Associate Veterinarian Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an associate veterinarian. Feel free to use our associate veterinarian job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an associate veterinarian.
Who is an Associate Veterinarian?
An associate veterinarian is a specialist in the field of medicine who treats animals. They are employed by other, typically more skilled veterinarians, instead of running their clinic.
An associate veterinarian is mostly accountable for providing medical treatment for domestic animals. They aid animals with physical exams, dental procedures, spaying and neutering, vaccination, birthing, and the option of euthanasia. Associate Veterinarians are also accountable for recording the care history of animals in a chart of care as well as collecting specimens to be examined, preparing animals and surgical instruments, assisting with surgical procedures, as well as developing and taking images.
Associate veterinarians are doctors who offer medical treatment for animals. In contrast to veterinarians who own practices, associate veterinarians generally work part-time or full-time employees for other clinics, and often have greater flexibility in their schedules. These professionals perform veterinary, surgical, medical procedures, and dental, as well as maintain medical documents. Associate Veterinarians are employed as part of veterinary clinics or practices which provide medical care for animals. They diagnose ailments, perform procedures, and counsel pet owners about proper aftercare.
These specialists collaborate with the owner of the practice to establish and implement the practice’s medical guidelines and procedures that guarantee high-quality care for patients. They provide dental, surgical, and medical treatment to patients and oversee medical staff members. They also perform managerial tasks, such as reviewing the key performance indicators of the practice and new business development, expansion of the facility, staff continuing education, and marketing initiatives. This is a position of leadership and carries the responsibility of creating a positive working environment where the practice can achieve its objectives
These professionals examine their patients and diagnose their condition, treat illnesses and injuries, as well as disorders, and perform veterinary surgery. They keep medical records, as well as carry out other duties such as inventory checks.
The Associate veterinarian collaborates with the medical director/ team leader to determine and implement the practices and policies in the field of medicine to ensure high-quality patient medical care. An Associate Veterinarian has an important part in establishing and maintaining relationships with patients and also staff relationships.
Associate Veterinarian Job Description
Below are the associate veterinarian job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write an associate veterinarian job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of an associate veterinarian include the following:
- Offering direction and supervision to the field team.
- Performing surgery that involves orthopedic as well as neurologic interventions.
- Maintaining a high degree of client communication and care.
- Supervising the administration of the case and reviewing medical complaints from clients.
- Checking that the payroll is correctly completed and submitted to the entire hospital staff.
- Working with the people as well as the pets and pet’s families.
- Providing superior care using top-quality resources while maintaining the personalization and autonomy of medical care which make each practice unique.
- Performing surgery, diagnosis, procedures, education of the client prescription, and medical records.
- Participating in the community, which includes involving in fundraising and charitable events.
- Assisting the veterinary staff in the management.
- Recording, drawing up, and administering controlled substances under the supervision of a vet.
- Performing venipuncture procedures to collect animal blood.
- Performing diagnostic tests and interpreting them with blood samples.
- Promoting visits by strategically planning client communications as well as local advertising efforts.
- Monitoring and overseeing the care of animals that are injured or sick.
- Utilizing evidence-based medicine and seeking more education through research to provide high-quality patient care.
- Helping to develop an effective practice, and focusing on the highest quality standards of treatment.
- Respecting and willing to work with clients as well as their animals.
- Caring for patients with compassion.
- Assisting veterinarians in establishing guidelines for medical procedures and policies.
- Performing all tasks in line with these policies and procedures.
- Developing and implementing a comprehensive program of medical personal continuing education.
- Working with veterinarians to develop plans to grow and develop the company.
- Developing new processes and programs that can meet the needs of clients’ evolving requirements.
- Setting an example for employees in dealing with clients and promoting a client-centric environment.
- Working towards and reaching the standard of practice for productivity.
- Encouraging a cooperative work environment among employees.
- Conducting a medical exam that is fear-free in line with hospital guidelines.
- Utilizing information from the physical exam and history to inform clients and assist them in the process of making decisions for the treatment of their animals.
- Becoming aware of the mental, emotional, physical, as well as financial demands of clients.
- Performing surgical, medical, and dental procedures.
- Offering emergency services that are in line with hospital standards of treatment.
- Interpreting the laboratory’s results procedures and selecting the best protocol based upon the results.
- Reading the radiographs, and then determining which treatment is best administered to the animals.
- Providing prescriptions in line with the manufacturer’s label instructions and indications.
- Knowing the most common side effects and interactions between medications.
- Understanding when it is appropriate to use medications that are not listed on the label.
- Knowing and following the treatment instructions of other veterinarians and implementing necessary changes to the treatment plans when diagnostic results justify the need for doing this.
- Examining animals to determine the cause of diseases, illnesses, and injuries.
- Treating animals involves prescribing the appropriate medicines, cleaning or dressing wounds as well as conducting surgeries and other medical procedures.
- Collecting samples of animal urine, blood, and feces when required.
- Utilizing ultrasound and radiographic equipment to perform further diagnostic tests.
- Euthanizing animals as part of a solution when medical treatment is or is likely to be ineffective.
- Spaying and neutering animals.
- Advising animal owners about proper aftercare after surgeries or medical procedures.
- Updating animals records after every medical treatment.
- Conducting physical examinations using the dates provided by vet technicians.
- Diagnosing the physical ailments and recommending alternative treatments and diagnostic options to the patient.
- Updating clients’ records rapidly and accurately.
- Spending time communicating effectively with clients, offering the client options for treatment, and being attentive to their psychological and financial situation.
- Supervising technicians in veterinary medicine and assisting them to evaluate their current level of skill as well as planning and executing their education and training programs.
- Scheduling performance reviews regularly.
- Providing In-house medical training for the staff.
- Evaluating frequently the most important performance indicators with animal owners and making plans to implement adjustments as the owners have indicated.
- Revamping to create a facility that is not just medically efficient, but also visually appealing to both the customer and staff.
- Helping with marketing through participation in community activities that focus on the veterinary profession.
- Participating actively in staff meetings
- Displaying enthusiasm and willingness to do what is necessary to assist the practice’s work as a team.
- Knowing and following oral and written instructions.
- Promoting continuous quality improvement.
- Assisting scientists or veterinarians with research projects like biomedical research, disaster preparedness, as well as food safety.
- Applying medications, vaccines, and other treatments recommended by a vet
Qualifications
- A Bachelors degree
- A Master’s level degree in veterinary medicine.
- Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine
- Authorization to practice in the veterinary field.
- State Veterinarian license.
- Experientially proven experience as a Veterinarian.
- Expertise with the entire range of Microsoft Office applications.
- Ability to process information and react quickly.
- Ability to provide after-hours medical attention in an emergency.
- Manual dexterity.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Exceptional customer service skills
Essential Skills
- Observation skills
The associate veterinarian should be competent in observing and making evaluations from the required demonstrations and tests, which include anatomic dissection and microscopic analysis, animal or patient demonstrations, as well as images of radiography and other graphic or diagnostic images. An associate veterinarian must be able to watch the patient with precision from a distance or close to them, and then evaluate their results. He or she must be able to discern and interpret signals of aggression, fear, as well as other risky behaviors which are observed by different species of animals. Observation requires the utilization of hearing, vision, and somatosensation. This is often when faced with complex situations in healthcare settings for veterinary patients.
- Communication skills
These specialists should be able to communicate information and establish rapport, provide explanations, and explain any changes in behavior or activity as well as posture. Communication does not just include speech, it involves the interpretation of nonverbal signals as well as writing and reading in English. An associate veterinarian should be capable of communicating effectively, efficiently, and quickly with the entire medical team. Associate vets are required to spend significant amounts working with their supervisors, pet owners as well as other staff. Additionally increasing numbers of associate vets offer advice to pet owners regarding their pet’s behavior and food.
- Motor Function skills
A well-trained associate vet must possess the necessary motor skills to utilize diagnostic and scientific instruments, perform animal restraints and other essential diagnostic procedures like palpation of auscultation, percussion, and other parts of a physical examination on live animals, as well as perform surgical manipulations, as well as perform necropsy and dissection on dead cadavers. They must be able to perform the movements that are necessary for general care, surgical, emergency, and care to patients of any species. Additionally, an associate veterinarian must be able to avoid physical hazardous contact with animals. These actions require coordination of fine and gross muscular moves, equilibrium, and utilization of the senses of touch sight, and hearing.
- Intellectual problem-solving skills.
This is an essential skill for well-trained associate veterinarians and it demands that they be able to collect information, extract, analyze the information, and synthesize and integrate it from various sources quickly and accurately. Additionally, these professionals must be able to calculate and measure accurately as well as tee three-dimensional connections and understand the spatial relationship between structures. These specialists must be able to develop and test hypotheses that allow for efficient and timely problem-solving for the treatment and diagnosis of patients across a range of clinical scenarios. In many instances, the choices and treatment and diagnostic procedures are sensitive to time. So, the associate veterinarian needs to be able to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and ability to handle different situations at the same time.
- Social and Behavioral Attributes
Associate veterinarians should be able to utilize fully their intellectual capabilities and exercise good judgment efficiently to complete all tasks related to the treatment and diagnosis of patients. They also need to establish effective relationships with colleagues, friends as well as colleagues and patients. They must be able to be a productive member of a healthcare team and also be able to take on physically and mentally demanding tasks and perform when under stress, and demonstrate flexibility and efficiency in the face of uncertainty that arises when the assessment of health issues for patients. Being an associate veterinarian, you must be able to both communicate and relay information to patients and other staff members efficiently and in a timely way, employing both written and oral communication. The associate veterinarian must comprehend the ethical and legal aspects of veterinary medicine. They must also work within the framework of the law and ethical standards of the profession. They must show a strong commitment to professional behavior. This includes showing competency, compassion, integrity as well as a lifelong pursuit of knowledge as well as concern for the welfare of others. social skills, collaboration, and interest in the advancement of the common good.
How to Become an Associate Veterinarian
- Education
Associate veterinarians have to finish a two-year associate degree program through the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. These programs are offered through universities community colleges and technical/vocational colleges. Through the two-year courses, students will be taught both in the laboratory and clinical contexts, and students can practice and study with live animals. Experience gained within a veterinary practice is necessary for the completion of this associate’s diploma.
- Veterinary School Training
The veterinary schools offer four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programs. In the initial two years, these programs generally include advanced instruction in the fundamental veterinary sciences including those that are covered in the prerequisite courses. The last two years of the programs comprise instructions in clinical procedures, such as the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as surgery, toxicology anesthesiology, obstetrics, radiology as well as zoonosis.
In veterinary school, some students opt to concentrate on becoming big animal vets dealing with farm animals like cows and horses or small animal vets who deal with domestic pets like cats and dogs. After graduation, some students decide to undertake an internship for a year to refine their skills in veterinary medicine and gain more speedy advancement within the field.
- Certification
Each state has its own rules regarding associate veterinarians. However, all states require an examination that includes practical, written, and oral parts. The test ensures that the applicant has the skills to be able to work in a veterinary environment and also with animals. If you pass, you’ll become a certified vet technician and be able to find a job. Although not required, certain veterinarians opt to obtain certification from the AVMA American Board of Veterinary Specialties for the field of veterinary medicine. As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics following the specialization, associate veterinarians need to complete a residency program that may last from one to four-month.
- Licensure Requirements
There is not much state-to-state reciprocity, in the norm, veterinarians who relocate to a new state have to pass the licensure exams of that state. To fulfill the requirement for national licensure in education people who have undergone vet training outside of the United States must demonstrate proficiency in the English language and also demonstrate clinical proficiency. This can be accomplished by taking an exam that is administered through the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates.
Where to Work as an Associate Veterinarian
- Private practices for veterinary care.
- Biomedical research institute
- Military service
- Zoo
- Diagnostic laboratory
- Veterinary supplies store
- Pharmaceutical and feed businesses.
- Farm
- Ranch
Associate Veterinarian Salary Scale
The salary scale for associate veterinarians in Nigeria differs based on the level of expertise, and the institution of employment (private or state-owned, as well as federal). The salary range is between 50,000 NGN and 100,000 NGN monthly.
The total salary for an Associate Veterinarian is $135,390 per year in the United States area, with an average of $107,721 per annum.
