Pawsibilities is a veterinary mentoring platform that aims to connect students from underrepresented backgrounds with interest in the veterinary profession to mentors within the field.
To actively increase the diversity of the veterinary profession through a novel pipeline approach to recruitment and retention.
Strategy
Providing mentors and mentees with a long-term competitive advantage by training all volunteers using our values-driven approach to mentorship and equip this community of leaders with the tools necessary to ensure long-term sustainable mentorship relationships:
· Positive mentoring experiences
· Building a veterinary network
· Developing veterinary and veterinary nurse leaders
· Providing professional development opportunities for mentors and mentees alike
How will we do this?
· Pairing of mentors and mentees using an algorithm weighting the things they consider important in a mentor/ mentee relationship
· A venue for in person and virtual networking opportunities with pre-veterinary students, veterinary students, veterinary nurse students, veterinary nurses, and veterinarians
· Education on careers in veterinary medicine, diversity in the veterinary profession and skills such as mentoring, leadership, time management, financial wellness, and public speaking
Who is Pawsibilities for?
Pre-veterinary students, veterinary students, veterinary nurse students, veterinary nurses, and veterinarians from underrepresented backgrounds. We aim to increase diversity based on gender, race, ethnicity, non-traditional career path, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, and disability status, veteran status.
Survey
A preliminary survey revealed over 170 veterinarians, veterinary students, pre-veterinary students, veterinary nurses, veterinary nurse students in 30 states and 8 countries interested in joining in only a couple of weeks! Of these, 76% would like to be mentors and 56% would like to be mentored. Mentee numbers will increase as we reach out into the pre-veterinary realm.
