JOB OPPORTUNITY
A practice owner is looking to hire an associate. If you are looking for a practice that values each individual client; strives to have only the doctors diagnosing, prescribing, and operating; and works hard to leverage staff so you are doing only “doctor things;” our practice is for you.
We work hard to treat clients well by building a small animal practice that offers the best medical care clients can afford while treating them with respect. We also have a great support staff that will help you be successful while still going home within 30 minutes of closing time almost every day!
Our office is not open on weekends, as we refer to an emergency clinic that takes care of after-hour emergencies.
The practice owner is a veterinary speaker (see DrRayDVM.com) who loves teaching and sharing his knowledge with clients, staff, and colleagues. If you are looking for a mentor, I would be happy to share my experience gained over my three decades of practicing veterinary medicine as we work together. Past interns have appreciated the “behind the mind” discussions of why we do the things we do to ultimately find the best treatment for the pet! Prior to purchasing Lakeview Veterinary Clinic, Dr. Ramirez worked in over 100 different practices doing relief work in Wisconsin and Illinois, and has incorporated the best practices learned from each clinic. Now, you can benefit from this wisdom also! (You can read the rest of Dr. Ramirez’s bio at LakeviewVeterinaryClinic.com.)
The practice is in East Peoria, IL. We have great relationships with our colleagues, and the cost of living is very affordable.
Does this intrigue you? More information at DrRayDVM.com/associate.
If you are here, you saw the above ad in the advertisement and are interested in learning more about Lakeview Veterinary Clinic, and myself, Ray Ramirez, as a practice owner. You can see the type of interactions I do with video on the practice YouTube channel here. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is even better.
This position could be filled in one of two different ways:
A) As a part-time associate.
If you are looking for part-time work, this would be a great opportunity. You do not need to have interest in ownership to consider applying as a part-time associate at Lakeview Veterinary Clinic.
B) As a full-time associate with interest to purchase within 3 years.
If you are looking for a practice ownership, this is a great opportunity. As I mentioned in the initial few paragraphs, I enjoy teaching and have been speaking at veterinary conferences for several years. I am writing a book on and sharing the “secrets” of veterinary ownership on VIN, and will readily share them with any veterinary associate who comes on board with interest in buying the practice. Since I bought the practice in December of 2007, at the beginning of the great recession, we have increased our gross income by 95%! We do that by working alongside our clients to help them make the best medical decisions they can for their pets.
If you are interested in mentoring, some of the mentoring topics would include:
Why are outpatient visits structured the way they are?
We have been working hard to make sure our clients feel that we are partners with them to help them take the best care of their pet that they can without judgment. Understanding the service concept "under promise and over deliver," and not talking down to clients has been key to our practice’s success, and will be coached to help the new associate understand how this has worked.
Why and how decisions are made with clinic items such as pharmacy or equipment?
Why don't we have every fluoroquinolone and at least three heartworm preventatives to choose from? At first, these things seem illogical, yet they are critical to the success of the practice as a business.
If a recent graduate, how do you become proficient at surgery?
The associate will get opportunities to feel comfortable with all surgeries that can easily be performed by a general practitioner. These include but are not limited to: cystotomy, enterotomy, gastrotomy, anastomosis, tumor removal/sliding graft, abdominal exploratory surgery, splenectomy, perineal urethrostomy, femoral head ostectomy, and amputation, among others.
What is a typical day like at Lakeview Veterinary Clinic?
When the doctor first comes in, he/she checks on any hospitalized or post-op patients and takes care of any overnight messages or prescription medication refills. After this, the doctor sees outpatient exams with an assistant in the room to restrain and input basic exam findings into the electronic medical record. During the appointment, the doctor is verbalizing the exam for the client as it progresses. Before the appointment is finished, he goes over all the items on a report card so the client understands what was done. We break midday for lunch, then continue to see outpatient visits the rest of the day.
Our current schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with Tuesdays extended to 6:30 p.m. with no weekend hours. As we hire, we will look to add a second late night during the week, but any doctor would be scheduled for only one late night per week. We do have an emergency clinic to refer overnight emergencies. In rare instances, we will have a patient that we hospitalize due to a client who cannot afford the ER, but still needs hospitalization, and that is worked on a rotating basis.
We offer salary commensurate with experience, continuing education, VIN membership, and insurance:
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AFLAC insurance available
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Illinois license and controlled substance license fees
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License defense insurance
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Malpractice insurance
For new or recent graduates, I will make a commitment to a regular mentoring schedule.
Mentoring topics include but are not limited to: medicine, client management, pharmacy, equipment purchase, laboratory usage, surgical procedures.
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Months 0-3 , regular meeting daily to discuss cases
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Months 3-6, regular meeting three times per week to discuss cases
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Months 6-9, regular meeting twice per week to discuss cases
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Months 9-12, regular meeting once per week to discuss cases
Starting after one year (or earlier if desired), we will offer a monthly dinner meeting with the office manager and your guest on non-case management of the practice.
Regarding discussions that would lead to practice purchase:
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Months 0-6, meeting weekly to discuss inventory, procedure, staff management
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Months 6-12, meeting biweekly to discuss inventory, procedure, staff management
Seven holidays off:
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New Year’s Day
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Memorial Day
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Independence Day
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Labor Day
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Thanksgiving
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Christmas
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Your birthday (if on a weekend, different day within seven working days)
Regarding ownership, it may seem from my profile that I am not ready to retire. When I did relief work, I saw too many colleagues who “were not ready” and a bright young associate went elsewhere and bought a clinic. When he was ready to retire, there was no one interested in the practice. I do not intend to do that. We have had a preliminary study done by Tumblin & Associates which we can share, and if someone is interested in purchasing the practice now, we can seriously talk. If you are interested in a full-time position with us, you should also be interested in eventually purchasing the practice.
You can send your resume and contact me with questions or for more information at:
Cell: 309-397-9954 (Text me 'Responding to ad for associate' before calling)
Email: ray@ramirezdvm.com