General Surgery - Small Animal (Tenure or Clinical Track)

Veterinary Surgeon Position

The Department of Clinical Sciences at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine is seeking applicants to fill a full-time, 12-month/year appointment. Depending on experience, qualifications, and interest, the successful candidate will be appointed to either a tenure-track (Assistant/Associate/Professor) or a non-tenure-track (Clinical Assistant/Associate/Professor or Professor of Practice) position in small animal general surgery.

The successful candidate will be expected to participate in teaching, clinical service, and research/scholarly activity. Teaching responsibilities include the clinical, didactic, and laboratory instructional activities of professional veterinary medicine and postgraduate training programs related to orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. Clinical responsibilities could include soft tissue and orthopedic surgery or only soft tissue surgery, depending on the candidate's interest and experience. Full-time equivalent (FTE) assignments for clinical service and research responsibilities are negotiable and will depend on the successful candidate's interests and the type of appointment, i.e., clinical vs. tenure track vs. professor of practice. Clinical service includes patient care, procedural and surgical interventions, teaching veterinary medical students and interns, resident training, and consultation with private practitioners. Participation in shared after-hours emergency surgery back-up to the surgical residents is required.

Applicants for the position must hold a DVM or equivalent degree; and have obtained either Diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) or European College of Veterinary Surgeons or have completed ACVS residency training with credentials accepted to sit the Phase 2 exam. These qualifications must be met at the time employment begins. The candidate selected for this position must be able to meet eligibility requirements to work in the United States at the time the appointment is scheduled to begin and continue working legally for the proposed term of employment. Eligibility for faculty veterinary licensure in the State of Alabama is also required.

For a tenure-track position, research experience and an advanced degree (MS or PhD) are desired but not required. Tenure-track faculty are expected to establish a specific area of research focus, seek extramural funding, and mentor residents pursuing graduate degrees.

Application Process: Applications must include 1) a letter of intent stating the candidate's strengths and professional goals, 2) a current curriculum vitae, and 3) names, email and mailing addresses, and telephone numbers of three professional references.

Candidates interested in a tenure-track position must provide a research statement describing their primary research interests and research goals. Candidates interested in a clinical-track or professor of practice position must provide a statement describing collaborative research, teaching, or other scholarly interests.

General inquiries may be directed to Michael Tillson, DVM, MS, DACVS, Bruce Pratt Eminent Scholar Chair and Professor of Small Animal Surgery and Search Committee Chair (View email address on click.appcast.io). Starting salary will be commensurate with experience and credentials.

Review of applications will commence on October 7, 2026 and will continue until a qualified applicant is recommended for appointment.

The general surgery service at Auburn University is committed to excellence in clinical service, teaching of professional veterinary students, and resident training. The surgery service is composed of orthopedic surgery, small animal soft tissue surgery, and oncological surgery. The surgery services are complemented by specialists in small animal medicine, medical and radiation oncology, emergency/critical care, anesthesia, cardiology, dermatology, neurology, radiology, small animal and large animal ophthalmology, equine medicine and surgery, sports medicine, food animal medicine and surgery, equine, food animal and small animal theriogenology, dairy medicine, and pathology.

The successful candidate will join a team of 4 ACVS board-certified surgeons, 2 clinicians limited to the practice of surgery, 4 ACVS surgery residents, and 2 general surgery service and 2 orthopedics service technicians, with additional staff in the operating suites. The working environment is supportive and collegial, with structured mentorship for new faculty. Professional development is both encouraged and expected, with support for continuing education and guidance from experienced colleagues.

The Bailey-Small Animal Teaching Hospital has a total of 11 operating rooms with 7 rooms in active rotation for the general surgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, and neurology services. The operating suites are spacious, well-lighted, and offer glimpses of the outside world. On-site general & orthopedic equipment includes two towers for minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures, two intra-operative fluoroscopic C-arms (1 standard, 1 mini), SPY-PHI Fluorescent Imaging System (Stryker), bipolar vessels sealing equipment, access to an operating microscope, and a variety of surgical stapling equipment, numerous plate fixation systems, interlocking nail (I-Loc) fixation, circular/linear external skeletal fixation systems, and access to 3D printing capabilities. Professional physical rehabilitation services are available within the hospital and include ground and underwater treadmills, a resistance swimming pool, a class IV companion therapeutic laser, therapeutic ultrasound, acupuncture, and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), along with other modalities. Other on-site hospital equipment includes CO2 surgical laser (Aesculight), Eklin digital radiology, a state-of-the art Varian Edge Linear Accelerator, 3T Siemens MRI, GE 128-slice CT scan, a Siemens digital RF suite, and GE interventional radiology suite. The Auburn University MRI center provides 3T and 7T MRI service for research studies. The small animal and large animal ICU facilities are approved for ACVECC training and have dialysis and mechanical ventilation capabilities.

Teaching, Research, and Scholarship Opportunities: Shared research space and technical support, including a clinical trials coordinator, are provided within the Department. There are numerous opportunities for research collaboration within the Auburn University veterinary medicine campus, Auburn University's main campus, and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Auburn campus as well as at medical colleges at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Emory University. The Department participates in college-wide veterinary and graduate programs. Faculty development is a priority with a formal mentoring program for new faculty through the Department of Clinical Sciences. The Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (wp.auburn.edu/biggio) located on Auburn's main campus is a fantastic resource for all things teaching related including support for instructional technologies. The CVM also has monthly teaching enhancement workshops and a summer teaching institute that has brought nationally recognized speakers to present on a variety of teaching related topics.

Auburn University is one of the nation's premier public grant institutions. In 2026, U.S. News & World Report ranked Auburn #49 among top public institutions. Auburn maintains high levels of research activity and high standards for teaching excellence, offering Bachelor's, Master's, Educational Specialist, and Doctor's degrees in agriculture and engineering, the professions, and the arts and sciences. Its 2024-25 enrollment of 34,145 students includes 27,907 undergraduates and 6,238 graduate and professional students. Organized into twelve academic colleges and schools, Auburn's 1,426 faculty members offer more than 200 educational programs. The University is nationally recognized for its commitment to academic excellence and community engagement, its positive work environment, its thriving student life programs, and its beautiful campus.

Auburn University offers a wealth of benefits to its employees, to remain competitive in an ever-changing landscape of academia. More information about employee benefits and tiger Perks can be viewed here:

Auburn residents enjoy a thriving community, recognized as one of the "best small towns in America," and one of the "top ten small towns in the South" with moderate climate and easy access to major cities or to beach and mountain recreational facilities. Situated along the rapidly developing I-85 corridor between Atlanta, Georgia, and Montgomery, Alabama, the combined Auburn-Opelika-Columbus statistical area has a population of over 500,000, with excellent public-school systems and regional medical centers. The town has an art museum, performing arts center, and many regional opportunities for music and theater performances. Numerous cultural and recreational venues and idyllic escapes are within one hour of Auburn including Callaway Gardens, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and numerous shopping and dining experiences. Clement weather allows for extensive outdoor recreational opportunities including trails for walking or cycling, kayaking/boating in the many rivers that traverse the area and in Lake Martin with its 600 miles of shoreline, Tuskegee National Forest and other State Parks, all within a short drive from downtown. The 240,000 square foot university recreation center and multiple indoor lap pools and outdoor lounging pools offer additional opportunities to facilitate a healthy active lifestyle. Additional information can be found at

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