The University of Liverpool is one of the UK’s leading research institutions with a prodigious spread of expertise -from the humanities and social sciences to engineering, science, veterinary science and medicine. It attracts collaborative and contract research commissions from a wide range of national and international organisations – commissions valued at more than £100 million annually. The School of Veterinary Science sits in the Institute of Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. The Department of Small Animal Clinical Science is the organisational unit for these posts.

Liverpool was the first veterinary school in the UK to be part of a University, and has always been a leading education provider for the vets of the future. The current Head of School is Professor Paul Lunn, and the current head of the Department of Small Animal Clinical Science is Professor Tom Maddox.

The UVP is a busy primary care practice, with 5.6 FTE vets (including 1FTE dedicated exotics vet and a new second exotics role coming on board soon). The vets are supported by a nursing and animal care team of 5.6 FTEs, and three full-time clerical support staff and a practice administrator to oversee the day to day running of the practice. Qualified veterinarians on rotating Internships in Small Animal Studies also rotate through the practice; and this will be changing to include a Primary Care Intern based solely at the practice. Students rotate through the practice as part of their clinical training, and core teaching is currently undertaken 30 weeks of the calendar year (but may be extended), plus 3 weeks of elective. Students from University of Liverpool and other universities also undertake EMS in the practice.

The University Veterinary Practice is a purpose built first opinion practice, providing primary care services for clients and their pets in Liverpool City Centre. Facilities at the practice include DR radiography, two operating theatres and a generous prep area, a separate dental room including DR intra-oral radiography. We have an in-house lab and dedicated teaching and office space within the practice. Wards are species separated (dogs, cats, exotics and isolation) and we are recognised Cat Friendly Practice (silver) and Rabbit Friendly Practice. We are also a member of the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (GP level).

We like to think of the practice as proudly primary care. We want to demonstrate to our students what excellent primary care vetting looks like, and describe what we do here as vetting with added students. The practice is set up with teaching at the heart of everything we do, from long consult times (30 minutes as standard) to allow them time to interact with owners and run consultations, to working with local charitable partners to provide additional neutering work and an understanding of the role of a vet within the wider community.

As part of the School of Veterinary Science we embody the values and mission of the wider vet school:

MISSION 

To advance the health and wellbeing of animals, people, and the environment through excellence and innovation in education, research, and clinical service. 

VISION 

A better future for animals. 

VALUES 

We are ONE COMMUNITY. 

We demonstrate PROFESSIONALISM AND CIVILITY in all of our interactions. 

We practice INCLUSIVITY and believe that DIVERSITY makes us stronger. 

We believe that COLLABORATION and OPEN COMMUNICATION lead to better results. 

We are committed the WELLBEING and CONTINUOUS LEARNING of students and staff. 

We incorporate SUSTAINABILITY across all aspects of our work.

The practice is a close-knit team within the wider department of Small Animal Clinical Science. The people who work here have chosen this career to work with students, so teaching runs through our blood. For new career teachers the University provides teacher training, from foundations right the way up to Masters Level, all centrally funded and separate from your personal CPD budget. There is space to develop and grow into the teacher you want to be, and the vet or nurse you want to be as well.

While the building is only a tiny part of why you would decide where to work – ours is pretty nice! We are in a purpose built practice, with plenty of natural light, huge consulting rooms and the space for species-group separated wards (dogs, cats, exotics and isolation). We have a vet office which is great for case discussions between all of us, but most of the time is somewhere that’s full of laughter – which makes me really happy that we can all joke with each other every day.

Being based on the Liverpool campus we have all the benefits of a city centre location, including six different coffee shops all within a few minutes walk of the practice, so plenty of places to have a nice relaxing lunch break at, or when the weather is nice just somewhere to go for a walk. We also have access to all the campus facilities including the libraries.

Our salaries may not quite have caught up with private practice, but the Uni has a range of additional benefits which more than make up for this. We have a generous holiday allowance (30 days), are members of a pension scheme with a high employer contribution (on average 20-25% depending on exact scheme) and all of the things you would expect from a large organisation like employee discount schemes on a range of things.

Our quality of life here is high. The diary is built around the students, which means the pace is slower than most of the hectic primary care places we’ve worked before. There’s time to work up your cases, discuss next steps with the students and deal with any emergencies. Which also means staying beyond shift end is a rarity.