Testimonials
Mentees
“I would encourage every final year student to apply for this program. It is a great way to secure another contact within the profession who can then assist you with your transition to the profession. You never really know how it is all going to pan out after graduation, so it is nice having someone external to your clinic to chat things through with - clinically and/or personally.” Alice Burwell
“The transition from student to veterinary professional is scary but it's definitely made easier knowing there's someone there to help you.” Emma Maley
“Extremely valuable opportunity to have a mentor to help you find your feet with both clinical material and the psychological challenges of the occupation.” Emma Charles
“The mentoring program has given me the support I need to value myself and an outlet to feel heard.” Jannette Rose
“My experience as a mentee has been such a fantastic experience. Dr Meghan Scrivens has been an amazing mentor. Although we couldn’t have lots of face-to-face conversations, she was always only a message away, day or night. She kindly provided a tremendous amount of support every step of the way - including how to apply for registration and radiation licence before graduation, advice on difficult cases, how to cope with self doubt after losing patients in a row, and so much more. We celebrated many exciting moments together as well - my first call out, first caesarean, first thank-you chocolate basket from a client… She even offered life-long contact if needed, as the one-year mentorship with the program has sadly come to an end.
A big advantage of having a mentor who has been working in this industry is that I found them really easy to talk to. Although my family and partner are incredibly supportive, sometimes they do struggle to understand certain aspects of our work, and some topics can be quite inappropriate on the family dinner table as well.
I would love to encourage all the vets-to-be and recent graduates to participate in this wonderful program. Hopefully I will meet some of you in a few years when I become a mentor myself!” Sam Wang
Mentors
“For every graduate veterinarian, a good start is very critical for his or her career development and success. The AVA mentoring program enables us to prepare them professionally as well as emotionally to succeed in their first job and gear them to face and tackle any challenges during their first year as a professional veterinarian.” Raj Packianthan
“Fantastic program. I love seeing what’s going through the minds of the newer generation of vets and seeing their enthusiasm, and I’d like to think the outsider’s perspective that they receive from me can have small impacts now that will have large impacts over the course of a career.” Hubert Hiemstra
“I continue to be impressed by the amazing graduates engaging in this program. They are switched on, inspiring and full of potential. Being able to provide support in the early stages of their career is incredibly rewarding.” Lindsay Evans
“This is a great program and very well run. I encourage both students and experienced vets to get involved.” Sandy Hume
“I would recommend that every vet with experience they could share to benefit the younger generation should enrol in the program!” Sam Morley
From mentee to mentor: Dr Catherine Harper talks about her experience
For more information
Contact us on 1300 137 309 or members@ava.com.au