When we think of mentorship, most of us do so through the lens of the individuals needing support – what tools, resources, or guidance do they need to be set up for success in this industry?
Thrive Pet Healthcare offers mentorship programs for veterinary professionals throughout their careers, from our Doctor Mentorship Program to the individualized training and support we provide to veterinary assistant, technician, and veterinary student externs. We spoke to two amazing mentors within the Thrive Pet Healthcare network, each of whom came to their role as a mentor from different paths, about their perspective on mentorship, leadership styles, and why being a mentor is so fulfilling.
Meet Dr. Katie Fish
Dr. Katie Fish was a practicing veterinarian for 16 years before transitioning to her current role as Ecosystem Doctor Mentorship Coach in Rochester, NY.
She works to ensure that new grads have the best possible experience with Thrive as they start their veterinary careers, providing support that can help prevent them from experiencing the same challenges she did.
“I actually walked away from practice with no plan. I was completely spent emotionally, physically, and mentally and just needed a break. I knew that I loved teaching and thought I’d maybe do some per diem work or part-time teaching. Then, this opportunity presented itself. I think it’s really important to educate our young doctors to be cognizant of what the signs of burnout are so they can take action early, before it gets to a crisis point.”
A huge part of Dr. Fish’s role as Veterinarian and DVM Training Specialist is to act as a dedicated support system or safety net for veterinarians new to clinical practice. This includes serving as a national leader for Thrive's Doctor Mentorship Program, which brings new veterinarians across our network together into a community of support, coaching, and leadership development.
“Thrive’s Doctor Mentorship Program brought something that I had really wanted to incorporate in our new grad program, which was focusing more on recognition of burnout and compassion fatigue. That’s something I was really excited about because I think that new grads often don't recognize the importance of it, and I had already been looking for a way to incorporate that into our mentees’ training.”
Her role was a dream come true for Dr. Fish, who has the opportunity to pay it forward, forge strong connections with the next generation of veterinarians, and ensure they always have someone they can reach out to.
“Their medical directors are awesome, amazing doctors, but they're super busy, too. They can pop their head in and give pointers and tips, but to be there side by side through each procedure is just not feasible. My mentees will call me and say they’ve got a procedure scheduled or want to learn how to do a certain procedure. So, we find an opportunity and I come and scrub in with them.”
She also meets with new grads and medical directors once a month for the first six months a new veterinarian is in practice, then every other month after that out to year. She facilitates conversations about case management, back-and-forth question and answer sessions, and identifying problems.
“While we all know how important it is to have those sit-down, heart-to-hearts between mentor and mentee, in busy practices, it's easy to brush it under the rug. So, I make it happen, and we end up having some interesting conversations. We can catch and address issues early, helping to build the mentor-mentee relationship and ensure mentees are feeling supported and on track with what’s expected of them.”
Communication is key to Dr. Fish’s mentorship approach as she works to support new Thrive veterinarians when and where they need it.
"We dig into uncomfortable topics, and hopefully at least by having the conversation, they keep it in the back of their minds. We talk about how we can be better doctors – how we can learn medically, but also the importance of not feeling ashamed to talk about the mistakes we all make, because we’re all human.”
Meet Dr. Sarah Wheat
As an ER veterinarian and the Director of Clinical Development and Education at
South Atlanta Veterinary Emergency & Specialty (SAVES), a Thrive Partner, Dr. Sarah Wheat seems to do it all.
Amid her busy caseload and the demands of her family and fifteen animals, she never fails to make time to answer questions, walk a new veterinarian through a procedure, or talk them through the next best step in their careers. She says it feeds her soul to help people and witness those “a-ha” moments.
“I still wish I’d had that hands-on mentorship [as a young veterinarian] — sometimes it’s not even that you don’t know, it’s just nice to have the reassurance. There’s so much information, there’s no way you can know it all in four years of veterinary school. Not everybody needs an internship, but everyone needs mentorship.”
Dr. Wheat has also been involved with the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA) for years, having held various roles including Director of the Board, President, and now Treasurer. In her time with GVMA, she has developed several mentorship initiatives for UGA vet students, including a program that allows students to ask questions and learn about real-world topics from veterinarians, lawyers, and accountants to help them prepare for graduation and beyond.
Asked about her approach to mentorship, Dr. Wheat remembers one of her own mentors, Dr. Michael Tilson, a surgeon at Auburn University. “He said, ‘Find your knowledge. It’s not my job to show you every surgery. It’s my job to show you how to get to that next level on your own. We’re teaching you how to educate yourself and to be a lifelong learner.’”
Creating a culture of curiosity and support is a central focus for Dr. Wheat, who lives by those values herself.
"I’ve been out [of vet school] for 22 years, and it’s still great to bounce ideas off other people. I look at helping young veterinarians as building a stronger future for the industry overall. It’s very important to me that mentorship is not a one-year thing, it’s a lifelong culture that we're helping to create.”
Thrive’s Doctor Mentorship Program (DMP) complements Dr. Wheat’s effort to create a culture of support – she even sits in some of the sessions herself to better understand what her mentees are learning.
“Our mentees are in all of the DMP mentorship classes. I’ll spend a couple of hours learning the same thing and then I’ll say, ‘hey, this is how it was presented – now, let’s talk about it.’ Because they’re going to learn more if they have an actual discussion about what they learned and how to apply it.”
She says her team members often marvel at how she consistently goes above and beyond and makes time to be on call to support her mentees. To her, it’s a no brainer.
“It gives me joy, so I can deal with all the other things – a heavy caseload, emotional clients, a stressful day. Don’t cut out the things that bring you joy. I don’t mind spending a few extra hours to make time for the things that bring us together as a team and help build this hospital and veterinary community up.”
Explore the mentorship and training opportunities offered to all Thrivers in our network by visiting our Careers page. 
