American Association of Swine Veterinarians Partners with MentorVet to Launch Early Career Mentorship Program in Spring 2023
Lexington, KY, November 30, 2022 – The American Association of Swine Veterinarians and MentorVet will be collaborating to launch a new mentorship program for young swine veterinarians in 2023. For this partnership, AASV will be awarding 5 full scholarships to early-career swine veterinarians within AASV to participate in the Spring 2023 MentorVet Program.
The MentorVet Program is a six-month, entirely virtual, evidence-based mentorship and professional development program that aims to promote wellbeing and decrease burnout in the transition into veterinary practice. The mentorship program has been adapted to meet the needs of early-career swine veterinarians including swine-specific case examples and paired mentorship with a more experienced swine veterinarian.
Megan Inskeep, DVM, AASV Board Member has been a MentorVet Mentor for over a year and shared, “The training and support that MentorVet provides to both mentees and mentors is very beneficial. This program has given me the opportunity to give back to the profession by providing formal structures for mentoring that are based in evidence. Burnout is an issue in all areas of veterinary medicine, including swine medicine, and we are excited about this partnership with MentorVet so AASV can continue to grow our support structures for swine veterinarians in their early careers.”
In addition to paired mentorship, the MentorVet Program provides holistic support to veterinarians through a combination of professional skills training, financial and mental health coaching, and peer mentorship. Mentees engage in a self-paced online curriculum then meet monthly with other early-career veterinarians to discuss shared challenges and share perspectives on how to create a sustainable career path.
Megan Inskeep, DVM
AASV Board Member
MentorVet Mentor
Abbey Canon, DVM, MPH, Diplomate ACVPM, Director of Public Health and Communications of AASV shared, “Part of AASV’s mission is to mentor students, encouraging life-long careers as swine veterinarians. The AASV Early Career Committee identified the need for a mentorship program as a way to continue supporting swine veterinarians in those first few years after graduation to ensure a high retention of talented colleagues in the profession. We are excited to pilot a partnership with MentorVet to provide professional development and wellbeing resources to swine veterinarians early in their careers.”
“Research shows that our youngest professionals are at the highest risk for experiencing burnout or other mental health challenges,” stated Addie Reinhard, DVM, MS, Founder and CEO of MentorVet. “We are so excited to be collaborating with AASV to provide additional resources, community, and support to swine veterinarians starting out their careers. Promoting career sustainability in the swine industry is vital for ensuring we have a safe and healthy food supply.”
AASV members who have graduated in the past 5 years (Class of 2018-2022) can apply for a scholarship to participate in the MentorVet Program by visiting https://www.mentorvet.net/scholarships
The deadline to apply for the Spring 2023 scholarship is February 3, 2023.
About MentorVet
MentorVet leverages evidence-based approaches to empower individuals to thrive within veterinary medicine. MentorVet’s flagship program, the MentorVet Program, is a mentorship and professional development program that promotes early career-wellbeing by providing a centralized location for resources and support through mentorship, mental health and financial coaching, and online professional skills training. MentorVet collaborates with a growing number of practice groups, veterinary medical associations, and corporations to make the program possible. To read more about the early success of MentorVet, you can read their impact report in full by visiting, www.mentorvet.net/impactreport
For more information visit www.mentorvet.net or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
About American Association of Swine Veterinarians
Based in Perry, Iowa, the AASV has approximately 1300 members involved in practice, industry, and academia in more than 40 countries.
It is the mission of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians to:
increase the knowledge of swine veterinarians
protect and promote the health and well-being of pigs
advocate science-based approaches to veterinary, industry, and public health issues
promote the development and availability of resources that enhance the effectiveness of professional activities
create opportunities that inspire personal and professional growth and interaction
mentor students, encouraging life-long careers as swine veterinarians
For more information, check out the AASV at https://www.aasv.org/ or email aasv@aasv.org