I have the honor of serving as the vice president of my veterinary school class and part of my job is to facilitate the mentor/mentee program that pairs second-year mentors with incoming first-year students.

Now that interviews have passed and acceptances are looming, I have begun planning for how to implement this program next year. I have a stellar committee of my peers who are excited to help make this program the best it can possibly be for the incoming students.

Here at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, we are a family and we want to ensure that first-year students feel welcome.

The first year of veterinary school is hard—it is different than anything most people have ever experienced. Having a mentor to answer questions, give study tips, grab dinner with, and just to be there and help you through the hard times really makes a difference. I have an incredible mentor who helped me adjust to vet school and continues to answer questions and just serve as friendly face in the second-year class.

This is similar to the relationship that any people seek after veterinary school. Most new graduates lack self-confidence in some of the skills and want guidance as they build that confidence in practice; they seek employment opportunities that provide helpful mentorship from someone who has already been in that situation—a seasoned veterinarian.

Here, we want to mimic this type of mentorship by providing first-year students with older vet student mentors.

The mentor/mentee committee is working hard to pair our classmates with interested first-year students. We try our best to pair students with similar career interests, hobbies, and personalities to create successful mentor/mentee pairs that can blossom into friendships.

This is no small feat and requires a great deal of time and thought from every member of the committee.

We are also planning an awesome cookout to welcome new students and help introduce them to their mentors, as well as a few other ideas in the works…but I can’t spoil the surprise!

We will continue to be hard at work throughout the summer, along with many other student organizations, in order to welcome the new class. So, Class of 2023, we cannot wait to meet each of you and we are excited to welcome you to the family!