How to Find the Best Veterinary Practice for Your Career

For new graduate veterinarians who are looking for their first veterinary job, it can be easy to assume that finding the practice with the best salary, location, or the latest equipment is all there is to it.

Those things are important, especially when you’re comparing different veterinary jobs, but after speaking with hundreds of veterinarians throughout their careers, we’ve noticed this: those who are happiest in their roles don’t just talk about the things you find on the job board.

The happiest veterinary professionals usually tell us about the people they get to work with, the amount of support they receive, and whether they can really see a future for themselves at the practice. In other words, the best veterinary careers aren’t just built on accepting the offer that looks right on paper, but on finding the right environment for them.

At Tempus Veterinary Recruitment, we help veterinarians navigate their next career move every day. Whether you’re just browsing “veterinary jobs near me”, considering a new role, or simply wondering how to choose an animal hospital that’s right for you, here’s what we think every DVM should look for in a workplace.

Mentorship That Doesn’t End After Onboarding

Whether you’re a recent graduate veterinarian or an experienced doctor stepping into a new specialty, having someone who is genuinely invested in your development makes a huge difference.

Strong veterinary mentorship isn’t about having someone constantly checking your work, but having approachable, experienced colleagues willing to answer any questions, no matter how “trivial” they may seem. Most of all, it’s about having people who truly want to help you succeed.

The importance of mentorship is recognized across the profession. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), for example, operates a dedicated mentoring program for early-career veterinarians, recognizing the value of experienced colleagues during the transition into practice.

The best veterinary practices foster environments where asking for advice is strongly encouraged rather than seen as a weakness. That kind of support helps build your confidence, improve clinical skills, and makes challenging days much easier to navigate throughout your veterinary career.

Tempus Tip:

During your interview, be sure to ask how new hires are supported after their first few weeks. If mentorship ends once orientation is over, that’s worth paying attention to.

Finding Veterinary Jobs That Support Your Life

Veterinary medicine is demanding. Long hours, emergency cases, and emotional situations are all part and parcel of the profession.

While no schedule is perfect, a good practice recognizes that sustainable veterinary careers require sustainable workloads.

The AVMA surveyed over 4,600 US veterinarians and found that work-life balance and a positive clinic culture were among the strongest predictors of veterinarian well-being and lower burnout. That just goes to show that work-life balance should never just be a ‘nice-to-have’.

During interviews, look beyond the number of hours you’ll be working and instead ask questions like:

• How often are weekend shifts?
• How is emergency coverage shared?
• What happens if someone calls in sick?
• Are schedules planned well in advance?
• Can employees request flexibility when life happens?

Tempus Tip:

A healthy rota doesn’t just mean fewer hours. The best hospitals plan ahead, share responsibilities fairly, and give you the flexibility to maintain a career that’s sustainable for the long term.

Well-being Has to Be More Than a Buzzword

The profession has become much more open about discussing veterinary well-being in recent years, which is encouraging, but not every practice approaches it in the same way.

The best veterinary hospitals aren’t just talk when it comes to mental health; they actively create environments that help prevent burnout in the first place.

That might include everything from manageable caseloads, realistic appointment times to sufficient staffing and access to employee assistance programs, or simply encouraging people to take breaks and use their vacation time.

Tempus Tip:

A healthy workplace understands that taking care of veterinary staff leads to better care for patients. Discover why mental health support matters more than ever in the veterinary profession in our related article.

Continuing Education Should Be More Than a Budget

Most practices offer some level of support for continuing education for veterinarians, but whether they truly encourage continuing education (CE) is another thing.

Some key signs that a practice genuinely supports CE:

• They actively support learning new skills
• Associates are encouraged to attend conferences
• There’s time set aside to develop special interests
• Team members can pursue certifications or leadership opportunities

Veterinary careers aren’t static (or they shouldn’t be!). The strongest employers invest in their people because it benefits both the individual and the practice.

Tempus Tip:

Growth shouldn’t feel like something you have to pursue on your own. Veterinary professional development is most rewarding when your practice actively pushes you to do it, invests in you, and gives you the time and support to make it happen.

Leadership Sets the Tone

Culture starts at the top. Even animal hospitals with excellent facilities can struggle if communication is poor or leadership just isn’t approachable.

You don’t need managers to have all the answers… but you do want leaders who listen, communicate openly, provide honest feedback that’s personalized and constructive, and truly care how well their team is doing, together and individually.

This is especially important if you’re comparing multiple veterinary jobs or looking for an employer where you can build a long-term career.

Tempus Tip:

During interviews, pay attention to how managers speak about their staff. Ask how feedback is shared and how the practice handles challenges when they arise. Small interactions often tell you more than polished job descriptions ever could.

What Makes the Best Veterinary Practice to Work For?

When people reflect on jobs they’ve loved, nine times out of ten, it’s the team that makes it memorable. They remember feeling supported after a difficult case, colleagues celebrating milestones and tough challenges overcome together, and managers who listened.

Veterinary workplace culture isn’t created through team lunches or occasional social events. It’s built through everyday interactions, mutual respect, and shared values.

Culture often makes the difference between simply finding your next job and finding somewhere you’ll actually want to stay and grow.

Tempus Tip:

While good veterinary workplace culture can be difficult to measure, trust your instincts during the face-to-face interview process, look around and notice how people interact with one another, observe whether employees seem engaged, respected, and happy to be there even if they’re busy.

Those details usually tell you more than any benefits package.

Finding the Right Veterinary Career

No veterinary practice is perfect, of course. Every hospital has bad days, busy days, difficult cases, and plenty of challenges to overcome.

But the best veterinary practices, i.e., the ones where people build long-term veterinary careers, tend to invest in their people just as much as they invest in medicine.