We Understand.Â
We Care. We'll Help.
Thirty-one years ago, we were the first practice in the entire Chicago metropolitan area area to practice integrative wellness medicine. The first integrative practice in the country to be certified by the American Animal Hospital Association - at their highest level of accreditation, no less! And we're still the best, as well as the most knowledgeable. We have served as teachers, mentors and role models to other area veterinarians and practices for over 30 years. Our joy and our delight in caring for our patients shows, every day.
​
Since opening our Schaumburg, Illinois veterinary practice doors in 1993, we've had this vision and philosophy:
​
We are here to serve people who are as passionate about the health and well-being of their pets as we are about our own. We care for companion pets from their juvenile period through their geriatric years, providing state of the art medical care, with love for the pet and deep respect for their human partners. We recognize that old age is not a disease, and are mindful that wellness focused, preventative and integrative veterinary medicine is the BEST medicine for pets of all ages! We make our practice an emotionally safe and comfortable environment for pets and their people. We promote, achieve, and teach excellence in integrative and preventative veterinary medicine. We acknowledge the joy and wonder in what we are privileged to do, every day.
Our Team
We understand that you have trusted us with the care of a pet dear to you, and we regard it as a partnership. We work with you, to help your pet maintain vibrant good health (or to gain it)! Every day, we aim to provide your pets with the same level of complete integrative veterinary medicine that we'd want for all of our own pets. Our top-level American Animal Hospital Association status puts us among the top 5% of all veterinary practices in the entire United States. This provides further assurance that we practice state-of-the-art medicine, that we understand the importance of utilizing cutting edge main management, including CBDs, that our Doctors and staff take ongoing continuing education very seriously, and that we maintain the very highest standards of cleanliness and sanitation throughout our facility.
Employment
NO Positions Available at this Time
(Here are examples of several hospital positions that sometimes become available)
Our Hospital Assistants make sure that our staff, clients, and patients stay healthy.
​
How? By carrying out the critical role of maintaining hospital cleanliness and sanitation at all times. You must be able and willing to learn to do, in a 4-week time span, the following: pick up animal waste outside, vacuum and mop floors, dust, wash/dry/fold laundry, clean cages and litter pans, clean and stock exam rooms on an ongoing basis, empty and clean trash cans, and perform other cleaning duties as requested, all in a timely and complete manner.
​
HAs also work under the direction of our Nurses and Vet Assistants, to help keep our hospitalized patients clean and comfortable during their stay with us. You must be able and willing to learn and perform in a very short time frame the following: animal restraint, brushing pets, feeding and walking hospitalized pets, providing postoperative care, and other medical duties as they are assigned to you, all in a timely and complete manner.
​
You must be able to handle, restrain, lift, and transport large adult dogs weighing up to 50 pounds and to learn and always utilize proper handling, restraint, lifting and transport procedures to avoid injury to themselves and others. You must also learn how to handle, restrain, and transport aggressive animals with assistance, to avoid injury to yourself or others.
We always require a professional working attitude. This specifically means a professional personal appearance, no gossiping about other staff, and a friendly, positive attitude towards all staff regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, or any other outlook that may be different from your own. You MUST be able to work as part of a team; this is NOT a job for “loners”.
You must have reliable transportation that allows you to arrive and to be clocked in ready to work no more than 15 minutes prior to your scheduled starting time each day, professional attired and groomed (no wet or fly away hair, streaked makeup, wet clothing, etc.). Usual available hours include Mondays through Thursdays 3pm - 7pm, and Fridays, 8am - 1pm.
​
​
Our Vet Assistants make sure that our Nurses and Doctors are supported in all of their duties
​
How? By working under the direction of our Nurses, to facilitate:
-
Patient history collection
-
Lab sample collection
-
Preparation of patient prescriptions
-
Assistance with routine in-office procedures such as nail trims, ear cleaning, wound treatment, bandage placement
-
Assistance with post-operative care, feeding, and medication administration
-
Coordination of inpatient and outpatient appointments
-
Preparation for all dental treatments and surgeries
-
Dental and surgical instrument cleaning and sterilization
-
Maintenance of exam rooms, treatment area, surgical and dental suite, and kennel cleanliness
​
The ideal candidate will possess documentable VA certification as well as familiarity with veterinary offices, AAHA, and Cornerstone veterinary software. They will appreciate, understand, and cater to our very diverse clients who are devoted to their pets and who care deeply about their welfare. They will be a team player, completely professional in attitude and appearance, with a fast learning curve. Documented employment at a previous top-level, AAHA-certified hospital such as ours is a plus, as is fluency in speaking a second language such as Polish, Spanish, or Korean.
​
The last 4 paragraphs of the above HA job description definitely applies here, although hours and days. Please be prepared to supply a full professional resume listing your last 10 years of employment, documenting a stable job history and explaining any gaps; three professional references with phone and email contacts (no friends or family members); and a cover letter detailing why you are interested in our position, and what you feel you can add to our talented and versatile staff.
If neither of the above are the job for you...
We are always glad to accept any resumes from enthusiastic, hard-working, dependable, team-oriented individuals with the energy and passion to create a great experience for our patients and clients. If you have an interest in joining our team of veterinary health care professionals now or in the future, please read on! Applicants we will consider are from those with pet handling experience, a basic understanding of medical office protocol and terminology, and the ability to maintain a medical-appropriate appearance and attitude at all times.
​
All of our Knollwood staff are constantly on their feet, constantly moving, and constantly multitasking. We work hard and you will too! Hours include some mornings as early as 7:45am and some evenings until 7:00pm (sometimes later). We schedule our staff monthly, so you always know your working days and hours in advance.
​
We supply uniforms and assign a mentor to all new hires in their area of responsibility. Newly hired staff are expected to complete and sign off on a training program within the required amount of time to maintain their position. Please note that we do check references, and we do have an active drug and alcohol testing program in place both before and after we hire all staff.
Because we and our clients appreciate getting to know and work with the same individuals over time, we do not hire seasonal workers. If you are seeking a summer job, a holiday job, or a job during college break, please do not submit an application. If you are a college or high school student seeking veterinary experience, and if you meet the same criteria as anyone we would hire and are willing to work dependably and reliably over a fixed short time frame, please do contact us about a volunteer position.
​
Want to submit a resume? Include what interests you about working with us, and email: knollwoodnews@gmail.com
Volunteers
We are always interested in hearing from individuals with a strong interest in veterinary medicine who can volunteer at least a half day, once a week, for a minimum time frame of 3 months. Our volunteers run the gamut from those seeking eventual admission to a College of Veterinary Medicine or Veterinary Technology to individuals retired from the work force who simply want to assist in the work of healing pets and helping Knollwood in some capacity. Qualified volunteers are those who are at least 15 years of age, can provide verifiable evidence of medical and emergency insurance, can provide written parental consent to volunteer if under 18 years of age, are completely reliable in attendance and work habits, agree to abide by all hospital policies and regulations, and who can present a professional medical appearance and attitude at all times. Surgical scrubs are required attire. Opportunities to help both our Reception and Nursing staff are available at this time.
Externships
Now accepting 2024 - 2025 Applications
Knollwood Hospital for Pets is integrative and wellness-focused. We maintain an active externship program for like-minded vet and vet tech students, as well as graduate DVM/CVT externs. Please read our website sections on "Services," "Staff," and "Policies" for details of our hospital operations and philosophy.
We do not provide a stipend. This is a learning experience for you, involving a significant investment of our time. For more information, please see the sections below on conditions for application and how to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!
​
The following applies to each extern group:
​
-
Veterinary or Pre-Vet Student/Veterinary Technician/Veterinary Assistant or Pre-Tech Students
-
Receipt of a letter of reference written and signed by a D.V.M. or C.V.T. member of your College
​
To apply for an externship: Make initial contact with our Medical Director, Dr. Deborah Mitchell, by e-mail at knollwoodnews@gmail.com with your proposed externship dates and reasons for seeking an externship with us. If our interests mesh and your proposed dates are available, we will ask you to: