Veterinary Surgeon Job Description

Veterinary Surgeon Job Description

Overview

In your role as a veterinary surgeon, you’ll be responsible for the health and welfare of the animals in your care. Combining the knowledge you garnered during your education, training and previous experience (where applicable); you’ll be putting all of these skills to the test during your term of employment.

Day-to-day activities / duties and responsibilities

• Performing surgical work on animals to improve/save their lives.

• Handling animals of all creeds, whether they be pets or livestock, etc.

• Carrying out surgery work, such as testing animals, performing tasks such as performing x-rays and the examination of animals.

• Be prepared to work out of hours on emergency cases.

• Euthanising animals

Communication skills: These are incredibly important in the role of a veterinary surgeon. As well as communicating with the other members of staff in your workplace, you will increasingly find yourself dealing with the customers. Such customers may be agitated or irate as their valued pet/animal is in the care of yourself or your team; as a result, you may find them harder to deal with than typical customers.

2. Time management: A veterinary surgeon must be expected to adhere to time management expectations, much alike many jobs. As well as punctuality to get to work, and to complete deadlines you may be given. When an animal is in your care and may be in a more critical condition. A lazy approach to time management may lead to you failing in one of the more important responsibilities in your role; ensuring animals receive the highest quality of care and treatment.

3. Flexibility: A veterinary surgeon may be expected to work out of contracted hours and at less than desirable times. However it is expected that a veterinary surgeon will step up to the mark when

As a result it can be a busy place, and you’ll be under pressure to deliver results to both the workplace, and the clients that have handed you responsibility of their loved animal.

• Tedious paperwork: The role of a veterinary surgeon is not just the treatment of animals. You may find yourself filling in paperwork on a regular basis, whether it be records for the surgery, or legally required forms that needs to be completed after the treatment of an animal.

Opportunity, career prospects and job progression

There is a high level of demand for veterinary surgeons, you may find it hard to not find work when you have experience and are suitably qualified. Within the RCVS there is also the opportunity to receive Recognised Specialist Status, recipients will then offer consultation in their field.

Not all veterinary surgeons remain working in a surgery, some get the opportunity to work for governmental departments such as DEFRA to test for diseases such as Tuberculosis, etc. Or other organisations within the veterinary world.

You may undertake research, development, teaching or academic work whilst in your role which will vastly increase your skills and