Our programs re-create the structured supportive environment associated with university hospital environments, and:

• are carefully curated by educational, clinical, and non-clinical experts
• provide easy access to high-quality clinical and non-clinical content
• encourage live discussions, relevant to the phase of the colleague's career
• are uniquely supported by handpicked mentors
• our mentors are experienced, knowledgeable, and above all, empathetic colleagues

The VIN community – independent, For Veterinarians, By Veterinarians.^® The VMA is run within and supported by the VIN community.

The VMA was founded and is directed by:

• Yaiza Forcada, DVM, PhD, DECVIM, PGCertVetEd, FHEA, MRCVS, and
• Stijn Niessen, DVM, PhD, DECVIM, PGCertVetEd, FHEA, MRCVS

Yaiza and Stijn benefited from great (and not so great) mentorship during crucial times of their careers.

Good quality mentorship has set them off to fulfilling careers (with a wobble here and there).

It is their sincere desire to widely (re)introduce professional structured mentorship into the veterinary landscape, using modern methods.

Yaiza, Stijn, and all the fantastic mentors involved in the VMA hope that better mentorship:

• helps battle current and future job dissatisfaction
• leads to smarter career choices
• lowers early, mid, and late, career dropout
• reduces job-related stress issues

The Virtual Veterinary Internship (VVI) is open to colleagues who have graduated and are working in a clinical setting.

• Applications for the next intern class beginning Fall 2024 were open April 22, 2024 through May 29, 2024.
  Please check back in April 2025 for more information about the application process for Fall 2025.

This program aims to help you find your clinical and non-clinical feet. It is therefore particularly useful to: 

• those entering companion animal clinical practice
• those re-entering companion animal clinical practice 

The Surgical Mentor Program maintains a database of kind, surgically-gifted, GP colleagues who have become VIN Surgical Mentors.
This program matches VINners in need of boosting basic and routine surgical skills with a VIN Surgical Mentor.

Please click on the program links to find out more. 

Any additional questions? Please contact us: VMA@vin.com or feedback@vin.com. 

• More information on volunteering as a surgical mentor
• Sign up to volunteer as a surgical mentor.

• More information on volunteering as a VVI mentor
• More information on RACE-approved continuing education for mentors.
• Sign up to volunteer as a VVI mentor.