Quick overview
Job description
Grade UE06: £35,302 - £40,704 per annum
Hospital for Small Animals
Full-time: 35 hours per week
Fixed-term: for 52 weeks
Your next step starts here.
Make a meaningful impact
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, this one-year Small Animal Rabbit and Exotic Animal Internship offers excellent preparatory experience for those considering further clinical training. Candidates must have enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and an ability to function as part of a dedicated team in a busy hospital.
Each intern will also be paired with a mentor, to assist with pursuing a research project and guidance on career progression. 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 internship, there is the opportunity to enrol in the Higher Education Academy, to achieve a teaching qualification.
This post is full-time, and includes out of hours duties.
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)
- Proven interest in and enthusiasm for Small Animal Rabbit and Exotic Animals
- 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 jenna.richardson@ed.ac.uk
View the full job description (opens in a new browser tab)
How to apply
Please include the following documents in your application:
- CV
- Cover letter
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 Oncology 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)
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
A competitive salary.
An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits.
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 in a new tab).
Key dates to note
The closing date for applications is 1st December 2026.
Unless stated otherwise, the closing time for applications is 11:59 pm UK time. If you are applying from outside the UK, the closing time shown on our adverts will automatically adjust to your browser’s local time zone.