---
title: What are the top 10 skills a great veterinarian mentor needs?
description: What are the top 10 skills a great veterinary-practice mentor needs?
image: https://drip-8192255.hs-sites.com/hubfs/Mentoring%20Blog%20Featured%20Image.jpg
---

## What are the top 10 skills a great veterinarian mentor needs?

 by [Lance Roasa, DVM, MS, JD](https://drip-8192255.hs-sites.com/blog/author/lance-roasa-dvm-ms-jd)  | May 17, 2021  | [Doctor Finishing Academy](https://drip-8192255.hs-sites.com/blog/tag/doctor-finishing-academy), [Modern Mentorship](https://drip-8192255.hs-sites.com/blog/tag/modern-mentorship)  | [0 comments](https://drip-8192255.hs-sites.com/blog/top-mentor-skills#comments-listing)

1. **willingness to mentor and lead**
2. **ability to communicate**
3. **to prepare and plan**
4. **to see the mentee's success as a partnership**
5. **enthusiastic**
6. **active listening**
7. **question and challenge the mentee**
8. **balanced feedback**
9. **work to develop trust**
10. **never-give-up attitude**

 Hiring, training, and keeping new veterinarians all are essential for a healthy practice. Attracting recent graduates to your practice requires answering their needs and wants.

 

Over the last year, drip.vet has been offering a free webinar series to veterinary students, Modern Mentorship in Successful Practice*. *Veterinary students from across the nation participated in the series, exploring topics like *What Makes a Good Mentorship Program, Balancing Mentorship and Practice, What to Do When Mentorship Goes Wrong,* among others.

When thousands of veterinary students were asked what they want in a first job, the overwhelming answer was Mentorship. 

But what does that mean and how can you provide it?  Great mentorship in a veterinary practice makes everyone a winner. 

Here are the top 10 skills a great mentor needs:

> 1. Willingness to mentor and lead
> 2. Ability to communicate
> 3. Prepare and plan
> 4. View your success as a partnership
> 5. Enthusiastic
> 6. Active Listening
> 7. Question and challenge the mentee
> 8. Balanced feedback
> 9. Work to develop trust
> 10. Don’t give up

Of course, the list is just the starting point. There's more to this topic, and discussion around each skill is contained in this video:

![](https://fast.wistia.com/embed/medias/61pg8eiux4/swatch)

 

---

For your continuing personal reference, here is a free Great Mentor Skills ebook:

[![Top 10 Skills a Great Veterinary Mentor Needs](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/8192255/interactive-165428219058.png) ](https://drip-8192255.hs-sites.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLIINYUC1M2odNG%2BvjSVSg%2BiKpPYnSxSHXlDsNJKCGPMjOT2ab%2FARjaHkhjVh1qYnjQ6%2FyIukCXqbn9nLwtqXDmkMR77TxEW0LdIkvDGddnOPvRgqiP6KWq%2FUJYAlqAj%2F6M9%2BFLS74OFCF8w%2BNyJwrHzr52%2FnF0013IswZEDUqi4ep2zGbA8oEKG7udUoOyDjuRnfN6PvZfPtnVhOpUhiGMdT1LP5dglG3i4C8xIEtdABmHx5p6e%2BusXmx%2Fe&webInteractiveContentId=165428219058&portalId=8192255)

---

 

### Doctor Finishing Academy

Closely related to drip.vet's Mentorship expertise is the [Doctor Finishing Academy,](https://drip.vet/dfa/) which gets under way soon. Only three seats remain for Doctor Finishing Academy Spring Session #2 (June 7-18, 2021). Spring Session #1 is full, so [fill out this form to learn more and request registration](https://share.hsforms.com/1GcyNxEepQwqsyDkezPkepw4vl6n?utm_campaign=Modern%20Mentorship&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--GfAhXvpbwkhH5q2qwxxpLfvv9nGT6s6zHm82DKf0wVMwcjLFoG3OxpF2e3RSJFIuesbhU).

# 0 comments

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