The AASV Student Recruitment Committee is seeking six US swine practitioners to serve as mentors for the newly selected NPIF Veterinary Internship Stipend recipients (see related story). Each practitioner-mentor is paired with a veterinary student who has an interest in swine medicine but limited opportunity to gain experience in the field. The mentor responsibilities include meeting the student at the AASV 2010 Annual Meeting, being available to answer the student’s questions about the swine industry throughout the year, and hosting the student for a one-month (or longer) internship in the summer of 2010.
Practitioners and students who participated in the 2008-9 NPIF program speak highly of their experiences and the relationships they developed during the internship. Dr C Scanlon Daniels of Dalhart, Texas, mentored Rachael Gately (Texas A & M, class of 2012), and says "We really enjoyed hosting a high caliber student with the background and interest in becoming a swine veterinarian. It was extremely valuable for us to see what we do through the eyes of a student experiencing it for the first time."
Jeremy DiBari (Cornell University, class of 2011) says, "Without a doubt, my mentor [Dr. Monte Fuhrman, Canistota, South Dakota] was the most fun, welcoming and knowledgeable veterinarian I have worked with. He is the perfect mentor for a position where one welcomes aspiring veterinarians into the industry." Kathleen Elstrott (Louisiana State University, class of 2011) praises her mentor, Dr. Doug Powers of Rushville, Indiana: "Dr. Powers is wonderful. I feel like he really took the mentorship part to heart. He genuinely cared about me learning about pigs and the industry. I feel like I can continue to use him as a mentor in the future as well."
If you are interested in being a practitioner mentor, please contact Dr Jeremy S Pittman at jeremypittman@murphybrownllc.com by December 31.