Internships & Residencies

Internships

Are you looking to explore new challenges in your career and continue your professional development? Then maybe a CVS Referrals 1-year internship is for you. As part of the UK’s largest integrated veterinary group, CVS Referrals offers a variety of exciting progression opportunities. For example, did you know that we currently employ around 19 rotating interns and 15 specialist service specific interns across our small animal referral division? 

CVS offers both rotating and discipline-specific internships.

Rotating internships give you exposure to referral practice and a broad range of specialist disciplines working alongside world-class nurses, vets and specialists. They are suitable for candidates who have not undertaken an internship previously, who want to explore career options and improve their depth of knowledge within a supportive learning environment. Subsequently they are an excellent springboard to upskill and return to general practice (perhaps to start a certificate or the Advanced practitioner journey) or continue in referrals and go on to specialise. In most disciplines completion of a rotating internship is required prior to applying for a residency training position.

Discipline-specific internships are aimed at those who have previously undertaken a rotating internship and wish to explore their chosen subject of interest in more detail, including increasing case and research exposure and confidence. For many, it is undertaken prior to applying for a residency training position (although not a requirement), but it can also act as an excellent foundation to return to general practice.

An internship can be a part of whatever your individual career journey ends up being. You might also have some fun and meet some new friends along the way!

CVS has state-of-the-art referral hospitals across the country in many beautiful areas. If you think an internship is for you, check out our referral centres on our website. If you are interested in discussing these roles and any available opportunities, please contact referralcareers@cvsvets.com.

• Internship current salary is £32,000 per annum based on a full-time role.
• A generous CPD package of up to 5days and £1000 is available for external courses/conferences.
• In addition, monthly in-house CPD, online educational content and continual one-to-one patient-side learning and mentoring is provided. Bringing an additional approximate £3000 worth of CPD value.
  NB: For internship programmes you must be a qualified veterinary surgeon with a degree registrable with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Residencies

As part of the UK’s largest integrated veterinary group, CVS Referrals offers a variety of exciting opportunities for specialist training in number of disciplines. Completing an accredited residency training programme position is the gateway to becoming a Diplomate and an RCVS recognised veterinary Specialist.

We are proud to say that we currently have 20 residents (Specialists/Diplomates in training) across our small animal referral division and this number is increasing! Current disciplines with residency training programmes include Anaesthesia, Cardiology, Imaging, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Oncology and Surgery. Residents are supported by close to 100 Diplomates across the CVS referrals network and have the opportunity to do externships in partner hospitals and the Laboratory division.

Training

Approved residency training programmes are accredited and monitored by their relevant European or American Veterinary Specialist Colleges. Currently most CVS Referral residents are enrolled in European training programmes. The colleges dictate the number of externships and time off for study, which can vary between disciplines. However, externships are fully supported and due to the integrated structure of CVS Group easily arranged. Internal learning and development opportunities, such as imaging rounds also occur.

Support

Each resident has a residency supervisor, who a resident works with directly as well as other members of the service team (vets and nurses). CVS Referrals also has an Internship and Residency Co-ordinator, Sophie Keyte, who helps hospitals locally as required. In addition, the CVS Residency network across all hospitals provides peer to peer support. Many of the friends you make during your 3-year residency remain friends for life!

Research

Residents are supported to complete clinical research by both their direct teams, CVS Director of Clinical research and CVS Small Animal Research Assistant. Publication is an important part of a successful residency and CVS recognise this through providing both financial and statistical support to their residents to help them achieve their residency college requirements. Collaboration between centres of excellence is highly encouraged.

Some recent examples of published residency projects include:

• Sansby E, Driver CJ, Borland K, Schofield I, Michou J. The sedative effect of intravenous butorphanol in dogs with intracranial space occupying lesions or indicators of intracranial hypertension. Vet Anaesth Analg. 2025 Jan-Feb;52(1):61-67. doi: 10.1016/j.vaa.2024.11.006. Epub 2024 Nov 19. PMID: 39690053.
• Salord Torres X, Jeevaratnam K, Schofield I, et al. Diagnostic and predictive ability of hyperbilirubinemia severity in cats: A multicenter retrospective study. J Vet Intern Med. 2024; 38(2): 1043-1050. doi:10.1111/jvim.17005

Residency training positions are highly sought after and therefore we advise talking to us early if you are thinking about this career path. If you are interested in a residency with us, please do email us at referralcareers@cvsvets.com and sign up to CVS job alerts. You can also check current vacancies or contact one of our specialist hospitals directly.

Entrants to residency programmes must have completed either a rotating internship (preferable and often required), discipline-specific internship or two years in veterinary practice with a predominant caseload of their chosen discipline.

You must also be a qualified veterinary surgeon with a degree registrable with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Salary

Our current resident’s starting salary is £45,700 in year one, rising to £48,300 in year two, and £51,000 in year three.