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Mentorships are available for a variety of industries, including veterinary medicine. Whether you’re pursuing a career as a licensed veterinary, a veterinary technician or a veterinary technologist, you may want to participate in a mentorship program. It’s typically not required. Participating in a veterinary mentorship, however, can help you excel in your respective profession by sewing the seeds for long-term success.

What Is a Veterinary Mentorship?

A veterinary mentorship is a program — either formal or informal — in which an experienced veterinary professional advises and teaches as an aspiring veterinary professional. The experienced veterinary professional is the mentor, whereas the aspiring veterinary professional is the mentee. During a veterinary mentorship, you can seek answers and advice from a mentor who works in the same profession as you.

Benefits of Partnering With a Mentor

Beginning any new job can prove challenging, and veterinary jobs are no exception. You’ll have to familiarize yourself with the veterinary clinic’s procedures and equipment, and you’ll have to learn what the clinic expects of you in a typical workday. Rather than trying to wing it, you can partner with a mentor who works at the same clinic. Many veterinary clinics have their own mentorship programs. They’ll match new hires with experienced veterinary professionals to facilitate a smoother transition.

Partnering with a mentor offers career advancement benefits. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), mentees can turn to their mentor for assistance on how to advance their career. Most veterinary professionals don’t work in the same profession their entire lives. They may work for a few years in a paraveterinary profession, after which they may become a licensed veterinarian. Even then, some licensed veterinarians may seek to become board certified in a particular specialty, or they may open their clinic.

Career advancement involves changing your profession to a more-desirable profession in the same industry. Most mentors have already advanced their own careers. As a result, they can answer any questions you have regarding career advancement. Maybe you want to know how long you should work in your current profession, or perhaps you want to know how much education a different profession requires. You can ask questions such as those to your mentor.

Mentorship programs are free. You won’t have to pay to partner with a mentor. You can participate in a veterinary mentorship program for free. Mentors aren’t paid for offering advice to mentors, nor are mentees charged for seeking advice from them.

Getting Started With a Veterinary Mentorship Program: How to Find a Mentor

To get started with a veterinary mentorship program, you’ll need to find a mentor. Veterinary mentorship programs are available at several places, one of which is veterinary clinics. Upon landing your first job at a veterinary clinic, you can inquire about a mentorship program. Many veterinary clinics offer mentorship programs.

Mentorship programs are typically separate from training. You’ll still have to complete a training program as a new hire. Depending on the clinic, as well as the profession, it may last for one to four weeks. After you’ve completed the training program, though, you can elect to participate in a veterinary mentorship program. The clinic will match you with a mentor from whom you seek advice.

You may be able to find a mentor with whom to partner at an educational institution. With the exception of veterinary assistants, most veterinary professionals require a formal education. You’ll have to complete a veterinary technology program to become a veterinary technician or a veterinary technologist. To become a licensed veterinarian, you’ll have to complete a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program. The duration of these programs can vary. An associate’s degree in veterinary technology is about two years, whereas a bachelor’s degree in veterinary technology is four years. A DVM is four years as well, but it’s preceded by a separate four-year degree.

Tips to Succeed With a Veterinary Mentorship Program

When participating in a veterinary mentorship program, don’t be afraid to ask questions. After all, that’s the entire purpose of a veterinary mentorship program. Mentors can only offer their advice if you seek it from them. You can create a list of questions in advance. The next time you see your mentor, you can ask him or her some of the questions on your list.

Listening is equally if not more important than asking questions when participating in a veterinary mentorship program. As experienced veterinary professionals, mentors often have knowledge that can’t be learned through traditional formal education. They have real-world, hands-on experience, which they can share with you. When your mentor offers advice, though, you give him or her your full attention.

Keep in mind that you won’t need to participate in a veterinary mentorship program indefinitely. Regardless of industry, all mentorship programs are designed for a fixed and limited duration, such as six months. After you’ve completed the veterinary mentorship program, you should have all the knowledge you need to excel.