Program encourages students to believe they belong in veterinary medicine

Dozens of middle and high school students joined industry professionals in a day-long workshop at the 2025 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX), presented by the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC), in Orlando, Florida. The event, “Believe and Belong in Veterinary Medicine,” was created by blendVET to encourage underrepresented students to pursue careers in veterinary medicine and provide support to get them started.

For the third year, the blendVET event was presented in partnership with NAVC as a hands-on experience to introduce pre-college students to the veterinary profession. "At NAVC, we are committed to creating pathways for young people from all backgrounds to discover and thrive in the field of veterinary medicine," Gene O'Neill, CEO of NAVC, said in a release. "Our partnership with blendVET enables us to provide students with hands-on learning experiences and mentorship in an industry that they may have never considered otherwise. Together, we are actively working to shape a more open and inclusive veterinary profession, and we're thrilled to offer these opportunities for the third year in a row at VMX, where we connect students directly with mentors and hands-on learning experiences."

Niccole Bruno, DVM, founder and CEO of blendVET, said she was thrilled to collaborate at VMX for a third year. "This year, we are proud to expand our offerings, providing tailored experiences for both new participants and returning blendVET students. It's particularly rewarding to see some of our scholars who have been with us throughout all 4 of our Florida events excitedly return to deepen their knowledge of the profession and strengthen their skills," Bruno said in a release.

In one room at VMX, first-time program participants received lessons in veterinary care as they rotated through stations. “It’s a baseline introduction into veterinary medicine,” Genine Ervin, DVM, chief operating officer of blendVET, said in a dvm360 interview.

General practice, emergency medicine, zoological medicine, nutrition, dentistry, and surgery were among the covered topics. Activities included nail trimming, wound wrapping, and suturing. They students also got experience putting on personal protection equipment.

Returning student Catalina traveled from Puerto Rico to participate in this year’s event. She said her science teacher first informed her about the event, knowing that she was interested in becoming a veterinarian. Each of the few events she has attended offered different content, she noted. “It’s really fun, and I get to socialize and also learn new things,” Catalina said in a dvm360 interview.

This year, a second room offered lessons in ophthalmology, clinical pathology, large animal medicine and forensic veterinary medicine to students returning to the program. At a more advanced level than the activities for first-time students, this experience provided various simulations including heartworm testing, cytology, rectal exams, phlebotomy, and bone identification.

The ophthalmology station also offered students an opportunity to view live eyes under a microscope, according to Ervin. “Through the use of the ophthalmoscope, they’re actually able to look at the lens and determine where the retina is and see what the defects are in the cornea or the iris,” Ervin added.

With the creation of a second track for more in-depth exploration of veterinary medicine, Ervin said BlendVET is working to keep middle and high school students interested in the profession. “The goal is to expose them to what we do on the veterinary side, diversify the profession as a whole, and keep them engaged along the way by also providing mentorship. Students are asking questions and developing relationships that help to make those local connections and potentially visit hospitals within their surrounding area,” Ervin said.

Bruno said it was inspiring to see young students' personal and professional growth as they began their veterinary medicine journey. "Our commitment to nurturing the next generation of veterinary professionals remains unwavering. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this vital mission and look forward to another successful year of empowering aspiring veterinarians," she added.

The blendVET program is supported by sponsorship from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Merck Animal Health, and VCA Animal Hospitals. Veterinarians and other industry professionals also lent support to the program by volunteering their time to instruct students and provide mentorship.

Reference

Local students scrub in as veterinarians for a day, gaining hands-on experience and immersive training at the world’s largest veterinary conference. News release. North American Veterinary Community. December 17, 2024. Accessed January 29, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/local-students-scrub-in-as-veterinarians-for-a-day-gaining-hands-on-experience-and-immersive-training-at-the-worlds-largest-veterinary-conference-302334015.html