Additional Accreditations: Mentorships

Membership in the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) simplifies your journey towards veterinary excellence. More than 4,500 practices representing 50,000 veterinary team members across the U.S. and Canada have made the decision not just to join AAHA, but to become AAHA-accredited members. AAHA-accredited practices follow a higher standard of excellence than non-accredited veterinary practices.

Which Practices are Eligible for Accreditation of their Mentorship Program?

Practices can strive for a mentorship accreditation when they first begin the accreditation journey or after they have become accredited. In order to receive accreditation for your mentorship program, a practice must be AAHA accredited as either a general practice and/or referral practice and define, in writing, their mentoring program for newly-hired veterinarians.

What is Mentorship?

A mentorship is a professional relationship in which a mentor (the experienced person) assists the mentee (a newcomer to the profession) in developing skills and knowledge to enhance the mentee’s professional and personal growth. AAHA has recognized that the skill sets developed during the veterinarian's first year in practice, as well as at other important career transitions, are crucial to their professional future.

Why is Mentorship Valuable?

Mentoring is invaluable during the transition from student to practitioner and can be a powerful personal development and empowerment tool. Mentoring improves hospital culture, productivity, communication, and efficiency. It can help improve communication skills, promote long-term job satisfaction, and facilitate adoption of best practices. Ultimately, mentoring relationships lead to improved patient care and overall enhanced hospital performance.

Mentorship Standards

If you’re interested in building an internship program for your practice, the mentorship standards provide a guide. Or, you can use them to enhance your current program.  To view the full set of AAHA standards related to accrediting your internship program, log in or reach out to your Accreditation Specialist. 

Get Started Today

If you’re already an AAHA-accredited practice, add the mentorship accreditation at no additional charge today by contacting our Membership Accreditation Experience Team at 800-252-2242 or [email protected].