Building a Mentorship culture

“A mentor empowers a person to see a possible future, and believe it can be obtained.”

The beginning of a romance between a veterinarian and their profession, on an average, begins in the same cliched way, all around the world. Needless to say, the word veterinarian always elicits the same response “aww” from the general population with the idea of getting paid to play with cute baby animals all day long. Its only upon taking a deeper dive into the nitty gritty of the profession, that we realize it is in fact one of the most stressful jobs out there. A study conducted by the CDC showed 36% of the female vets have experienced episodes of depression compared to only 22% of non-veterinarian females. And yet, if given a second chance, would we do it again? Yes, we absolutely would!

Veterinarians belong to a small community who experience more or less the same issues world wide. So, over the years we have realised the need for mentorship and the importance of starting it early. While young vets are often taken under the wing of senior vets at work places, as the largest veterinary students’ association in the world, IVSA strives to make an impactful difference in the statistics of depression, compassion fatigue and professional burnout seen all too commonly in our line of work. So, in 2019, they launched the first ever IVSA Mentor-Mentee program which aspired to connect vets from all around the world to form a giant support group.

Quoting Naveesha Kaur Shergill, the chair of IVSA Standing Committee on Wellness, on the aim of the programme as “to allow students or mentees to make educated decisions and allow mentors to pass down their knowledge and experience” meant to help foster a learning partnership and strengthen bonds.

The application process for the programme caters to both potential mentors and potential mentees in the form of a really thorough google form. (if interested, visit https://www.ivsa.org/scow/ to fill out the forms and get connected!). Personally, my favourite part in the process of matching mentors with mentees is the question which asks regarding the mentee’s expectations from the mentor and the amount of time a mentor can give to their mentee.

As important as it is for emotional and mental support, mentorship is equally important for the professional aspect of the field. While college education prepares us to an extent to be able to deal with the clinical side of things, soft skills are just as crucial when dealing directly with a client. To have a senior vet guiding the way is always beneficial for a new graduate. Websites like VMS (Veterinary Mentor Solutions) envisioned and realized by Dr. Dan Phillips is a one stop destination for students and new graduates in need for some professional guidance.

To sum it all up, mentoring supports growth and upliftment of the entire community. After all, when one person mentors, two lives are changed.