Small Animal Hospitalist - Inpatient Medicine and Clinical Teaching

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Posted Job Title

Small Animal Hospitalist - Inpatient Medicine and Clinical Teaching

Job Profile Title

Staff Veterinarian

Job Description Summary

The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine is seeking a Small Animal Hospitalist to support inpatient care and clinical teaching at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital. This role provides daily oversight of hospitalized ward patients, mentors veterinary students on the Patient Care rotation, and collaborates closely with specialty services to ensure continuity, safety, and efficiency of inpatient care. The Hospitalist serves as a central clinical resource within the hospital, supporting nursing teams, facilitating communication across services, and helping maintain high standards of patient care within one of the nation's busiest academic veterinary hospitals.

Job Description

The Hospitalist provides structured daily medical oversight for ward patients, supports nursing teams, and directs the Patient Care rotation for veterinary students. The position bridges specialty services to ensure continuity, safety, and efficiency of inpatient care.

How you will contribute:

As patient volume and case complexity continue to grow at the Ryan Veterinary Hospital, the Hospitalist role strengthens inpatient continuity of care while enhancing veterinary student education.

The Hospitalist bridges specialty services, supports nursing teams with real-time clinical guidance, and mentors veterinary students as they develop clinical reasoning and patient management skills. By maintaining daily oversight of ward patients, the role helps improve communication, patient safety, and workflow across the hospital.

Responsibilities:

Patient Care Rotation Director

• Provide direct supervision and mentorship to veterinary students on the Patient Care rotation.
• Ensure students understand and fulfill their responsibilities as primary caregivers under appropriate medical oversight.
• Foster clinical reasoning, accountability, and professional growth.
• Collaborate with clinical services and academic leadership to align ward workflow with curricular objectives.
• Provide formative feedback and participate in student evaluation.

Inpatient Medical Oversight

• Serve as the designated medical advisor for the wards.
• Conduct daily rounds on ward patients in collaboration with primary and specialty services.
• Review, clarify, and update treatment plans in coordination with attending clinicians.
• Review Instinct treatment sheets for accuracy, clarity, and safety.
• Provide timely medical decision-making for routine and intermediate patient care issues within established protocols.
• Identify early clinical deterioration and escalate care appropriately.
• Monitor adherence to hospital protocols, documentation standards, and patient safety practices.
• Promote continuity of care and reduce communication gaps between services.
• A Hospitalist does not carry a primary specialty caseload and instead focuses on inpatient oversight, coordination of care, and clinical teaching.

Nursing Support & Clinical Education

• Serve as an on-site medical resource for nursing staff for routine inpatient care questions.
• Provide just-in-time teaching and ongoing clinical education to support nursing excellence.
• Ensure appropriate escalation of complex medical decisions to attending clinicians.
• Support a collaborative, respectful, and psychologically safe team environment.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• DVM or VMD degree
• 3-5 years of clinical experience in small animal medicine, emergency, critical care, or inpatient hospital practice
• Demonstrated proficiency in small animal inpatient medicine
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated commitment to patient safety and collaborative practice

Preferred Qualifications

• Completion of a small animal rotating internship
• Prior experience in an academic teaching hospital or high-volume referral hospital.
• Experience supervising veterinary students or house officers
• Demonstrated interest in medical education
• Interest in protocol development, quality improvement, or patient safety initiatives

Position Details:

• Primarily weekday daytime schedule; may include rotating weekends and holidays as needed to support inpatient services
• No primary responsibility for outpatient appointments
• Reports to: Hospital Director
• Comprehensive university benefits package

Targeted Pay Range: $130,000 - $140,000

This Targeted Pay Range is only applicable to this job posting. All salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile.

Please contact Amy Shields, Talent Acquisition Specialist at shieldsa@upenn.edu for further details.