Inspiring the Next Generation of Veterinary Professionals

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Sep 07, 2023, 11:28 ET

Mars invests in youth programs to combat the veterinary workforce shortage

NEWARK, N.J., Sept. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In support of its Purpose—A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS®—Mars Veterinary Health is investing in several youth-centered programs to help address profession-wide talent shortages.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Veterinary Professionals

Educating aspiring veterinary professionals and ensuring the pipeline is full of passionate and practice-ready candidates is key to achieving its Purpose. That's why Mars is committed to inspiring and supporting youth in a variety of ways, including limiting the financial burden of veterinary education. These efforts are having a positive impact on the future, in part by helping create a more sustainable profession.

Mars believes it's never too early to support passionate future veterinary professionals, and these are a few of the ways its veterinary businesses are working to help pet-loving youth pursue lifelong veterinary careers.

Increasing diversity through Purdue's League of VetaHumanz™
Mars Veterinary Health is honored to sponsor the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine's League of VetaHumanz, which teams up with community organizations to provide access and support for underrepresented children who aspire to veterinary careers. Through an alliance of veterinary superheroes in academia, practice, research, government, and industry, the program engages under-resourced communities to educate and inspire children in kindergarten through fourth grade with veterinary lessons, activities, stories, and self-guided educational STEM experiences.

In 2022, VCA Animal Hospital® launched a pilot program with VetaHumanz at its St. Clair Shores clinic in Michigan. Veterinary team members interacted with students to help them learn about a career in veterinary medicine, with the goal of instilling a sense of belonging through a variety of experiences, so children can visualize themselves as veterinary professionals and eventually explore veterinary careers. VCA has since expanded the program and plans to bring VetaHumanz to more of its hospitals in the future.

"The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine's League of VetaHumanz provides our veterinary Associates meaningful ways to give back to their communities and contribute to a better future for our profession," said Molly McAllister, DVM, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, Mars Veterinary Health. "Providing positive experiences and role models for aspiring veterinary professionals from under-resourced communities will help create a more diverse, inclusive, and unified veterinary profession—and ultimately enable us to serve more pets."

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine League of VetaHumanz is supported by the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health.

Vet Set Go awards new "Become a Veterinarian Camp Contest" winners
Earlier this summer, Vet Set Go—the first web-based community dedicated to helping young aspiring veterinarians—announced the winners of its 2023 Become a Veterinarian Camp Contest. VCA funded scholarships that were awarded to 45 aspiring veterinary professionals this year, enabling these middle schoolers to attend the Become a Veterinarian Camp hosted by the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine this summer.

"There's a lot of joy in this field. It's what attracted me and was a big part of my decision at an early age to pursue a career caring for animals," said Todd Lavender, DVM, president, VCA Animal Hospitals. "Each submission in this year's Vet Set Go competition spoke to the heart we have in this profession and the commitment we each feel to doing our part to make a difference. I'm incredibly proud that VCA is supporting this program, caring for the future of veterinary medicine by supporting tomorrow's professionals."

While attending the Become a Veterinarian Camp, contest winners learned about veterinary medicine, education, and careers first-hand from current veterinary students in Auburn University classrooms, clinics, and laboratories. Campers learned about public health, agricultural animals, wildlife, anatomy, imaging and first aid, with programs including an array of species, ranging from dogs to raptors to cattle.

Banfield Pet Hospital expands NextVet internship program
This year, Banfield Pet Hospital® launched its second-annual NextVet internship program, aimed at strengthening and diversifying the veterinary pipeline by creating career pathways for students 16 years and older to explore a future in veterinary medicine. Banfield saw a 300% year-over-year increase in 2023 NextVet applications, and the practice selected 30 interns from that group – more than double the number from last year.

Shelby, a NextVet intern who recently started her internship in New York, shared the impact of the program so far and the importance of representation in our industry, saying, "To be surrounded by Black women in veterinary medicine is huge for me. It's already been life-changing."

In addition to gaining valuable paid work experience from Banfield's passionate hospital teams, many interns will have the opportunity to participate in paid volunteer opportunities with their teammates. For example, two NextVet interns in Chicago recently volunteered their time at a weekend-long Banfield Foundation and PAWS Chicago clinic to help provide free preventive care to more than 500 pets in need.

Visit the NextVet website to learn more about the internship and updates on alumni from the 2022 program – many of whom stayed on with Banfield as Pet Care Assistants to continue learning and growing with the practice.

NextVet is part of Banfield Pet Academy, a program established 15 years ago to inspire future veterinary professionals by introducing them to veterinarians and veterinary technicians in their community. Since its launch, the program – which is aimed at elementary school, middle school and high school students – has reached more than 100,000 kids, and Banfield has made all three editions of Pet Academy available at no cost to the entire industry on Banfield Exchange.

Through Pet Academy, Banfield Associates also met with nearly 1,000 students at multiple pre-vet and animal-focused camps throughout the summer, including some with Louisiana State University and Oregon State University.

"This incredible impact wouldn't be possible without the commitment of our Associates, who every day utilize their passion and expertise to deliver on our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS," said Mony Iyer, president of Banfield Pet Hospital. "We're committed to inspiring and creating pathways for the next generation and supporting our Associates through programs and initiatives that enable them to give back to more pets, people, and communities in need."

With programs across its family of businesses working to provide opportunities for the next generation of veterinary professionals, Mars is committed to having a positive impact on the veterinary profession.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a global, family-owned business, Mars is transforming, innovating, and evolving to make a positive impact on the world. Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of quality confectionery, food, and pet care products and services, we employ 140,000+ dedicated Associates.

With almost $45 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world's best-loved brands, including Ben's Original™, CESAR^®, CocoaVia^®, DOVE^®, EXTRA^®, KIND^®, M&M'S^®, SNICKERS^®, PEDIGREE^®, Royal Canin^®, and WHISKAS^®. We're creating A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS® through our global network of Mars Veterinary Health and Mars Science & Diagnostics businesses, including AniCura, Banfield, BluePearl, Creature Comforts, Gentle Oak, Hillside, Linnaeus, Mount Pleasant, VCA, VES, VSH, Taiwai, Antech Diagnostics, Heska, Sound and AIS. Additionally, our Waltham Petcare Science Institute has been advancing the science on pet nutrition and health for 60 years. We're also active in innovation and technology for pets, with WISDOM PANEL™ genetic health screening and DNA testing for dogs, the WHISTLE™ GPS dog tracker, and LEAP VENTURE STUDIO accelerator and COMPANION FUND programs that drive innovation and disruption in the pet care industry.