Internist

VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists, Oregon’s largest specialty hospital and a fixture of the Portland veterinary community, is seeking a residency trained or board certified Internal Medicine Specialist to join our team.

For years the goal of VCA NWVS has been to provide exceptional patient care while creating a supportive work environment for its doctors and staff. Because of that goal, the hospital is proud of the reputation it has in the veterinary community for a collaborative culture with a strong sense of teamwork. Area vets often say that they refer to VCA NWVS because they have almost everything under one roof (or in this case, multiple roofs!).

The hospital was built in 1999 as a 10,000 square foot facility but it quickly grew out of that building. Within 10 years the hospital added another 5,000 square feet. A year later an additional 5,000 square foot building was added to create the Imaging Center. This year, due to unprecedented growth, in 2016, a third building with 7,000 square feet will be added creating an entire medical complex encompassing nearly all veterinary specialties.

What started off as a small specialty center has grown into a large campus with three buildings housing ten specialties, including Emergency/Critical Care. The people and resources of VCA NWVS are able to provide pets and clients with the most comprehensive veterinary care in the Portland-Vancouver metro region.

The 27,000 square foot space currently houses 20 exam rooms, 5 surgical suites, a 1.5 Tesla MRI, CT, C-arm, a dedicated oncology suite and specialized equipment and facilities including, but not limited to, an on-site blood bank, formulation of parenteral nutrition, mechanical ventilatory support, telemetry and towers for all types of scoping.

Of course, a state-of-the-art facility requires a high touch professional team to breathe life into the building. At VCA NWVS, the sense of teamwork and the culture of working together is no less important than the level of medical and surgical care that patients receive. The team is experienced, with tremendous longevity and prides itself on the lack of ego. At VCA NWVS it’s all about camaraderie, treating people with respect and creating a collegial and collaborative work place.

A sense of community and an active participation in the neighborhood are important components of VCA NWVS core beliefs. For the past 13 years the hospital has hosted the largest regional veterinary medical conference, WinterFest, that provides on-site training and lecturing. The doctors are well recognized throughout the Northwest as they lecture regionally, nationally and internationally and are more than happy to “pay it forward” in the local community.

Another component of community involvement is the hospital’s blood bank. It was established in 2006 to provide the highest quality blood products to meet the needs of the Portland pet population. Since then volunteers have donated over 400 units of blood, worked exclusively with the Oregon Zoo (including cross matching and transfusing elephants & orangutans) and has won Spot Magazine’s “Top Dog” award for the past 5 years. These accolades are well-earned and the successful candidate will also want to contribute to the betterment of the community as well.

Please keep in mind that the hospital has a strong Internship program and would expect any candidate to have an interest in helping new doctors develop skills and to be an active participant in the interns' professional growth.

The successful candidate will participate in community outreach in a supportive structure but this is not a situation where the service needs to be built from scratch. With an annual caseload around 26,000 and 554 hospitals that actively refer, building a loyal following will not pose a problem.

If you want to get a flavor of Portland, you might try checking out the show Portlandia (This is as equally exciting a fact as it is terrifying.) The unofficial motto of the city is “Keep Portland Weird”. It means that Portland is a unique, forward-thinking city with a laid-back sensibility and a wonderful view of the world. It is often referred to as the Greenest City in America and in 2012 was listed among the top ten places to live in the United States. Along with the “green culture” it has environmental sensibilities with tons of farmers markets, opportunities for having your own garden and a very large backyard chicken raising community. This is an outdoors person’s dream with mountains, beach and forest activities within minutes reach. The weather is mild thus ensuring year round activities and the relatively low population practically guarantees you having the trails to yourself. The city has multiple neighborhoods with their own traits but all are a pet lover’s paradise. Portland ranks first in the country with the most dog parks per capita and often voted “Pet Friendliest City in America.”

Here is an opportunity to work in one of the most comprehensive veterinary complexes, in state-of-the-art facilities in a beautiful surrounding with exceptional staff.

As a member of the VCA family, your love for medicine and compassion for pets and people is matched with a commitment to your professional growth. Among the reasons to consider joining VCA include: 

• Network of 6,000 doctors, including more than 600 specialists
• Largest provider of private practice internships and residencies in the U.S.
• WOOF University, offering abundant CE for Doctors and Staff
• A robust Clinical Studies program
• Opportunities to give back through strong shelter partnerships and VCA Charities
  
  

VCA rewards its team members with a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including medical/dental/vision coverage, life and disability insurance options, a 401(k) retirement savings plan, continuing education allowance, professional liability coverage, generous personal pet care discounts, and more! For more information about this job, please contact Rayna Faumuina, Senior Specialty Recruiter, at rayna.faumuina@vca.com or 760-891-9903.