May MentorVet Mentor of the Month: Kate Boatright, VMD

Our May 2022 Mentor of the Month is someone who plays a very special role in our community—both a mentor and one of our MentorVet writers! We are pleased to announce that our May MentorVet Mentor of the Month is Kate Boatright, VMD!

Kate Boatright, VMD

MentorVet Mentor & Writer

Dr. Boatright, VMD is a veterinarian, author, speaker, mentor and an advocate for a sustainable veterinary profession.

Kate has been in companion animal practice since graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 2013. She was the 2011 National Vice President of the Veterinary Business Management Association and helped to found the VBMA Alumni in 2018.

She went straight into practice in central PA with a GP mentorship. After a year, Kate moved to western PA, where she currently resides. After a year of general practice only, she quickly moved into a practice that offered general practice and emergency care to a fairly rural area. She had great mentors in ER medicine and during those 5 years at this hospital began mentoring veterinary students and new graduate veterinarians.

In 2018, Dr. Boatright began freelance speaking and writing for veterinary professionals. This side of her professional life has grown quickly. This growth, combined with being a new mom and experiencing burnout working in the ER, prompted her to move to part-time clinical practice in 2021.

Some of her favorite topics to write and speak about include mentorship and spectrum of care. Currently, Dr. Boatright works part time in companion animal general practice and part-time as a freelance speaker and author. She has also spent a lot of time working with various veterinary organizations to help them to better the future for this profession.

Dr. Boatright was selected as the MentorVet Mentor of the Month because of the support she provides to the mentees within our community, her active involvement in the MentorVet community, as a well as her writing contributions to the MentorVet blog! It is such an honor to have Dr. Boatright serve as a mentor within our community!

Dr. Boatright, why did you choose to be involved with MentorVet?

I met Dr. Addie Reinhard at the 2020 AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference when she was starting to work on plans for MentorVet. She reached out to me when the MentorVet program was preparing to launch its first cohort, and I was immediately on board to become a mentor.

I love sharing my own experiences in practice and supporting my younger colleagues. I have experienced burnout and mental health challenges in my professional life and work hard to educate others about these struggles, so the MentorVet program was a perfect fit to combine my passion for mentorship and mental health.

Please share an example of how you have helped your mentee?

I worked with my new graduate mentee to plan how to approach conversations with their clinic regarding sticking to the mentorship plan that was discussed before the job started.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of being a vet mentor?

I really enjoy getting to know my mentee and establishing a relationship with them where I can be an extra source of support outside of the clinic.

What is one thing that you have learned through your time being a veterinary mentor for MentorVet?

Completing the QPR suicide prevention training as part of the mentor training was very valuable. I've learned how impactful distance mentorship can really be!

Would you recommend volunteering as a vet mentor with MentorVet to other veterinarians?

Absolutely! MentorVet offers all veterinarians the opportunity to provide mentorship and support for newer colleagues even if you don't have an early career vet working in your practice.

What is your favorite self-care activity?

Running is a favorite activity of mine. I have a hard time shutting my brain down and running is a great way to just focus on the rhythm of running and get some physical activity in.

Thank you, Dr. Boatright!

Dr. Boatright is a wonderful addition to our community and it is a joy to work alongside her to support early-career veterinarians. If you are interested in continuing to follow Dr. Boatright on her vet med journey, follow her social media to see her recent work and writings. Please visit our volunteer page if you are interested in learning more about how to become a veterinary mentor in the program!