We asked, listened and acted – enjoy the new & improved in-depth Forbes Vet Clinic ad!

What’s the workload?

We are a typical rural mixed practice with 60-70% smalies and 30-40% largies load. We encourage all our staff to become good all-round rural GP vets. If you have a particular species or subject you enjoy working with we can nurture you in that direction too. Our regular jobs for all our vets (including new grads) include:

• Cattle: Preg testing (manual & ultrasound), bull testing, calvings, individual and herd health

• Horses: Preg testing, lameness, colic, stitch ups

• Dogs & cats: vax, consults, medicine, surgery (soft tissue, orthopaedic, desexing, caesareans), emergency

• Sheep, alpacas, pigs, pocket pets, bird, wildlife, reptiles round out the rest of our patient load

Most of our patient’s needs we are able to fully service but if more complicated things are required, we have the option of referral to Canberra (3hrs), Sydney (5hrs), Wagga (2.5hrs) and more experienced vets within 1.5hrs.

What’s the job like for a new grad?

At our practice, we’re all about setting new grads up for success. We offer a starting salary between $69K and $120K, depending on experience, with an hourly breakdown too (and keep in mind, our cost of living is lower here, so it stretches pretty far). In fact, many of our new grads have bought their first homes, new horse floats, and utes within their first two years!

Here’s how we’re new grad friendly:

• Start slow: Want to focus just on vaccinations? No problem!

• Customize your consults: We’ll schedule 30-minute vaccinations or 60-minute “all the rest” consults based on what you’re comfortable with.

• Learn at your own pace: If you want to watch another vet do surgeries before you try your own, we’re here for that. But if you’re feeling confident and want to perform a leg amputation or splenectomy in your first month? Go for it!

• On-call? Not right away: We’re not throwing you into on-call shifts for at least three months.

• Guaranteed time off: You’ll have your first Christmas guaranteed off to head home and show off your amazing new career!

• Support when you need it: No matter the time of day, night, or holiday, one of your bosses will always be available, either in person or over the phone.

We’ve had plenty of new grads start with us and thrive—our current associates can vouch for the flexible, supportive environment we provide!

How does the day roster work?

We work 4 x 9.5hr days with one week-day off a week. The current position would give you Wednesdays off but can be negotiated. Work 2 days, have a day off, work 2 days – how good!

The vet’s work day schedule: 

• 8-9am- morning patient checks

• 9am-12.15pm – consults/largies/surgeries

• 12.30pm-3pm – catch up on notes, procedures collected from the morning, phone calls, lab submissions, lunch break

• 3-5.15pm – consults/largies, 5.30-6.30pm – night patient checks

The actual clinic opening hours are 8.30am – 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 12pm on Saturdays (worked by the on call vet).

How does after hours work?

If you’re a new grad – you won’t be asked to do ANY after hours until you’ve a minimum of 3mths experience, unless you want to start sooner. Before doing on call, you are more than welcome to shadow one of the other vets to learn more skills. 

Once you’re feeling comfortable with the new clinic settings our rota is 1 weeknight a week and 1 in 4 weekends. Public Holidays are rotated equal share each year so that means only 1 Christmas every 4 years and 1 Easter every 4 years etc.

You are paid 50% of every consult fee you charge, 50% of professional fees as well (surgery, xrays, board, hospitalisation, large animal visits).

After you do a weekend on call you get the following Friday off as a paid RDO. This gives you 1 in 4 weekends as a long weekend to do as you please.

What are the clients like?

We have friendly clients reflective of our rural community. They understand that some things take time and that we don’t always have the answers immediately but they trust in our dedication to follow up all our cases. Rude, unpleasant clients are not welcome at our clinic and will be redirected when identified!

What are the support staff like?

Each day we have minimum 3 nursing staff on the floor, a dedicated receptionist and a practice manager. There is always at least 2 fully qualified nursing staff who are efficient at IV placement, blood draw & running, radiographs, administering medications (IV, IM, SC), owner communication, surgery admission, patient triage. What can’t they do might be a shorter list? These staff are working alongside 2-3 vets per day.

What’s the workplace like?

It is a proper team. We all have each other’s back and are willing to share information with each other and put our heads together to nut out cases. Nobody leaves at the end of the day feeling the weight on their shoulders of any particular case – we all share the load together. Although it can get stressful like all busy workplaces we get through it with good communication. The gifts of chocolate, biscuits, fruit and muffins from clients and the coffee shop at the top of the street probably help. 😊

Why is Forbes a good place to live?

Well it depends on who you talk to!

Vet Vanessa – loves the sport options: hockey, netball, touch footy, soccer, tennis, volley-squash are the ones that she participates in! There’s also rugby, AFL, water-skiing and squash.

Vet Amy – loves the equestrian events that are numerous all within a couple of hours drive of Forbes

Nurse Alesha – enjoying seeing the locals each day and building rapport in our community 

The community in general is very friendly. The town has 3 primary schools, 2 high schools, a preschool, and numerous day care options. Major shops include 2 supermarkets (inc woollies), beautiful boutique shops, kmart hub, bunnings, reject shop, maccas, KFC, dominoes (although the local pizza shop is way better!). Other highlights are the lake in town which everyone loves to walk/run/cycle the 5-10km circuit of; the Lachlan river that’s good for fishing, kayaking and swimming in; town pool; great food options at pubs, clubs, cafes, restaurants, bakeries.

PS

The boring stuff: we have all the bells & whistles you’d be looking for in a mixed practice including fixed & portable digital xray, smallies ultrasound, 2 x largies ultrasounds, iM3 dental equipment,  endoscope, IDEXX CBC & Biochem in-house, pulse ox, ECG machine, fluid pumps, blood pressure monitoring. We use the RX Works computer system with a computer in each consult room, 1 in xrays & 1 in the back area.

For further information, contact or send CV to:

Ell Schofield – Practice Manager
Forbes Veterinary Clinic
PO Box 845
Forbes NSW 2871
Phone: (02) 6852 1775
Mob: 0419 314 632
Email: admin@forbesvet.com.au