Gems from the Guidelines: Mentorship Means Asking the Right Questions with Melody Martínez, CVT

A good friend will encourage you to go for your dreams; a great friend (and, if you’re lucky, a great mentor) will encourage you to dig into whether you’re dreaming of the right things. Melody Martinez, CVT, founder and principal consultant at Acorde Consulting, president of the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association, and task force member for the 2023 AAHA Mentoring Guidelines, tells the story of why she didn’t become a veterinarian—and why a true mentor/mentee relationship, formal or not, requires knowing each other well enough to risk asking hard questions, admitting when you don’t know the answers, and working together to explore the “What if” rather than saying right away, “We can’t do that.”   Connect with Melody at and   Find the brand-new 2023 AAHA Mentoring Guidelines at   Registration is OPEN NOW for AAHA’s reimagined annual conference, AAHA Con! Don’t miss your chance to join us in San Diego in September—register now at   Got something to say? We’re always up for constructive comments and conversation. Send us feedback or questions anytime at podcast@.  This episode was produced by Clear Contender LLC with generous support from CareCredit. This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit and Pets Best (collectively, “Synchrony”) makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accept no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in the recording are the sole opinions of the speaker. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.