Mentoring@AVMA pairs mentors and mentees through an established platform that has been proven to provide a framework that supports successful mentorship.

Both mentors and mentees receive training at the outset, before any mentorship pairing is made. After training, a structured program administered by MentorVet Connect helps make the pairing succeed:

• Mentees and mentors complete profiles and receive virtual training.
• The platform suggests possible pairings to the mentee.
• The mentee contacts potential mentors.
• Pairs interested in pursuing a possible mentoring relationship hold a one-hour virtual meeting to get started, and to determine goals for the relationship and preferred methods of communication.
• The platform sends periodic reminders to both mentee and mentor to connect.
• After six months, the mentee and mentor decide whether to extend the mentorship relationship or discontinue it.
• Mentors and mentees can participate in webinars and ongoing development, and engage more deeply with the mentoring community.

The entire mentorship relationship takes place remotely, using digital meeting software or phone conversations. Mentors and mentees control their own experience, deciding together whether to establish a relationship and how often to connect. While the platform suggests connections, the mentor and mentee decide together whether the pairing is right for them.

Any AVMA member who is licensed and has at least one year of experience can apply to become a mentor through Mentoring@AVMA. Volunteering as a mentor is a rewarding and practical way to give back to the profession we love, and the program makes it simple by providing the tools and training needed to be an effective mentor.

To get started, all you have to do is fill out the registration application. Once confirmed as a mentor, you complete a five-hour mentor orientation, eligible for 5 hours of RACE-approved CE, and create your mentor profile. Then, just sit back and wait for the platform to pair you with potential mentees.

Become a mentor

Any AVMA member in their first 15 years as a veterinarian can sign up to be paired with a mentor free of charge though Mentoring@AVMA. If you’re a new veterinary graduate, you qualify automatically for AVMA membership—including mentoring—if you graduated as a member in good standing with your campus SAVMA chapter.

To get a mentor, here’s all you need to do:

• Fill out the mentee registration form and mentee profile.
• Participate in a one- to two-hour virtual training on how to make your mentorship successful.
• When the platform suggests potential mentors, choose one or more to reach out to and connect.

Get a mentor