Veterinary Mentoring Program

Veterinary Mentoring Program

If you are a high school student in the 10th, 11th or 12th grade, you love animals, and you are considering a career as a veterinarian, Anti-Cruelty’s Veterinary Mentoring Program might be perfect for you.

Anti-Cruelty, in partnership with The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, offers a unique program for high school students with a serious interest in veterinary medicine or animal science related careers. This academic opportunity introduces students to the many areas of science that they will encounter in veterinary school using a college lecture format. Students attend seminars one Saturday per month where they hear from veterinary professionals who will provide lectures on different topics related to animal care. The program explores how clinical science is used to diagnose and treat injury and disease in animals. Students in the Veterinary Mentoring Program will experience what a college lecture might be like as well as a look into the veterinary medicine field. Example lecture topics that have been explored in previous sessions of Vet Mentoring include small animal surgery, One Health, shelter medicine, animal behavior, and more!

Participation Requirements

All applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for participation:

  • Students must be enrolled in 10th through 12th grade and have completed at least one biology course.
  • Students must have a serious interest in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine or animal related sciences and a proven aptitude for science.
  • Students must have at least a 2.5 overall grade point average on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent if using a different grading scale),
  • Students must be able to attend a virtual 2-hour seminar one Saturday per month over the course of 8 months (September–April.)

Application and Acceptance

Do you meet the above requirements? Are you ready to learn more about the possibilities that the field of Veterinary Medicine has to offer? Check back in March 2025 to apply for 2025-2026 Vet Mentoring Program.

Have questions? Email mtalarico@anticruelty.org for answers regarding this or any teen program at Anti-Cruelty!