Hafa Adai

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us.

You can always view our website by going to www.wiseowl.net or by clicking on our logo at the top of the page.

Below you will find more information about our staff, clinic, and equipment as it relates to the veterinary position. You will also find the names and contact information of veterinarians who can speak to what it is like to work with our team. 

Facility & Equipment

Wise Owl Animal Hospital is a small animal clinic off the main road in Tamuning, Guam. Our hospital has four exam rooms, boarding area, surgery suite, open treatment area, employee lounge, offices, X-ray room, isolation room, and fenced back area including outdoor runs.  Check out pictures of our facility here.

Our equipment and facility are modern by any standard. Our in house lab is comprised of Abaxis equipment (HM5 and both VS2 and VS1). We use Abaxis and Idexx for outside lab services (via FedEx). We have most of the modern "toys" including, but not limited to:

  • Digital radiographs
  • Tonometer
  • Pulse ox
  • Bluetooth EKG,
  • Class IV Companion Laser
  • New dental machine
  • Automatic cytology slide machine (for consistency)
  • Real time microscope results are visible on monitors in each room
  • Mac computers in all rooms
  • and we are transitioning to ezyVet in November 2017, a paperless and cloud-based software system with further integrations and capabilities.

Our anesthesia is designed around patient needs and doctor preference: Propofol, Ket/Val, Kitty Magic, Doggy Magic, TTDEX, Locals Midazolam, Opioids, etc. are available at our clinic. We use isoflurane as our inhalant. We have multiple anesthetic machines and monitoring equipment. 

There are no referral clinics on Guam. We use telemedicine and consultations as needed, but as things go, Wise Owl Animal Hospital is the place to go in the North Pacific for pet care. Please see "Practicing in Guam" for more on what we see and treat the most of. 

Our Staff

Our staff is full of fun loving and enthusiastic personalities. There are over 22 highly trained certified veterinary nurses and 5 kennel assistants on staff. Six of our nurses are also Certified Dental Hygienists. Our nurses are capable of doing all your lab work, phlebotomy, IV and urinary catheter placements, medication administration, etc. They are hard working, eager learners that are fantastic to be around both inside and out of the clinic work environment.  

Wise Owl Animal Hospital is proud to employ both Guam locals and those temporarily on the island with the military. Learn more about our amazing staff on the Staff page.

Our References

Dr. Myles Mortiz

Dr. Myles Mortiz was the first associate veterinarian to join Wise Owl Animal Hospital. He worked with us for 4 years before returning stateside to practice on the East Coast. He has graciously agreed to allow you to contact him regarding work here and Guam in general.

[email protected]

(252) 833-0896

Dr. Rhonda Aliah

Dr. Rhonda Aliah has joined us as a returning relief veterinarian throughout the years.  She continues to provide relief services around the world and has also agreed to allow you to contact her regarding relief work and getting the most out of your time in Guam.

Dr. Genevieve Weaver

Dr. Genevieve Weaver joined the team 2 years ago as an associate veterinarian. You can learn more about her from her bio on our website. In consideration of her time, we are limiting contact with her to those applicants, we will be considering hiring. 

Below you will find the job description for veterinarians at Wise Owl Animal Hospital as well as a sample contract. All job descriptions are meant to be read in conjunction with the expectations for all Wise Owl Employees. You can find PDF versions of both these documents here: 

Expectations for all Employees                                      Veterinarian Job Description

Relief Veterinarian Sample Contract                 Associate Veterinarian Sample Contract

Relief & Associate Veterinarian

Job Description


Overview

RELIEF

Department: Veterinarian
Job Status: Full Time (40+ hrs/wk)
Education: DVM
Experience: 2-4 years preferred
Reports To: Chief of Staff
Work Schedule: TBD as needed
Pay: up to $2,000/wk

ASSOCIATE

Department: Veterinarian
Job Status: Full Time (40+ hrs/wk)
Education: DVM
Experience: 2-4 years preferred
Reports To: Chief of Staff
Work Schedule: 4-5 days a week
Annual Salary: $80,000 - $104,000+ depending on experience

The associate veterinarian is charged with the primary responsibility for the medical and surgical care of patients. As such, they are central to client relations and staff management. Associate veterinarians at Wise Owl Animal Hospital manage clients and patients from their entry to the practice through evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and discharge while bonding clients to the practice. They are also responsible for verifying and maintaining the healthy condition of boarding animals.

 

Associate veterinarians direct other staff members in patient and client care and coordinating invoicing, kenneling, and the dispensing of medication. They must meet the standard of care, practicing error-free medicine and surgery on all species seen at Wise Owl Animal Hospital. They are also asked to handle patient and practice emergencies in a timely and responsible manner and may need to work hours beyond those scheduled. Veterinarians must keep accurate, complete, and timely records.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

General Knowledge

  • Demonstrate extensive knowledge of pets, pet care, and veterinary medicine.
  • Know the range of services the practice provides and the costs associated with each.
  • Understand the life cycle and pathology of common parasites (intestinal parasites, heartworms, fleas, ticks, etc.), and know the names of most common preventatives, recommended treatments, and diagnostics.
  • Be familiar with zoonotic (contagious) diseases, including their prevention and steps to reduce or eliminate transmission.
  • Knowledge of import and export requirements for pets being imported/exported to/from Guam.

 

Essential Tasks

  • Supervise and direct technical support staff.
  • Greet clients and patients, respond to client needs and questions, educate clients, and maintain records. Manage distressed clients.
  • Admit and discharge patients. Review consent forms with clients and verifies client signatures.
  • Maintain the safety and welfare of patients and boarders at all times.
  • Examine, diagnose, and develop a treatment plan for all patients.
  • Administer treatments: fluid therapy, medications, wound dressings and treatments, enemas, bandages and splints and parasitic treatments.
  • Conduct diagnostic testing: collect blood and other samples, take radiographs.
  • Conduct surgeries including, but not limited to spays and neuters.
  • Administer anesthetics and monitor anesthetized patients. Place endotracheal tubes.
  • Educate clients on the proper care of animals.
  • Maintain records properly.
  • Record results of dental evaluation and procedures. Perform dental scaling and polishing procedures. Extract teeth and perform orthodontic procedures.
  • Perform surgical procedures.
  • Handle pricing questions in a manner that encourages clients to accept your recommendations, and create estimates.
  • Be available on-call as assigned.
  • Ensure proper medication and treatment is administered by staff as directed.
  • Share input with the hospital administrator, management, and staff in the development and implementation of goals, policies, and procedures related to the veterinary practices of the clinic.
  • Meet regularly with the owner and hospital administrator.
  • Attend and assist with sponsored community events.

 

Medical Skills

  • Excellent surgical skills including, but not limited to spay/neuter, dentistry, and soft-tissue.
  • Ability to balance medical and financial priorities with clients.
  • Ability to use and work with state-of-the-art equipment including, but not limited to laser therapy, digital radiography, Kacey Diagnostic instruments, ultrasound, critical care monitoring equipment, isolation ward, fully equipped surgical suites.
  • Strong work ethic and ability to work cooperatively in a multi-doctor practice with a large interactive staff.
  • Ability to work independently, exercise good clinical judgment, provide supervisory support of technical staff and use diplomacy and tact in dealing with internal and external customers.
  • Understands and communicates the importance of preventative medicine.
  • Compassionate nature with a strong moral and ethical grounding.
  • Excellent communication skills. Able to interact and engage with all clients, including ESL.

Skills & Abilities

Certificates & Licenses

  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from an accredited college or university
  • Possession of or ability to obtain current licenses to practice veterinary medicine in Guam:
    • Guam Licensure
    • DEA License
    • Controlled Substance Registration (CSR)
    • Category II USDA Accreditation
  • Maintain annual CE Requirements

 

Other Requirements

  • Customer service experience.
  • Available to work weekends, holiday shifts, and evenings.
  • Commitment to the mission, values, goals, and success of Wise Owl Animal Hospital.

Besides being on a tropical island surrounded by warm weather, beautiful beaches, friendly locals, and a fun staff, Wise Owl Animal Hospital provides generous benefits to our veterinary employees.  When traveling half way around the world, little things like having a car, phone, and temporary housing make accepting a job less stressful.  All this while knowing that you can return home once a year (for associates) with the airfare already paid. 

Wise Owl Animal Hospital recognizes that we all want to get paid well for what we do and makes every effort to take care of our employees. Some of the best things in life do not have a monetary value. However, we have tallied these (for associate veterinarians) at $30,000 - $40,000 per year.

Below you will find a list of the benefits we provide:

Benefits for Both Relief & AssociateVets

  • Competitive salary paid every 2 weeks
  • All licenses and registration fees for Guam requirements
  • Company car (not shared) - including insurance
  • Company computer
  • Company smart phone (iPhone 6 or newer)
  • Your airfare to Guam
  • Your airfare from Guam to a location of your choice after completion of the contract
  • Housing (relief vets for length of contract, associates for first 3 months) at company expense
  • Employee pet care discount
  • Outer/remote island work if desired
  • Flexible work schedule
  • Opportunity for further compensation through voluntary emergency commission at 50% of collected fees.  

Benefits for Associate Vets Only

  • Group health care for employee and spouse
  • Malpractice Insurance 
  • 401k with company matching
  • Profit Sharing
  • Dues for AVMA
  • Dues for one (1) other organization of your choice
  • Dues for up to two (2) veterinary journals
  • Relocation allowance of $5,000
  • Airfare to Guam for your spouse/significant other. Other family members by separate agreement. 
  • Annual round-trip airfare for your spouse/significant other from Guam to States or other location of your choice. 
  • Return airfare from Guam for your spouse/significant other after completion of the contract. Other family members by separate agreement. 
  • $2,000 per year CE allowance
  • Sick leave and vacation pay
  • Maternity/paternity leave
  • Transport, quarantine fees, and other associated fees to bring a specified number of personal pets to Guam 

The first step in the application process is to apply to Wise Owl Animal Hospital. You can find our online application here or use the yellow buttons in the menu to the left. Once you have submitted this application, you will be contacted by our hospital administrator within 1-2 weeks. In the meantime, please look over and begin to gather the items necessary to work in Guam:

As a territory of the United States of America, Guam holds reciprocity with other states. However, Guam does not permit veterinarians to practice medicine under the licensure of another veterinarian. Rather, each veterinarian, whether relief or permanent, is required to obtain their own Guam Veterinary License. There are a few other required documents to solidify your eligibility to practice veterinary medicine in Guam:

 

Required documents to work on Guam:

1. Guam Veterinary License

2. Controlled Substance Registration (CSR)

3. Category II USDA accreditation

4. DEA License

(you can click on any of the above to jump to that section)

You will need your Guam Veterinary License in order to obtain a USDA accreditation for Guam and a Controlled Substance Registration (CSR). You then need the CSR to get a DEA permit for Guam. 

Below we have detailed the advice and experiences of past applicants in regards to their application process with the licensure board in Guam. The list may or may not be all-inclusive of what the board requests of you. Please feel free to contact us with specific questions. 

Guam Veterinary License

This part of the process takes the longest, usually between 6 - 10 months. All application materials must be received by the Board of Allied Health Examiners before the first Friday of every month. If you do not have everything sent to the office prior to the meeting, they will not put you on the agenda until the following month. Send everything priority mail - don't bother with overnight shipping because it is impossible for USPS to overnight mail from the States to Guam. 

Guam Veterinary License Application Part I

Guam Veterinary License Application Part II

 What you will need to gather & complete to apply for a Guam Veterinary License (recommended from previous applicants):

    1. List all jurisdictions in the US or foreign countries where you are licensed or where you have applied for licensure. If you have any license verification documents, send those.
    2. You will be asked to list a detailed chronological life history, detailed educational history, and military service, if applicable. 
    3. Official transcripts from your veterinary school will need to be mailed from the school and the certificate of attendance form (which is part of the application). Make a copy for #4.
    4. Official transcripts from your undergraduate university will need to be mailed from the school and the certificate of attendance.
    5. Copy of your NAVLE scores. Might as well notarize it too. 
    6. Notarized copy of your veterinary school diploma.
    7. Notarized copy of your undergraduate degree diploma. If your diploma is in any other language except English (Latin is not an exception), you must have a notarized copy of a translation of the diploma. 
    8. Notarized copy of your current veterinary license(s).
    9. Three letters of reference. Original or notarized copies. One must be from a veterinarian that you currently work with. You can put the letters in the application package. They don't have to be sent separately but should be placed in a sealed envelope.
    10. Proof of your membership in the AVMA. (Some sent a copy of their card and a copy of their AVMA PLIT).
    11. A set of fingerprints (your local police department can usually do this).
    12. Police clearance/background check from your last place of residence (your local police department can do this).
    13. Proof of US citizenship (notarized copy of your passport is recommended).
    14. Recent photograph (passport specifications).
    15. Money order for $250 made out to Treasurer of Guam:

           Department of Public Health and Social Services

Guam Board of Allied Health Examiners
123 Chalan Kareta
Mangilao, Guam  96913
(671) 735-7407 thru 7411

Controlled Substance Registration (CSR)

As soon as you get your Guam Veterinary License, send in a CSR application with a copy of your Guam license and a check for $??? payable to Treasurer of Guam:

Department of Public Health and Social Services

Division of Environmental Health

Controlled Substances Program

123 Chalan Kareta

Mangilao, Guam 96913-6304

P: (671) 735-7221

F: (671) 734-5556

Category II USDA Accreditation

 

You can be accredited in multiple states/territories. As soon as you get your Guam Veterinary License, fill out VS Form 1-36A and send it to your district office via snail mail (they require the original signature) plus fax.email.

As of January 2017, Guam's NAVP District Coordinator is:

Todd D. Cares

10365 Old Placerville Road, Suite 210

Sacramento, CA 95827

P: (916) 854-3903

F: (916) 363-3919

[email protected]

 

Click here for list of all district coordinators

DEA Change of Address

As soon as you get your CSR number, go on the DEA website and submit the online application for change of location where you practice. It will ask you for your Guam Veterinary License number and your CSR number. Fill that out and you should within a few days get an email asking for a copy of your license and your CSR. Scan and email to the DEA official. After that they will send to the clinic within 10-14 days, your new DEA registration to use in Guam. 

Guam is a great place to live and to raise children. English is the official language and we use American currency. There are many cultures here and it is, overall, a safe and friendly place. We are a territory of the United States with all its benefits and rights. All of your USA licenses and such apply here. For example, your driver's license is accepted here, though if you stay 6 months or more you will need to get a Guam driver's license. We have Kmart, Macy's, Ruby Tuesdays, IHOP, Applebee's, Home Depot, Foot Locker, and many other stores you are used to.

Veterinary medicine, however, is seasonal and geographic; and we have been told the number of parasite related cases (for example) we see is exponential compared to what veterinarians are used to seeing in the states. Being that we are on a tropical island, our basic rule of thumb is: if a parasite can cause it, we probably see it - daily.

The list below has been created to give you a general idea of the most common diseases we see at Wise Owl Animal Hospital:

Non-Parasite Related

  • Parvo, parvo, parvo and more parvo (you will see a lot of this. We have a 90% survival rate)
  • Feline pneumonitis (Chlamydia)
  • FIV - we have little FeLV but almost all the boonies (stray) cats are FIV+ by 2-3 years old
  • Heatstroke
  • Health certificates to
    • Australia
    • Europe
    • Japan
    • Korea
    • US Mainland, Hawaii & Alaska
  • Poultry permits to Saipan & CNMI (hence the need for the Category II USDA Accreditation)
  • C-sections (we have a lot of breeders on Guam)
  • Trauma from
    • Hit By Car/boat
    • Dog fights
  • Abscesses - not related to fights or known wounds
  • Cruciates, Luxating patellas, and FHO's

Parasite Related

  • Hookworm anemia in 8-10 day old puppies and kittens
  • Tick Diseases (no Lyme) - diagnosed more than once a day
    • Ehrlichiosis
    • Anaplasmosis
    • Babesiosis
    • hemobartonella in cats (Myconacterium pneumotropica)
    • Dermatophytosis
  • Heartworm (diagnosed 3-5 times per week)

We are happy to answer your questions regarding Guam, our clinic, relief services, and your specific application needs. As an interested Veterinary applicant, we ask that you contact us directly by filling out the form below. This form will go directly to our admin team. You can also reach us at:

Wise Owl Animal Hospital

705 S. Marine Corps Dr.
Tamuning, GU 96913

Phone: (671) 646-2273

Fax: (671) 646-2264

www.wiseowl.net
[email protected]

Contact Us

We look forward to hearing from you

Location

Office Hours

Monday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-1:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Sunday:

10:00 am-3:00 pm

Email: [email protected]
Tel:  (671) 646-CARE (2273) 

Fax: (671) 646-2264