Information for Mentees

Are you an AVMA member veterinarian who has graduated in the last 10 years looking for one-on-one support from someone outside your practice? Grow your mentor network by joining the MentorVet Connect Platform! Our trained and qualified veterinary mentors are there to give you guidance, support, and feedback on the challenges faced as a new graduate veterinarian.

Steps to Becoming a MentorVet Connect Mentee

1. Complete the Application. First, if you are interested in becoming a mentee, you will fill out the mentee application.

2. Complete Your Training. Before you get access to match with mentors on the MentorVet Connect platform, you will complete a short 1 to 2 hour training within the platform. This training will teach you more about how to be a proactive mentee, your expectations on the platform, and some introductory information on what you can expect from mentoring. 

3. Send a Connection Requests. Now that you have access to the platform, you can search for a mentor and request to connect. Our mentor database contains hundreds of mentors in different locations across the country as well as different practice types.

4. Connect with Your Mentor. Once you request to connect with a mentor and they accept your request, a 6-month connection plan will be established. You are required to meet with your mentor at least once at the start of the relationship for a 1 hour virtual call. At this meeting, you will discuss goals for the mentoring relationship as well as next steps and preferred method of communication. Will this be a formal monthly virtual meeting or a more informal texting-based relationship? For six months, expect to spend around one hour per month connecting with your mentor. Communication with mentees is usually via virtual meeting, email, phone calls, or texting - whatever the preference of the mentor/mentee pair.

5. Connect with Our Community & Grow. We have monthly events available including networking and community events. These are optional but allow you to continue learning and growing.

MentorVet Connect Mentee Qualifications

• New and recent graduate veterinarians who have graduated in the past 10 years

• AVMA member

• Ability to commit at least 2 hours for initial mentee training and 1 hour per month for mentoring

• A desire to want to learn, grow, and receive mentorship.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I choose a Mentor? First complete your profile with information on what help you are looking for. Then browse through the list of mentors and create mentoring request.
• How long will the mentors be available? We ask our mentors to make commitments of at least six months in order to ensure that the mentee is able to fully benefit from the relationship. If a mentor must leave the relationship early, we request at least one month's notice in order to search for a replacement mentor with similar background.
• The relationship is not going well or I am concerned about membership, what to do? We encourage letting the mentor know about the situation and contact the MentorVet Team immediately. We will provide our full support to resolve the situation in a positive and satisfactory manner.
• How much time will this vet mentor program take? On average, expect to spend about 1 hour per month connecting with your mentor. Some people may spend more than 1 hour connecting with their mentor and others may spend less time connecting with their mentor.
• Where is this veterinary mentorship program located? The program is fully virtual so all mentoring will be done online. We occasionally have in-person community events at major veterinary conferences so you can get even more engaged with our community.
• What type of veterinarian is this vet mentor program for? This program is designed to be helpful to any practicing veterinarian. We have a community of mentors that belong to many different practice types. If you are curious to know if we have a mentor to fit your needs, you are welcome to contact our team.
• Who are you? MentorVet is a rapidly growing entity that leverages evidence-based approaches to empower veterinary professionals to create a healthier profession for themselves and others. We have several programs including our MentorVet Leap Program (a 6 month mentorship and professional development program for early career vets) and MentorVet Tech Program. We have an amazing team that wants to help support all veterinary professionals!
• How much does this vet mentor program cost and how do I sign up? If you are a new or recent graduate AVMA member who has graduated within the past 10 years, this program is free for you! If you are interested in becoming a mentee, you will fill out the mentee application.
• Who are the veterinary mentors? The veterinarian mentors are volunteers with a strong desire to help support early career veterinary professionals. We have a wide range of practice types represented within our community ranging from small animal general practice, swine, emergency, equine, food animal, mixed animal, academia, and industry.
• How are the vet mentors trained? All of our mentors go through a 5 hour mentor training. This mentor training covers emotional support tips, how to provide good feedback, suicide prevention training, and how to be an amazing mentor.