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Destination Pet
San Juan Capistrano, California

Medical Director Veterinarian

VeterinarianFull-Time

Listed compensation

$160k-$180k

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations and weekend coverage.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Welcome to Destination Pet. We are One Pack- a united team working together to elevate the love and lives of pet families. Our pet-obsessed professionals create a connected care network of trustworthy partners who bring creative innovation every day. We are revolutionizing the pet industry. Join us!

Ortega Animal Care Center in San Juan Capistrano is growing! We’re Looking for a Medical Director to join our passionate team!

Salary: $160,000 - $180,000 /year base + Production

Plus $10,000 MD Stipend

We are a well-established, full-service general practice hospital with a legacy of excellence and loyal clientele. Ortega Animal Care Center is a state-of-the-art facility with an experienced support team committed to the highest standards of care.

We are dedicated to staying current with the latest advancements in diagnostics, medical treatments, surgical procedures, and preventative wellness. We provide top-of-the-line medical, surgical, and dental equipment, as well as an in-house laboratory and ultrasonography.

If you’re passionate about high-quality veterinary medicine and thrive in a supportive, collaborative environment, we’d love to hear from you!

What You’ll Love About Destination Pet

  • 3 Weeks PTO + 32 hours floating holiday
  • $5,000 Annual CE allowance + 40 CE PTO hours
  • Pro-sal with no negative accrual and no deficits
  • Health, Dental & Vision Insurance
  • 401(k) with 5% company match
  • $350 /mo. Student loan reimbursement
  • $5,000+ Relocation assistance
  • No non-compete clause
  • 24/7 Mental health support via telemedicine
  • $1,000 Discretionary spending to support pet parents in need

If you’re looking for a dynamic, supportive team in a beautiful location, we’d love to meet you. Apply today and let’s start this exciting journey together!

Medical Director Job Description

Objective: The medical director’s objective is to oversee the medical operations within the hospital, mentor the medical staff, and lead the advancement of high-quality patient care and client service.

Key Responsibilities

  • 1. Leadership & Team Building
  • Provide strong, stable leadership within the hospital.
  • Foster cohesive and high-functioning medical teams.
  • Communicate effectively with colleagues and the referring veterinary community.
  • Perform additional duties consistent with the role of Medical Director as assigned.
  • 2. Mentorship & Staff Development
  • Mentor veterinarians and medical staff to support professional growth.*
  • Guide staff in understanding how behaviors impact revenue and practice success.
  • Provide individualized coaching and development.
  • Review monthly production performance and coach for improvement.
  • 3. Hospital Operations Management
  • Collaborate with the Hospital Manager to set priorities, manage costs, and ensure operational success.
  • Monitor and evaluate hospital protocols from patient intake to discharge.
  • Participate in the implementation of new initiatives and operational updates.
  • May serve as the designated veterinarian for facility permits or licenses as required.
  • 4. Business Development & Community Engagement
  • Represent the hospital and company at community events.
  • Join local service organizations or participate in outreach efforts to enhance reputation.
  • Dedicate at least 12 hours per quarter to business development activities and submit quarterly reports.
  • 5. Clinical Duties
  • Provide direct patient care including examinations, diagnoses, treatments, and surgeries.**
  • Operate medical equipment and prescribe medications.
  • Communicate with clients regarding medical conditions and treatment plans.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree.
  • Minimum of 5 years of veterinary experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Advanced technical skills in veterinary medicine.
  • Strong emotional intelligence, self-awareness, authenticity, and empathy.
  • Positive attitude and leadership presence.
  • Consideration: 36 hours of Patient Contact Time

*This also includes collaborating with Associate DVM staff to develop individualized treatment plans, educate clients effectively, and address all questions and concerns professionally.

**Leading and participating in ongoing medical quality assurance, including case reviews, continuing education, and compliance with state and federal regulations

Destination Pet LLC affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, age, disability or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled.

Destination Pet LLC endeavors to make our employment website and application process accessible to all users and applicants. In doing so, we provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation or assistance completing the application process, please contact a member of our recruitment team.

At Destination Pet, we're all about creating a workplace that's bursting with diversity and inclusivity. We don't play favorites or judge folks based on skin color, religion, gender, age, disability, or any other protected characteristics. Our hiring decisions are solely based on what you can bring to the team. So, we're throwing the door wide open for all like-minded candidates who believe in celebrating and honoring diversity and inclusion. Ready to join our pack?

Qualifications

Education
Doctoral or professional degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
5+ years of experience

Key Skills

Clinical diagnosticsDental proceduresClient communicationStrategic planning

Veterinary Medicine Career Context

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$170k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $154k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Veterinary Medicine listings this role was benchmarked against, 80% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

What does the Veterinary Medicine market look like in California?
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$160k–$180kVeterinary Medicine median $175k (middle half $165k–$180k)11 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$154k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Veterinary Medicine listings in California247 active3,456 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 80% no call · 60% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentloan repaymentCalifornia healthcare professional listings (all specialties): 41% state a sign-on bonus (median $38k) · 18% offer loan repayment333 active listings, Nov 2026
New Veterinary Medicine listings1,264 in the last 30 days522 the 30 days before (+142%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Veterinary Medicine pay trend+3.7% vs prior quarter—through Oct 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Veterinarian Jobs

36 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

36 jobs · 16 employers
4
<$145k
6
$145k-165k
13
$165k-185k
11
$185k-205k
2
$205k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

35 jobs · 16 employers
401k / retirement match
94% this job
Sign-on bonus
80%
CME allowance
80% this job
Relocation assistance
69% this job

✓ This job: no non-compete (stated in the posting)

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Associate Veterinarian

PETCO Animal Supplies Stores · New York, New York

$104k-$220k
#2

Associate Veterinarian

Companion Pet Partners · Santa Cruz, California

$160k-$210k
#3

Associate Veterinarian

$96k-$203k
#4

Veterinarian - Madera, CA

$150k-$200k
+ 34 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.7this job 2.1
Better work-life than 10% of Veterinary Medicine listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,392 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Destination Pet logo

About Destination Pet

Veterinary Services
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

3 Weeks PTO
32 hours floating holiday
$5,000 Annual CE allowance
40 CE PTO hours
Pro-sal with no negative accrual
Health, Dental & Vision Insurance
401(k) with 5% company match
$350/mo Student loan reimbursement

Living in San Juan Capistrano

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.09M≈ 6.8× annual pay
Typical market rent
$4,164/mo≈ 31% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
27 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
113.6
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.