Associate Veterinarian

Privately Owned Practice Seeking Associate Veterinarian:

Crosslake Veterinary Hospital is a privately owned companion animal practice seeking a full-time veterinarian who values collaborative, thorough medicine and strong client communication. At Crosslake, veterinarians do not practice medicine alone. Our doctors consult with one another throughout the day as needed on imaging, diagnostics, medication selection, physical exam findings, treatment planning, and challenging cases. We also hold weekly doctor meetings to discuss patient care and strengthen medical protocols. Our clients frequently tell us they appreciate our thoroughness, follow-up, communication, and willingness to keep working toward an answer when a case is not straightforward. We are looking for a veterinarian who wants to practice medicine the same way.

Work Schedule:

4-day workweek
Approximately 8 hours of scheduled patient care per day
Typically 9–10 hours in the hospital per workday
No routine scheduled weekend clinic hours

We participate in a shared emergency cooperative with four other veterinary practices and approximately 15 veterinarians. Typical responsibility includes a approximately 4 on-call weekends per year and a approximately 1–2 on-call evenings per month. The shared structure allows us to continue providing emergency care to our community without placing the entire burden on a small group of doctors.

Strong Support Staff:

We maintain approximately a 4:1 support-staff-to-doctor ratio. Our veterinary technicians and assistants are expected to fully utilize their skills and perform responsibilities permitted by Minnesota law and appropriate to their training. Our goal is for veterinarians to spend their time evaluating patients, making medical decisions, performing procedures, interpreting diagnostics, and communicating with clients—not performing tasks that trained support staff can appropriately handle.

Quality Medicine and a Culture of Clinical Growth:

We are a general practice with the equipment, staffing, inventory, and caseload to support advanced diagnostic and medical care. Our veterinarians routinely manage complex medical cases and surgery beyond routine elective procedures. Ultrasound is routinely incorporated into case management when it can help answer a clinical question, rather than being equipment that is minimally used. We also intentionally maintain emergency medications, supplies, and equipment so our doctors can respond appropriately when patients need a higher level of care. Pain management is a fundamental part of our medical philosophy. We believe pain should be anticipated, recognized, prevented, and treated throughout surgical, dental, hospitalized, injured, and medical patient care. We follow Fear Free principles and place daily emphasis on recognizing and reducing patient fear, stress, and anxiety through thoughtful handling, client education, pre-visit medications when appropriate, and individualized patient care.

We do not expect every veterinarian to arrive proficient in every advanced skill. We are looking for curiosity, sound clinical judgment, willingness to collaborate, and an interest in continued professional growth. Whether you want to improve your ultrasound skills, become a stronger surgeon, strengthen your internal medicine abilities, or simply have experienced colleagues available to discuss difficult cases, we want to provide the environment and support for doctors of all levels. Follow-up and continuity of care are also important parts of our practice. Our responsibility does not necessarily end when the patient leaves the hospital. We value doctors who communicate well with clients and remain engaged in the outcome of their cases.

Compensation & Benefits:

We use a salary-based compensation model rather than traditional production compensation because our northern Minnesota practice has natural seasonal fluctuations in caseload. We want our doctors focused on providing appropriate medical care—not worrying about whether a slower month affects their paycheck. In addition to salary, veterinarians receive production compensation on emergency cases.

Full-time veterinarians receive:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance with 75% of premiums paid by the employer
• Employer-paid AVMA and MVMA dues
• $2,000 annual continuing education allowance
• 5 additional paid CE days annually
• 3 weeks paid personal time
• 48 hours of Earned Sick and Safe Time annually - unused ESST paid out annually according to practice policy

Who We Are Looking For:

We welcome both experienced veterinarians and newer graduates. Experienced veterinarians will find an environment where their clinical knowledge is valued and where they can contribute to the growth of the entire medical team. Newer veterinarians will find a collaborative group of doctors committed to helping develop sound clinical judgment rather than simply expecting immediate independence.

At Crosslake Veterinary Hospital, we believe you should be able to practice excellent medicine without practicing it alone.

You should have skilled support staff.
You should have time to communicate with clients.
You should be able to follow your cases.
You should be comfortable asking another doctor, “What do you think?”

If that sounds like the way you want to practice veterinary medicine.

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree from an AVMA-accredited veterinary school.
• Current, active license (or immediate eligibility for licensure) to practice veterinary medicine in the State of Minnesota.
• Current DEA registration (or eligibility to obtain) for prescribing and handling controlled substances.
• High standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with attention to detail.