Mars invests in youth programs to combat the veterinary workforce shortage
Chicago, IL (September 7, 2023) — 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.
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.