Small Animal Rotating Intern

Grade UE06: £34,610 to £39,906 per annum

Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies / Hospital for Small Animals

Full time: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: for 12 months

4 Vacancies

 

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Join the University of Edinburgh and you’ll be making a difference to everything around you. Be part of something bigger — where you’ll do meaningful work, grow and progress, be rewarded and recognised, and benefit from our strong commitment to your wellbeing. There are so many reasons to join us.  

The University of Edinburgh is a world-class organisation. We look for the best in the field across all disciplines and provide a working environment where academics can develop their careers and passion for their chosen subject area. We offer the full range of academic roles and have a genuine focus on our students performance and wellbeing. 

The Opportunity:

Based within the Hospital for Small Animals at Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian, these one-year rotating internship offer excellent preparatory experience for those considering further clinical training as well as those wishing to expand on their skillset and return to private clinical practice.   Candidates must have enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and an ability to function as part of a dedicated team in a busy hospital.

Our team of Interns rotate through the referral services within our Hospital for Small Animals, and contribute to the out of hours service which includes support for patients in the ICU and primary care of our general practice and exotics clinic patients. Interns have the opportunity for elective rotations, which may be spent gaining further clinical or research experience within the veterinary school or undertaking externships elsewhere.

Our referral services include: Anaesthesia, Behaviour, Cardiology, Clinical Pathology, Dermatology, Diagnostic Imaging, Emergency & Critical Care, Exotics, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Oncology (medical and radiotherapy), Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, Pathology and Soft Tissue Surgery. 

Each intern will also be paired with a mentor in their speciality of interest, to assist with guidance on career progression, as well as the opportunity to pursue a research project throughout the year. We also boast a thriving programme of continuing education within the hospital, including dedicated weekly seminars for interns, as well as practical sessions, journal clubs, board review sessions, specialty rounds and book clubs.

During the rotating internship, there is the opportunity to enrol in the Higher Education Academy, to achieve a teaching qualification.   Interns will also receive RECOVER training and certification.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week). 

 

View the full job description (opens in a new browser tab)

 

Your skills and attributes for success: 

• Member of RCVS or eligible at time of appointment
• Appropriate English language qualification
• Experience working in a UK veterinary practice (preferable but not essential) 
• Completion of VetGDP (preferable but not essential)
• Ability to work in the UK – please check right to work pages (via link below). Applicants should ensure they have fully read and understood the UK Immigration criteria required to apply for this position. 

 

Informal enquiries can be made by email to craig.breheny@ed.ac.uk.

How to apply

Please include the following documents in your application:

- CV

- Cover letter

As a valued member of our team you can expect: 

• A competitive salary, this role will be appointed at Step 1 of Grade 6, £34,610
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work 
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits 

 

An internship is a 12-18 month fixed term position awarded to qualified veterinary surgeons (usually early career) who wish to explore becoming a Specialist by achieving a Specialist qualification. This applies to both small animal and equine internships. The role is heavily supervised by more senior vets and has formal taught components. A 12 month internship rotating through different Specialties is a requirement to be eligible to apply for the next step in Specialist training -a residency.

Specialist training is via a three year residency followed by examination. The Specialist diplomas are awarded by either the European Board of Vet Specialists (EBVS) or the American equivalent and are recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in the UK. The curriculum is approved by the individual European colleges who sit under the EBVS, and the eligibility criteria for entering the training is also decided by the colleges, and includes a rotating internship. 

Below are links to the European colleges of Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Neurology and Surgery as examples of this requirement. 

https://ecvim-ca.college/resident-enrolment/

https://www.ecvo.eu/quickmenu/becoming-an-ecvo-diplomate.html

Training Guidelines_0.pdf (ecvn.org)

document-library.php (ecvs.org)

There are also focussed discipline specific internships which are often undertaken after a rotating internship. These are again 12 month fixed term contracts for individuals who are wanting to further their specialist knowledge, by working in their field, to strengthen their application for a residency, whilst applying for a residency programme.

Postgraduate study | Veterinary Schools Council UK (vetschoolscouncil.ac.uk)

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality. 

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)

The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant. 

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 16 September 2026.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone. 

Interview dates to be confirmed.

As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.

The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (https://vet.ed.ac.uk/about/what-we-do) (opens in a new browser tab) is a one-of-a-kind centre of excellence in clinical activity, teaching and research. Our purpose-built campus, set against the Pentland Hills Regional Park, is home to over 800 staff and a thriving student community (https://vet.ed.ac.uk/education) (opens in a new browser tab).  

The School comprises the Roslin Institute, three veterinary hospitals, a pathology unit, innovation centre and a range of research centres and services.

We represent one of the largest concentrations of animal science expertise in Europe, impacting local, regional, national and international communities in terms of economic growth, the provision of clinical services and the advancement of scientific knowledge.

Education
The School is widely accredited, enabling our graduates to practise across the globe. We are ranked among the best vet schools in the UK and internationally, evidencing our leadership in veterinary education, research and clinical practice.

The Roslin Institute collaborates closely in delivering research-led teaching to undergraduate veterinary students, and promoting clinical veterinary research and translation.

The School’s position as part of the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine enables the translation of expertise and knowledge into human health and vice-versa. 

Research Impact
In a joint submission to the latest UK Research Excellence Framework exercise, research at the School and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) ranked number one in the UK for agriculture, food and veterinary sciences by combining ratings for each institution. The research environment was rated 100 per cent world leading or internationally excellent, as was the impact of our research on society.

Community
The School holds Athena SWAN Silver, and the Roslin Institute Gold. The campus is home to a thriving and diverse community of staff and students, with access to facilities including allotments, cycle facilities, fitness trails, restaurants and a gym.