My Experience as a Student Researcher - Gracie Goodman
When most people hear the word “vet,” they think of the person vaccinating their furry little friend, healing their lame horse, or treating the bug that's been going around their livestock. And yet, as wonderful and rewarding as these aspects are, there is so much more to the veterinary world than clinical medicine.
As a student who is halfway done with their veterinary education, I wanted to explore the “non-traditional” side of this career field. Even more so - I wanted to do this with something that aligned with my passions. So finding a company that would fill my summer research experience with wellbeing advocacy, community support, and innovative research could not have been more exciting for me!
The Start of the Summer
Up until this summer, I had no experience working in human research, qualitative research, or behavioral research. It can be intimidating starting something you have such little expertise in. But as I was quickly reminded, the less you know at the start, the more you get to learn! So as you can expect, I sure learned a lot.
MentorVet has incredible research happening constantly, and I was able to jump right into researching their new program, MentorVet Connect. This program focused on the value of paired mentorship relationships in the veterinary profession, and my job was to help evaluate the experiences of the mentors and mentees involved. In my own experience, I have gotten so much value from the mentors in my life (whether that be professionally, spiritually, or personally), so it was a privilege to research a topic so foundational to me.
Even though I had no idea how I would be navigating this research going in, I had the most incredible mentors (once again!) showing me the ropes each step of the way. I was given textbooks and articles that broke down everything from the basics of writing a paper, to the intricacies of evaluating qualitative data. I had the opportunity to learn, ask questions, and analyze articles on this topic from the very start, which built my confidence tremendously as a researcher. And when it came to submitting an IRB for the first time, coming up with focus group questions, and starting the introduction of the paper, I was supported in every way I could have wanted.
The Best Parts
As many scientists know, research can involve long waiting periods as IRBs are pending acceptance, surveys are pending responses, etc. But during these in-between periods, no time was wasted. I was given the opportunity to evaluate the literature surrounding veterinary student wellbeing, and help create a new study surrounding this topic. With all of the research that was already taking place at MentorVet, I was also fortunate enough to listen in on a focus group studying mid-career veterinarians’ mental health.
Witnessing and participating in the collaborative efforts of MentorVet was one of the coolest things I got to experience. Whether it was veterinary students, technicians, or veterinarians themselves, any wellbeing research to benefit this career field was welcome. Even as a fully virtual employee, it was amazing to meet some of the kindest, most hardworking students and professionals in this industry. My MentorVet colleagues came from a wide variety of backgrounds, but chose to come together for the same passionate goal of improving the wellbeing of our peers, and ultimately our profession as a whole. What an incredible mission to be a part of!
Key Takeaways
Like most good things in life, my summer experience with MentorVet flew by. Before I knew it, I was starting my third year of veterinary school, and my formally dedicated research time was coming to an end. And yet, this experience has provided me with knowledge that I will take with me for the rest of my life.
Evaluating and applying literature is a skill that will remain pertinent no matter what area of veterinary medicine I find myself working in. Additionally, understanding the steps required to properly execute a new study will provide me with the necessary foundation to continue practicing research in the future. And, probably most importantly, working with this company has allowed me to better appreciate not only the areas where emotional support is needed in our profession, but also the resources that are available to those in need.
Mental health is a complex topic to understand and address. But MentorVet doesn’t shy away from this. Instead, it embraces the complexity, and moves towards implementing new ways to address this issue within our profession. Because of this, despite the completion of my “summer research program,” I hope to continue working with this incredible company to offer advocacy, support, and innovation to the world of veterinary medicine.
- Gracie Goodman