Cape Cod Veterinary Specialists (CCVS) is a 24-hour small animal emergency and specialty center with six available positions for our 13-month rotating small animal internship. Our mission is to produce doctors that practice a high standard of care in private practice and foster critical thought when making medical decisions. In support of these goals, the CCVS internship works continuously to advance animal health and well-being by providing educational experiences both for and by interns and residents and by providing outstanding veterinary care. We strive to uphold our central values of a drive for excellence, trust, respect, integrity, innovation, collaboration, and compassion. 

In order to maximize the quality of life of our employees, CCVS has made it a priority to pay a competitive salary for this position. We have expanded our support staff to include doctors’ assistants for medical record support and employ a veterinary social worker for support of both our clients and employees. On-floor mentorship expands our doctors’ professional development and leadership skills, in addition to medical growth.

This program is supported by five board-certified criticalists, two board-certified internists, six board-certified surgeons, one residency-trained surgeon, one board-certified radiologist, one board-certified cardiologist, and one board-certified anesthesiologist. There is also a board-certified cardiologist and a board-certified ophthalmologist with limited hours at our Dennis facility. We are actively recruiting for, including but not limited to, additional criticalists, and an additional anesthesiologist.

CCVS has two locations on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The primary hospital is located at the gateway to Cape Cod in Buzzards Bay, MA and is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The second hospital is mid-Cape in South Dennis, MA, is currently open for emergencies on weekends (including overnights), and has a growing specialty presence. The associate veterinarians and criticalists work shifts at both locations. Interns may also work at both locations.

Our facilities offer a wide variety of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, including anesthetic and ICU ventilators, a transport ventilator, oxygen cages, pulse oximetry, capnography, digital radiography, a GE multi-slice helical CT scanner, endoscopy, ultrasound capability (ER and specialty), continuous and 6-lead ECG, and direct and indirect blood pressure monitoring. There is also an in-house laboratory at each facility with CBC, chemistry, blood gas, electrolyte, lactate, and coagulation testing capabilities (PT, aPTT, and viscoelastic coagulation monitoring). We maintain a blood bank and have parenteral nutrition formulation and administration capabilities. 

Interns will spend 24 weeks on ECC, 9 weeks on Internal Medicine, 9 weeks on Surgery, 2 weeks on Radiology, 2 weeks on Cardiology, 2 weeks on Anesthesia, and 4 weeks for intern-selected elective time. Electives can either be with a service in our hospital or can be scheduled at another facility by the intern. Interns will have primary case responsibility when on the emergency and critical care service. When on the ECC service, interns are scheduled for either 4 eleven hour shifts or 3 thirteen hour shifts per week. There is the potential for scheduled on-call shifts.  These shifts may encompass overnights and weekend days to provide additional coverage for one-on-one patients, overwhelming caseload, or as coverage for sick call-outs. When on other services, the intern will work closely with the specialists and are expected to maintain case responsibility for hospitalized patients on those services when specialists are not in the building. A critical care specialist is in the building and available for questions 7 days per week. Cage-side rounds with specialists occur twice daily. The intern will have direct overlap and guidance from senior veterinarians on the majority of their shifts. A senior ECC veterinarian is also available 24/7 for phone consultation. Didactic rounds and CE lectures are provided throughout the year. Interns are expected to present a lecture on a topic of their choosing. Participation is expected in morbidity & mortality rounds and journal club sessions throughout the year. 

Interns have two weeks of vacation and one week of paid CE per year, up to $2750.

We concurrently offer an emergency and critical care internship and an emergency and critical care residency program. Interns that have completed the ECC internship program have successfully gone on to residencies of their choosing or full-time positions as ECC associate veterinarians. This is the first year we are expanding to a rotating internship program and we are excited to help guide a new class of doctors through a training year!

Cape Cod offers miles of beaches and numerous opportunities for outdoor activities, including sailing, kayaking, fishing, diving, and hiking. The White Mountains (New Hampshire) are 2 1/2 hours away and provide some of the best mountain hikes on the east coast. Our practice is approximately 1 hour from Boston, MA and from Providence, RI. 

We are a proud United Veterinary Care Partner hospital. United Veterinary Care supports the unique culture and individuality of each partner hospital, while leaving the practice of medicine up to the hospital teams.

We strongly encourage an on-site interview prior to December 31, 2023, using PPE  precautions. If an in-person interview is not possible, video or phone interviews are available. Please contact Chelly Smith at [email protected] to schedule an interview.

About Cape Cod Veterinary Specialists

United Veterinary Care is a fast growing, national group of primary care, emergency, and specialty veterinary practices united by a passion for culture, communication, collaboration, and teamwork. However, we’re not just another practice management company. We are the veterinary industry assimilator. Our goal is to change what is happening within the veterinary profession due to the rapid rate of corporate consolidation by providing our peers and partners with an alternative to the downside of corporate medicine. Our goal is to Empower, Support, and Unite all of our hospitals with support, training, and technology to elevate their businesses, retain their team members, and strengthen their unique brands to consistently deliver a superior client experience

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