Associate Veterinarian

Great medicine. Great people. A life outside of work.

We’re looking for an experienced Associate Veterinarian to join River Oaks Animal Hospital—and we’re going to start by saying something that probably appears in every veterinary job ad:

We have a great team.

The difference is, we really mean it.

We are a close-knit group of veterinarians and veterinary professionals who genuinely enjoy working together. We collaborate. We ask each other questions. We look at radiographs together. We talk through complicated cases. We step in when someone is overwhelmed. We laugh—a lot. And at the end of a hard day, we still actually like each other.

We’ve built something pretty special at River Oaks, and we’re looking for the right experienced veterinarian to become part of it.

Who We Are

River Oaks Animal Hospital is an independently owned, AAHA-accredited veterinary hospital in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, offering both general practice and urgent care.

Independent ownership is important to us.  Our owner is a veterinarian who still sees appointments and practices alongside the rest of the medical team. She understands what a packed appointment schedule feels like, what it’s like when the “simple” case turns into anything but simple, and why having great people around you matters.  Decisions about our hospital are made in our hospital, by people who know our patients, our clients, and our team. We believe in practicing excellent medicine while remembering that the people providing that medicine matter, too.

You Get to Be the Veterinarian

One of the things we're most proud of is our support team. Our technicians and assistants are talented, capable, and actually utilized. We don't want to hire a veterinarian and then have them spend their day doing tasks that a well-trained support team can handle. We want you examining patients, diagnosing, interpreting diagnostics, developing treatment plans, performing surgery, communicating with clients, and doing the things you went to veterinary school to do. Our doctors have the support they need to practice efficiently and at a high level.

You will also have an involved management team and practice owner who will support you. We don't believe that "independent" means "on your own."

A Schedule Designed to Keep Veterinary Medicine Interesting

River Oaks isn't a traditional GP where every day looks exactly the same. Our general practice + urgent care model gives our doctors variety while still allowing them to build long-term relationships with patients and clients.

Your typical four-day workweek will include:

• 1 day of urgent care
• 1 day of surgery/dentistry
• 2 days of scheduled appointments

And then?

You're off.

No weekends.

No on-call.

Major holidays off.

We work hard during our four days together, but we believe veterinarians should be able to have careers they love without veterinary medicine consuming their entire lives.

Our Hospital

If you're going to spend four days a week somewhere, it should be somewhere you enjoy being. River Oaks is a beautiful, modern, purpose-built veterinary hospital with approximately 7,400 square feet and 12 exam rooms, along with dedicated surgical, dental, radiology, ultrasound, and treatment spaces. We have the equipment and diagnostics our doctors need to practice excellent medicine, including digital radiology, ultrasound, modern surgical monitoring, dentistry, and comprehensive in-house laboratory capabilities. Our hospital was designed to be open, comfortable, and functional for our patients, clients, and team.

We are AAHA-accredited and practice low-stress handling, and we care deeply about providing excellent medicine while creating a better experience for our patients.

Who We're Looking For

For this particular position, we're looking for an experienced veterinarian. We are currently mentoring a new graduate and are committed to giving that doctor the time, attention, and mentorship they deserve. Because of that, our next veterinarian should have enough clinical experience to step into the position with confidence and manage cases with a reasonable degree of independence. That doesn't mean you'll be practicing medicine alone. Quite the opposite. One of the best parts of River Oaks is having other doctors around who are happy to look at a radiograph, discuss an unusual lab result, brainstorm a difficult case, or simply offer another perspective. We want someone who can practice independently but doesn't feel the need to practice on an island.

We're probably a great fit if you:

• Have experience practicing small-animal medicine and are comfortable managing your own cases.
• Enjoy general practice but also appreciate the challenge and variety of urgent care.
• Are comfortable with routine soft-tissue surgery and dentistry.
• Practice high-quality, compassionate medicine.
• Communicate well with clients and understand that excellent veterinary care includes taking care of the human on the other end of the leash.
• Respect technicians, assistants, client service representatives, and every other member of the veterinary team.
• Know how to delegate and utilize a strong support staff.
• Enjoy collaborating with other veterinarians.
• Are curious and willing to continue learning.
• Can laugh at work.
• Want to contribute to a positive culture rather than simply work alongside it.

Compensation

We believe an experienced veterinarian should be compensated accordingly.

Our doctors are compensated using a ProSal model, with expected annual compensation typically in the $160000 - $190000 range, depending on experience, production, schedule, and individual circumstances. We want our compensation structure to reward productivity without creating an environment where doctors feel pressured to compete with one another or practice medicine based on a number. You can be productive and collaborative. We expect both.

Benefits

Our compensation and benefits package includes:

• Four-day workweek
• No weekends
• No on-call
• Major holidays off
• ICHRA health benefit for doctors
• AFLAC benefits available
• Unlimited continuing education registration
• Up to $2,000 toward CE travel expenses
• RECOVER certification is supported by the hospital
• Professional dues and licensure support
• Employee pet benefits
• Uniforms provided
• Employee Assistance Program 
• Up to 6% IRA Match
• Gym Membership
• Paid Time Off
• Strong, experienced support staff
• Supportive management
• Direct access to an involved practice owner
• A collaborative team of veterinarians who actually want to help one another

We want our doctors to continue developing throughout their careers. If there is an area of medicine you love or a skill you'd like to develop further, we want to help you do that.

And Then There's Myrtle Beach...

There's something particularly nice about finishing your workweek in a place where other people come to vacation. River Oaks Animal Hospital is located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, along the beautiful Grand Strand. Living here means access to the beach, boating, fishing, golf, restaurants, outdoor activities, and coastal living almost year-round. The area offers everything from active beach communities to quieter residential neighborhoods, so you can choose what coastal life looks like for you. And with a four-day workweek, you'll actually have time to enjoy it.

Why River Oaks?

We know there are a lot of veterinary jobs available.

We're not going to tell you that every day here is perfect. This is veterinary medicine. Some days are busy. Some cases are frustrating. Some clients are challenging. Some days don't go according to plan.

But those days are very different when you work with people you trust.

That's what we think makes River Oaks different.

You will be supported.

Your opinion will matter.

Your support staff will actually support you.

Your colleagues will collaborate with you rather than compete with you.

Your practice owner will know your name—and will probably be working right beside you.

You'll have interesting medicine to practice, the tools to practice it well, and people around you who care about doing a good job.

And when your workweek is over, your time belongs to you.

If you've been thinking that there has to be a veterinary hospital where you can practice great medicine, be well compensated, have excellent support, enjoy the people you work with, and still have a life, we'd love for you to take a closer look at River Oaks.

Come see what we've built. You might just find the place you've been looking for.