Equine Internships

The internship programme positions are usually every September and April and we are taking applications for April 2026.

From April 2023, we are bringing the IVC Equine Internship program into Pool House Equine Hospital. This means we can create great career choices for graduates wanting to enter an Equine career – by joining the Hospital team as an intern.

For those vets embarking on a career as an equine intern, they can expect to work as part of an Equine Hospital team. They would be looking after the in-patients, monitoring the cases during their stay in the Hospital, including their pre-operative, anaesthetic and post-operative care. This would also involve sharing the night duty care of these patients with the rest of the intern team.

Our internships will last two years as a fixed term contract. The first 18 months is spent as a Hospital Intern. During the last six months, our interns can stay as an ambulatory vet at their Hospital practice.

Pool House Equine Hospital employs the intern and the intern has employee rights as stated in their contract.

Additional benefits for the interns include:

In-house CPD, support and mentorship from the specialists, advanced practitioners and certificate holders in your hospital
A VetGDP adviser
BEVA Membership
RCVS Membership renewal fees
Attendance at BEVA Congress once during your two years
Access to the VetPD Equine General Anaesthesia Course
Access to the VetPD Equine Discussion Panel
6.6 weeks holiday every year, plus birthday leave
Accommodation is at the discretion of the individual Hospital and should be discussed at interview

POOL HOUSE EQUINE HOSPITAL: INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Introduction

Pool House Equine Hospital offers 18 month internship followed by a 6 month ambulatory position on a 2 year fixed term contract.

Designed to provide a well balanced exposure to equine medicine, surgery and diagnostic imaging.

The hospital has 30 stables as well a paddocks and shelters and includes: 2x ICU, 2 x isolation, 2x surgical theatres with dedicated induction/recovery rooms, standing surgery, 2x examination rooms, dental theatre suite, direct digital radiography units, standing MRI, ultrasonography, video endoscopy, video arthroscopy, laparoscopy, and laser surgery. The in-house lab includes haematology and microbiology amongst others.

Internship Programme - Daily Planning

From the start of the program interns will be gradually introduced to various procedures by the previous existing interns and clinicians. They will be exposed to techniques in which they are expected to become proficient. This training is supervised by a European College of Veterinary Surgery certified equine surgeon & RCVS recognised Advanced Practitioners & certificate holding clinicians. This includes performing anaesthesia, receiving emergency patients, running laboratory tests, minor surgical procedures and general inpatient management. Working hours are typically 7.30am to 8pm, excluding emergency duties.

A large out‐of‐hour emergency on‐call commitment is required, as our hospital admits a high number of referral cases including colics. For all surgical cases, the intern in the anaesthesia rota will perform anaesthesia. Together all the interns are responsible for ensuring inpatients receive all necessary treatments (as indicated by senior clinicians) and keeping accurate records of such, performing routine radiography and ultrasonography services.

Inpatient requirements are discussed twice a day during patient rounds. Patient records are an essential part of the functioning of the clinic. The record keeping system will be explained in the introductory period and will be the intern’s responsibility to make sure they are up to date. It is the intern’s duty to communicate with owners under the senior clinician guidance.

The interns are responsible for equipment care (ultrasound and x-ray machines) particularly cleanliness and hygiene, downloading and uploading images onto the main practice system at the end of each working day.

The Hospital is affiliated with different Universities so we regularly have students in their final years on rotation here.

To find our more about our intern program or ask any questions, please email eq.careers@poolhousevets.co.uk

Overseas Veterinary Surgeons

The UK is a great place to work as a vet and there are two things your need to consider. Being a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Details of these requirements can be found here: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/registration/join-the-register-of-veterinary-surgeons/english-language-requirements/ and the right to work in the UK.

Any vet who wishes to work in the UK who does not hold the right to work in the UK, will need a skilled worker visa. In order to qualify for a skilled worker visa, in addition to a veterinary degree, you will need a certificate of sponsorship or CoS. IVC is an accredited sponsor and therefore Pool House Equine Hospital can support your move to work in the UK Equine Veterinary profession.

To register with the RCVS, If you are not from an English-speaking country, or your course was not in English, you will need to take an English test. This can either be an IELTS test or the OET test. You will need to have passed this before you can apply to register with the RCVS and thereafter apply for a CoS.. You may also need to show the RCVS your degree certificate and/ or a letter of good standing from your governing body. This can depend on the country in which you graduate, and the time passed since graduation. These documents will need to be translated if they are not already in English. Please be advised from the time the RCVS receives your documentation it can take several weeks for the results of your English test and thereafter a registration interview, gathering the necessary paperwork well in advance shall hopefully reduce any delay in your applications.

For further guidance on the government skilled worker visa please see the link below https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa