors who are willing to learn, ask questions, and continue developing clinically. Our team works collaboratively, and there is always someone to call when a case gets complicated.

What Practice Looks Like Here

We are busy, but we are intentionally trying to build something different from the traditional model of large animal practice.

We believe veterinarians should have autonomy over their cases, support when they need it, and the ability to build a life outside of veterinary medicine. Some days in ambulatory practice inevitably run long and emergencies do not always cooperate with the schedule, but chronic overwork should not be considered a badge of honor.

Our large animal veterinarians work primarily out of fully equipped practice vehicles and see appointments throughout our service area. We also continue to expand our haul-in capabilities because not every case needs to involve putting a veterinarian on the road.

Emergency coverage is shared among the veterinary team rather than falling on one or two doctors. We also maintain boundaries around emergency access, including providing after-hours care primarily for established active clients.

Who We're Looking For

We are looking for someone who:

• Holds or is eligible for a Virginia veterinary license
• Enjoys large animal medicine and working directly with clients and producers
• Is comfortable working independently while also being part of a team
• Communicates well with clients, technicians, assistants, and other veterinarians
• Is dependable and willing to take ownership of their cases
• Understands that good medicine and good business are not mutually exclusive
• Wants to continue learning and improving
• Treats support staff as an essential part of the veterinary team
• Values professionalism without taking themselves too seriously
• Wants to help build and improve a practice rather than simply clock in and out

New graduates are welcome to apply. Experienced veterinarians who are looking for greater autonomy, a healthier practice culture, or an opportunity to help shape the future of a growing large animal service are strongly encouraged to reach out.

Compensation & Benefits

We offer a competitive compensation package structured to reward productivity without negative accrual.

Benefits include:

• Competitive guaranteed base salary
• Production-based compensation
• 100% of designated after-hours emergency fees paid to the veterinarian providing the service
• No negative accrual
• Paid time off
• Continuing education support
• Professional dues and licensing support
• Practice vehicles and equipment for ambulatory work
• Support from veterinary assistants, technicians, CSRs, management, and fellow veterinarians
• Opportunities to pursue and develop areas of particular clinical interest

Specific compensation and benefits are discussed based on experience, schedule, and the structure that makes the most sense for the individual veterinarian.

About Appalachian Veterinary Services

Appalachian Veterinary Services is an independently owned veterinary practice serving companion animal and large animal clients throughout Southwest Virginia.

We are not interested in maintaining veterinary medicine simply because "that's the way it's always been done."

Our practice continues to invest in additional veterinarians, support staff, vehicles, equipment, haul-in services, client education, externships, community outreach, and expansion into underserved areas. We regularly host veterinary students, participate in educational programs, hold client education events, and look for ways to make veterinary practice better for both the people providing the service and the communities depending on it.

We want our doctors to have the opportunity to build a long-term career here, not simply survive a few years of large animal practice before leaving the profession.

If you're looking for a practice where you can work hard, practice independently, have support when you need it, and help shape what modern large animal veterinary medicine can look like, we'd love to talk.

• DVM or equivalent degree
• Eligible for Virginia veterinary licensure
• Interest and experience in large animal medicine
• Comfortable working independently in an ambulatory setting
• Strong communication and client service skills
• Reliable, team-oriented, and willing to participate in shared emergency call
• Experienced veterinarian preferred (minimum 3 years experience), new graduates are encouraged to apply