Associate Veterinarian Far North Chicago Suburbs

If you’re looking for job satisfaction coupled with work/life balance we may be a good fit.

Vernon Hills Animal Hospital (VHAH) is a 4-doctor practice located about 45 minutes north of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois. We treat mostly dogs and cats, along with exotic companion mammals and a large number of reptile patients. Dr. Barten takes care of several nature centers, one of which has a very large collection of spectacular reptiles.

Our Doctor Culture:

• We support work/life balance for our entire team
• 30-minute appointments
• Doctors work < 40 hours/week: usually 3 full days (9 to 6), one half day (2 to 8 with a dinner hour) and some Saturdays (9 to 1)
• We are able to fill in when a doctor is away, which allows for reasonably flexible time off
• We refer after-hour emergencies and patients that require 24-hour care
• There are several emergency and specialty centers nearby, including specialties in critical care, internal medicine, surgery, ophthalmology, dermatology, oncology, behavior, and dentistry, so referral of complex cases is easy

Our Staff Culture:

• VHAH is proud of its friendly, cheerful staff
• We work hard to hire positive, upbeat, can-do people and avoid complainers
• This results in low drama and long staff retention
• Most of our clients are loyal, loving, motivated pet owners who want the best for their pets and tend to agree with our recommended treatment plans
• We are certified Fear Free and Cat Friendly. This provides a much more pleasant and stress-free environment for our doctors and employees  
• We believe in staff education 

Our Hospital:

• We are proud of our cozy, boutique-type practice with personalized customer service 
• We have all the usual equipment, including digital radiography, digital dental radiography, new dental unit, in-house lab capabilities, therapeutic laser, surgical laser, bluetooth multi-parameter anesthetic monitoring, Doppler blood pressure, tonopen, and more 
• We employ a traveling ultrasonographer with a high-end machine for cases needing ultrasound
• VHAH uses Avimark practice software, and our practice has been paperless since 2003

Who Fits Our Team:

• We’re looking for a motivated clinician who practices good medicine, but also one who cares for animals.
• We want an associate who likes people and is a good communicator 
• Competence with exotic animal medicine and surgery is a plus, but not required (Not everyone likes reptiles as much as Dr. Barten J)
• We believe in collaboration between doctors over cases and mentoring as much as is requested

Our veterinary associates currently are paid on ProSal basis. Benefits and bonuses will be outlined during your interview. 

Vernon Hills and Mundelein are close enough to the city to get downtown (or up to Milwaukee) for a concert or sporting event, but far enough away to have access to lakes and forest preserves. O’Hare airport is reasonably convenient. We have many great restaurants, music venues, entertainment, shopping, and recreational opportunities in the area. It’s a great place to raise a family with great schools and job opportunities for spouses.

We would love to hear from you.

Stephen Barten, D.V.M.

Molly McCullough, D.V.M.