Mollie Westerfield was 7 years old in 2018 when she decided she wanted to be a veterinarian. That moment seems like a lifetime ago to the now-13-year-old from Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The seventh-grader isn’t only thinking about being a veterinarian; she’s taking steps to become one. Thanks to shadowing opportunities at a veterinary hospital and a scholarship to a veterinary camp, Mollie has nearly 100 hours of experience.
Her journey isn’t the norm. Many middle school students interested in veterinary medicine lack the opportunities to learn about the profession and gain valuable experience.
“My phone will ring, and it’ll be a middle school student or parent asking about shadowing,” said Dr. Stephanie Jones, the co-owner of Animal Hospital of Fort Lauderdale in Florida. “They’ll say, ‘I’ve called 75 places, and you were the first to say yes.’”
The Middle School Cliff
Dr. Chris Carpenter understands the frustrations of younger students and their parents. At 11 years old, Dr. Carpenter told his mother he wanted to be a veterinarian, and he then spent nearly two years trying to find volunteer or shadow opportunities in veterinary practices.
“They all had the same message about safety and such,” Dr. Carpenter recalled. “But I wanted to learn what veterinary medicine was about. I used to ask if I could take our German shepherd to the vet, not because she was sick or due for an appointment, but because I wanted to see a veterinarian. I just didn’t get the exposure I wanted.”
That lack of exposure for kids interested in veterinary medicine is causing what Dr. Carpenter calls a “middle school cliff.”
A 2020 Lincoln Memorial University survey of nearly 500 high school students revealed that 55% had considered becoming a veterinarian. Of that 55%, 38% changed their mind, leaving 17% interested in a career in veterinary medicine. Of the 38% who reversed course, 16% did so between their sophomore and senior years and 29% between seventh and ninth grades.
“These kids want to be vets, but no one helps,” Dr. Carpenter said. “And then somewhere in early high school, they walk away. It’s sad.”
Why do they walk away? Their top two reasons were a lack of experience with animals (35%) and a belief that they didn’t have what it takes to be a good veterinarian (22%).
To combat the middle school cliff, Dr. Carpenter founded Vet Set Go, a community dedicated to supporting young aspiring veterinarians through books, online courses, veterinary camp scholarships and an app that promotes shadowing and volunteering opportunities and tracks their experience.
“Most kids want to be us, and we squander that because we don’t reach out to them,” Dr. Carpenter said. “My dream is that we take advantage of the fact that we’re the most popular career choice of late elementary and middle school kids and that we reach out and give them some kind of first contact so they feel connected to our profession.”
Dr. Jones is doing just that at her practice in Fort Lauderdale, where on any given day, a student or two shadows her or another team member. Dr. Jones began the shadowing program in 2018 after she was contacted by students who attended her Career Day presentations at their schools.
The program took off in 2019 when Dr. Jones founded Pets Help the Heart Heal. The nonprofit group incorporates veterinary medicine, animal industry career exploration and the human-animal bond into events held for underserved and underprivileged youth.
“We’re able to expose them to opportunities and show them the power of the human-animal bond,”
Dr. Jones said. “Once we started, the kids kept wanting to come, and the shadowing program blossomed.”
Today, she welcomes students of any age into her practice. Children as young as 5 have watched a surgery with their parents, and college students have shadowed her for days, weeks or months.
“You never know when that spark is going to be lit,” Dr. Jones said.
According to a 2023 Vet Set Go survey of 200 veterinarians, the spark was often lit by middle school, with 56% saying they chose their career when they were 12 years old or younger.
For middle school students and veterinary professionals, the benefits of shadowing are plentiful.
1. Make Informed Decisions
One student decided veterinary medicine wasn’t for her after watching Dr. Jones express a dog’s anal glands.
“I’m 100% OK with that,” Dr. Jones said. “Whether you want to be a pediatrician or a firefighter, try to shadow someone. You need to see the ins and outs. You need to see me at my highs and lows, when there are tears, and when I’m angry. That will help you decide if you really want to do this.”
Omaria Rolle, a past student of Dr. Jones’, decided not to be a veterinarian but to stay in the profession. Currently pursuing her MBA and working at an emergency veterinary hospital as a customer support coordinator and assistant manager, Rolle hopes to become a practice manager and even own a clinic one day.
“I tell kids that before they spend their time, their energy and their parents’ money, they need to be in this with me and see if it is for real. Some decide it’s not for them, and some are still in it,” Dr. Jones said.
After regularly shadowing Dr. Lindsey Dunn at Mansfield Animal Hospital in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and attending Auburn University’s Vet Camp after winning a Vet Set Go scholarship, Mollie Westerfield is excited about becoming a veterinarian.
“I already knew that vets do surgeries and help animals, but I didn’t know everything else they do until I shadowed,” she said. “Now I understand what it means to be a vet, and I still want to do it, even though there’s four years of vet school.”
2. Learn Life Skills
Dr. Jones said her students learn essential life skills, such as communication, customer service, time management and leadership.
“They start off shy and timid, and after they spend time with our team, their confidence grows, and they start to open up and ask questions,” she said.
Rolle received a welcome packet and notebook on the first day she shadowed Dr. Jones. She was told to document what she learned, her program goals and any questions that couldn’t be answered during busy times.
Dr. Jones sometimes quizzed her to ensure she was paying attention.
“Dr. Jones had high standards, and the biggest things I took away from her were work ethic, efficiency and how to communicate in a direct and healthy way. She knows how to create a positive environment and uplift and empower people,” Rolle said.
3. Explore Job Opportunities
Dr. Jones hired four shadowing students. “I could place an ad for a kennel attendant or a vet assistant, or I could hire my own because I’ve trained them the way I want them to be trained,” she said.
According to Wendy Westerfield, Mollie’s mother, Mansfield Animal Hospital “pretty much offered her a job. They like her work ethic.”
When asked if she would want to work at Mansfield as a veterinary assistant when she turns 15 or 16, Mollie said, “Probably. I already know where everything is. I won’t be as nervous since I’ve already been there and know everyone and how to do some things.”
When it comes time for Mollie to apply to veterinary school, her shadowing and camp experiences could give her a competitive advantage.
4. Provide a Community Service
As consumers become increasingly conscious of corporate social responsibility, many of them support businesses that give back to society. Dr. Jones’ shadowing program and Pets Help the Heart Heal events allow her to use her understanding of the human-animal bond and its mental health benefits to help the public.
“My team appreciates and enjoys it,” Dr. Jones said. “And pet owners in the community appreciate it, too.”
5. Reignite the Passion
For Dr. Jones, working with shadowers renewed her love of veterinary medicine.
“I enjoy seeing the kids learning,” she said, recalling when a 14-year-old girl shadowed her during an emergency case. Dr. Jones needed a piece of equipment, and the girl offered to get it. “She knew where it was because she had been watching. That makes me smile so big because it shows she had been paying attention.
“Being able to keep it real and help train up the next generation makes me happy. It makes me want to do more.”
6. Reduce the Burnout Risk
Shadowing can help prevent burnout if the students pursue a veterinary career, according to Dr. Jones.
“When these young people are exposed to real veterinary professionals in real situations, they get the opportunity to figure out if this is something they want to get into, how they’re going to adapt and adjust in this environment, and what their coping mechanisms will be,” Dr. Jones said. “It could help prevent or at least delay burnout because they know what they’re getting into.”
7. Diversify the Profession
By promoting her shadowing program in underserved areas, Dr. Jones hopes to show kids that careers in animal health are within reach.
“I’ve had parents tell me they’ve never seen a black veterinarian before me,” she said. “The idea of working in animal health might not have even been a concept to some of these kids. By providing that exposure, I’m hitting a whole different untapped community.”
8. Cultivate Responsible Future Pet Owners
Many students who shadow won’t go on to become veterinarians, but they likely will become pet owners. Dr. Carpenter argues that shadowing will help them be more responsible with their pets and more compassionate toward veterinary teams.
Mollie applies what she learns to help keep her family’s two boxer puppies healthy. When one of them was sick, Mollie “basically diagnosed him,” her mom recalled.
“We called Dr. Dunn, and she said, ‘I think you’re right, Mollie.’ It’s been neat to see her in that capacity.”
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Consider the following before your practice starts a middle school shadowing program.
- Legal requirements: Consult with an attorney about local or state laws regarding ages, schedules, insurance, safety waivers, and observing versus hands-on learning.
- Staff buy-in: Ensure team members understand their shadowing responsibilities.
- Timing: What will the schedules look like for various ages? Think about the daily hours, frequency and duration.
- Applications: When the demand for shadowing opportunities increases, how will you select participants?
- Onboarding: Create a customized welcome package that includes a student’s schedule, the rules and expectations, and a contract that participants and their parents must sign.
- Client buy-in: Ask pet owners if they are OK with a student being present during an appointment. Exclude students from challenging or emotional appointments.
INSIDE INFORMATION
Dr. Chris Carpenter’s organization, Vet Set Go, provides resources for teenagers considering a veterinary career, from “Am I Too Young to Shadow a Veterinarian?” to “Why You Should Track and Log Your Volunteer Hours.” Learn more at vetsetgo.com.