Mixed Veterinary Surgeon

Join our thriving, truly mixed practice in stunning Aberdeenshire, where you can enjoy a varied caseload, great work-life balance, and the beautiful outdoors.

About us

Donview Veterinary Centre is an award-winning 17-vet mixed practice in Inverurie that has been caring for animals in the North East of Scotland for over 100 years. Two of our lovely vets are emigrating to New Zealand, so we are looking for two experienced mixed vets to join us. We're proud of our team's dedication, which has been recognised with awards like the RCVS Knowledge Award, The Best Mixed Practice in Scotland, and The Best Mixed Practice in North East Scotland from Global Health & Pharma. Our caseload is approximately 50% small animal, 35% farm (beef and sheep) and 15% equine (from leisure ponies to high-performance horses).

We are a collaborative team with a diverse range of experience between us, from new graduates to over 40 years in practice, and we're always happy to support each other. Within our mixed-vet team, we have 4 dedicated small animal vets. We have a structured day rota to ensure everyone gets a genuine mix of the caseload with opportunities to learn and grow. We will encourage you to develop any areas of special interest, so if you want to take on a certificate, we will do all we can to support you. One of our vets, Gemma, is studying for her advanced veterinary practice (SA) certificate. We have created a positive learning environment where everyone feels comfortable asking questions and sharing their knowledge. We also hold weekly in-house clinical meetings for case discussions and to share ideas on improving our services and clinical standards.

We are an RCVS-accredited nurse training practice with a large, highly qualified nursing team of RVNs, SVNs and VCAs. Jennifer, who has been our Head Nurse for 18 years, has completed the ISFM Certificate in Feline Nursing, and we also have nurses with certificates in internal medicine and anaesthesia and analgesia advanced nursing. Our amazing reception and admin team, led by our reception manager Ally, ensures everything runs smoothly, including our separate farm and equine pharmacy.

We are an ISFM Gold cat-friendly practice. Our main surgery in Inverurie is purpose-built and modern, with excellent facilities, including three theatres, a dental suite with dental X-ray, an imaging suite, and a lab supported by Zoetis Imagyst technology. We are well equipped on both the small and large animal sides, including sector scanners, linear ultrasound scanners, equine ultrasound, semen testing kit, and video endoscopes for gastroscopy and upper airway. We also have a consult-only branch clinic in Kintore.

Here's what Bronagh, who is emigrating, has to say about her time with us.

''I started at Donview as a new grad with the plan to stay for a year before moving closer to home but I remained for over 4 years (which in itself is a high compliment to the job). The growth in my abilities and confidence as a vet is purely down to the support and friendships I had from the team. It's a practice where asking for help is never difficult - there is always someone there to help scrub into surgery or answer the phone when you're out on calls. It's a fast-paced practice with a high caseload, which can be challenging. However, I gained an incredible amount of experience very quickly.

We are able to work up cases to a high standard with the excellent range of diagnostic equipment the practice has, and there are referral centres close by for advice and support. I felt I could offer a really good service to clients. There's a good balance between being able to refer cases to the many nearby referral centres and the freedom to find solutions and take on challenges in-house if the client opts against referral.

Driving around the Aberdeenshire countryside between calls and being able to call it work is a particular privilege - to a pretty special corner of the country. The farming community is close-knit, and from starting out, I found them to be very welcoming and supportive. They're the kind of clients who will work closely with you to do the best for their animals, give you a good feed when you're out on calls and buy you a drink at the pub or county shows. I really enjoyed my time at Donview and the professional and personal growth I gained while there is something I am very grateful to the team and clients.'' Bronagh Goodlad MRCVS

The rota

With the addition of two new vets to our team, we'll be able to improve our rota and offer a better work-life balance for our team by moving from an 8-week to a 10-week rolling rota. This rota allows you to make plans in advance and benefit from two 4-day weekends within each 10-week block.

Our vets work a 4-day week (8.45 am to 6 pm), and within this, you will have one small animal consult shift, one operating shift, and one farm / equine shift, meaning that you can get involved in all aspects of mixed practice and develop your skills. We have a few small animal vets who work set Saturdays, so there are minimal Saturday requirements for our mixed vets, meaning you will only work a maximum of 1 Saturday every 3-4 months.

Our OOH rota will also move from 2:8 to 2:10, with one 1^st and one 2^nd on-call, so support is always available, and you will receive an on-call bonus if you are called in. As we have a separate Saturday consulting vet, you can focus on emergencies or farm calls without worrying about routine appointments.

Outside of work

We're a close-knit bunch who enjoy each other's company and regularly spend time together outside work. Whether grabbing a drink at the local pub, going for a dog walk, or celebrating the festive season with our annual ‘Bring a Party to a Party’ event, which is always the team's top choice for an evening of drinks, dancing and many laughs.

Inverurie is situated in the beautiful Aberdeenshire countryside, just a short drive from the city of Aberdeen. With the Cairngorms National Park, Royal Deeside and picturesque coastline nearby, the area is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, with endless outdoor activities, from hill walking, skiing and climbing to surfing, sailing and cycling. There are good transport links, with direct trains to Edinburgh, and Aberdeen Airport is just 20 minutes away for travel further afield.

We are offering:

• A salary of £40,000 to £58,000
• Company car provided for work and personal use
• 6.6 weeks holiday, including bank holidays
• Generous CPD budget with certificates encouraged and funded
• Professional fees paid for RVCS and VDS
• Visas sponsored
• Health Shield cash plan
• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee discount
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental leave and surrogacy pay
• Cycle to work scheme

If you want to be part of our supportive team and make beautiful Aberdeenshire your home, call us for an informal chat or apply now.