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Associate Veterinarian – Holistic & Integrative Medicine

Northwest Animal Hospital | Des Plaines, Illinois

Are you a veterinarian who believes great medicine goes beyond treating symptoms?

At Northwest Animal Hospital, we’re building something special — a veterinary experience that combines excellent traditional medicine with a thoughtful, whole-patient approach to health and wellness. We are excited to welcome a compassionate and motivated Associate Veterinarian who is interested in practicing high-quality medicine while exploring integrative and holistic options that can help pets live healthier, more comfortable lives.

Whether you already have experience in holistic or integrative veterinary medicine or are simply excited to learn more, this is an opportunity to join a supportive team that values curiosity, collaboration, and individualized patient care.

A Different Approach to Veterinary Medicine

Northwest Animal Hospital is a full-service companion animal practice providing preventive care, dentistry, surgery, diagnostics, internal medicine, and more. What makes our hospital especially unique is our growing commitment to integrative veterinary medicine.

We believe traditional and holistic medicine do not have to compete with one another. Instead, we look for opportunities to thoughtfully combine the two, creating personalized treatment plans based on the individual needs of each patient and family.

Our goal is to support the whole patient — from nutrition and lifestyle to disease prevention, pain management, recovery, and long-term wellness.

Grow Your Passion for Integrative Medicine

Our Managing DVM, Dr. Draca, is passionate about expanding the integrative services available to pets throughout the Des Plaines community.

She currently provides nutrition and diet consultations, including guidance surrounding fresh feeding, home-cooked diets, and raw diets when appropriate. This gives clients the opportunity to better understand how nutrition can support their pet’s overall health and complement traditional medical care.

Dr. Draca is also nearing completion of her veterinary acupuncture certification and has already begun incorporating acupuncture into patient treatment plans.

And we’re only getting started.

Our growing integrative medicine program includes or will soon include:

• Veterinary acupuncture
• Individualized nutrition consultations
• Fresh-food and home-cooked diet guidance
• Supplement and nutraceutical recommendations
• Natural wellness and supportive-care options
• Chinese herbal medicine as certification is completed
• Ozone therapy
• Traditional diagnostics, medicine, surgery, and preventive care

For a veterinarian who is already passionate about holistic medicine — or someone who has always wanted the opportunity to learn more — Northwest offers an environment where those interests can be encouraged and developed.

You Don’t Have to Choose Between Great Medicine and Whole-Patient Care

We are looking for a veterinarian who believes in using the right tools for the right patient.

That may mean traditional diagnostics and medication for one case, acupuncture and nutritional support for another, or a thoughtful combination of approaches.

You’ll have the freedom to practice high-quality medicine while working alongside a team that is open-minded, progressive, and interested in continually expanding what we can offer our patients.

A Team That Supports You

Great veterinary medicine starts with a great team.

At Northwest Animal Hospital, you’ll work alongside veterinarians, technicians, and support staff who value communication, collaboration, and creating a positive hospital environment.

We want our doctors to feel comfortable asking questions, discussing cases, sharing ideas, and pursuing the areas of veterinary medicine that excite them most.

Experienced veterinarians are welcome, and newer graduates who are looking for strong mentorship and an opportunity to develop their own style of medicine are encouraged to apply.

Who Would Thrive Here?

You may be a great fit if you:

• Believe in compassionate, individualized patient care
• Enjoy building meaningful relationships with clients and their pets
• Value strong traditional veterinary medicine while remaining open to complementary therapies
• Have an interest in nutrition, acupuncture, herbal medicine, supplements, rehabilitation, pain management, or other holistic modalities
• Are curious and excited to continue learning
• Enjoy collaborating with a supportive team
• Want the freedom to develop your own professional interests
• Bring positivity, empathy, and a team-focused mindset to work

Previous holistic or integrative medicine experience is not required. An interest in learning and an open-minded approach to patient care are what matter most.

Life in Des Plaines

Located in Des Plaines, Illinois, Northwest Animal Hospital offers the best of suburban living while keeping Chicago within easy reach.

The area offers beautiful parks and outdoor spaces, great restaurants, established neighborhoods, and convenient access to shopping, entertainment, O’Hare International Airport, and everything the greater Chicago area has to offer.

Whether you enjoy city weekends, quiet neighborhoods, outdoor activities, or a little bit of everything, Des Plaines provides an excellent place to build both a career and a life.

What We Offer

We want our veterinarians to build careers they genuinely enjoy.

Our benefits and opportunities include:

• Competitive compensation
• Sign-on bonus opportunities
• Flexible scheduling
• A strong focus on work-life balance
• Continuing education allowance
• Professional development and mentorship
• Comprehensive benefits
• A collaborative and supportive hospital culture
• Opportunities to pursue special interests
• The ability to grow your knowledge of holistic and integrative veterinary medicine
• Exposure to emerging services including acupuncture, nutrition, herbal medicine, and ozone therapy

Practice Medicine With the Whole Patient in Mind

If you have been looking for a veterinary practice where traditional medicine and holistic care can work together, we would love to meet you.

Come grow with a team that believes veterinary medicine can be progressive, compassionate, collaborative, and individualized — and that there is always more to learn when it comes to helping our patients thrive.

Join Northwest Animal Hospital and help us continue building a more comprehensive approach to veterinary care in Des Plaines.