We are an independent modern small animal hospital based in Meopham, Kent with 3 sister practices in Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and Swanscombe. We have a great reputation and see a wide variety of first opinion and referral cases from all over the Southeast.
We are a 20-vet team with 11 certificates between us, including 3 in surgery and diagnostic imaging, 2 in medicine and 1 in ophthalmology, anaesthesia and ECC. A further 4 vets are studying for certificates in cardiology and medicine and Bruce is going for a practice record of 5 certificates- clearly a glutton for punishment! As you can see CPD, and training is especially important to us, for example, if you haven't experienced working with a CT or blood gas machines, don't let that be a barrier, we will support your training and development in these and other areas. We often do in-house training and recent surgical teaching sessions have included entropion, cherry eye, and amputation.
We have superb facilities including laparoscopy, 16 slice CT, DR radiography, doppler ultrasound, endoscopy (including paediatric bronchoscopy), multiparameter monitors, syringe drivers, blood gas and coagulation analysers. Everything you need to provide great care.
We have a culture of listening; your input and ideas really matter here. We believe in evidence-based medicine and are constantly reviewing what we do and are always striving for the best. We run clinical clubs every Thursday morning.
We're a really sociable bunch. Many of our vet team also attend clubs in the evenings; cricket, hockey, amateur dramatics are some of the activities our vets enjoy. We are keen to make sure they can attend, so they just give us their evening commitments and we build the rota around this.
We have low staff turnover, and generally don't have the need for locums. EMS students and visitors to the practice comment on how well all areas of the team get on; nobody is too busy or too important to stop and help.
Testimonials
New graduate and certificate support
We have 2 Vet GDP advisors at Meopham and one at Tonbridge and we have dedicated time allocated in the diary for mentoring 1:1 sessions. We love teaching and are an approved practice, facilitating IMR training for students on rotation from the University of Surrey at Meopham, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks.
We have a well-structured induction programme for any new members of the team, but for new graduates we also have a phased approach to consultations, initially blocking out every other slot in the diary so you don't feel rushed. We also have a dedicated surgical day at the hospital once a week with your own mentor, and we make sure you can work your way through your surgical check list, initially developing your confidence in neutering, then moving on to other procedures as your skills develop. You will also have the support of a more experienced vet when needed during any weekend work.
We offer additional CPD days for vets studying towards certificates and they also have their own mentors. Their level of teaching steps up a gear, so for someone who is doing a surgical certificate for example would be scrubbing into things like patella luxation's, getting involved in basic orthopaedics and learning to use the lap spay equipment.
About the role
The role will involve time spent at both Meopham Veterinary Hospital and Tonbridge Veterinary Surgery - with dedicated days and VetGDP advisors at each site. A modern house is available in Sevenoaks, ideally placed 20 minutes from both Surgeries.
Last year we established our own dedicated night team of vets and RVNs so that we could provide a better service for both our clinicians and our patients. This means there are no routine nights for our day vets.
There are three different shift patterns. On your operating days you start at 9am, there are no consulting slots, and you finish once the ops are completed (never after 5pm) and there are plenty of opportunities to scrub in and learn from more experienced surgeons. On consulting days, you have a late start at 11.30am and finish at 7.30 pm. There are blocks scheduled throughout the day to make phone calls and catch up on admin. The third shift pattern is 8.30am to 4pm. Each week there are two late starts and two early finishes. Saturdays are approximately 1:4 with an additional Sunday daytime shift linked to one of the 1:4 Saturdays just once every 12 weeks.
The package
Salary package from 40,000 depending on experience.*
Accommodation is available if needed.
Standard CPD allowance is 5 days and 1000, but we frequently support particular courses above this, for example one of our clinicians undertook a TPLO course in America and we were happy to fund all the costs involved. We support certificates with up to 3000- and 10-days CPD.
5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays and increases to 6 weeks with length of service.
The Area
Meopham is a great area to live; there is a direct train to London Victoria which takes 35 mins, nearby Ebbsfleet International will whisk you to London St Pancras in just 19 minutes, or give you access to straight to Europe. You can drive down to the Kent coast in an hour. There are great connections to the M20, M25 and A2/M2. The surrounding countryside is gorgeous, and there are ample sports clubs nearby including rugby, hockey, cricket and sailing. Gatwick is 45 minutes away.
How to Apply
Email Dr Martin Hobbs on martin@meophamvets.co.uk or telephone 01474 815333 for an informal chat.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From 40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Employee discount
Free parking
On-site parking
Work Location: In person
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