Mentoring During the First Years of Practice

The transition to practice can be extremely stressful, and the Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study found that wellbeing is lowest among young veterinarians. Mentorship plays a vital role in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of veterinarians. Many veterinary mentors are skilled at passing on their medical knowledge but may struggle with supporting their mentee’s mental health and wellbeing. In this seminar, original focus group research will be discussed describing the experiences during the transition including challenges that early-career veterinarians face. Attendees will learn the attributes of a supportive mentor, recognizing and responding to warning signs, and implementable tools to promote wellbeing within your mentoring practices drawing from the implications of research among early-career veterinarians.