The Power of Networking

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The importance of making connections – networking – has long been recognised. Nicola Parry (BVSc 1997) was contacted by veterinary student Amy Richardson and the product of their discussions is a perfect example of the power of networking and mentorship.

Amy is a student at Liverpool, currently intercalating in Comparative Pathology at the Royal Veterinary College, and is interested in pursuing a career in pathology. She contacted Nicola via the Vets: Stay, Go, Diversify mentor list and reached out for advice. Amy and Nicola chatted virtually, and discussed all the pathology-related experiences and projects Amy had been involved in so far, and Nicola was able to answer Amy’s questions.

Pictured above: Veterinary student, Amy Richardson

Nicola said: “That evening, when I was thinking about our chat, I was really struck by her story. Most of her experiences had evolved somehow from a previous one, courtesy of someone she'd interacted with in some way during that previous experience. But this was no coincidence - it was clear that Amy had been very purposeful in making links with someone new during each experience, whether it was someone central or peripheral to that event. Over the years, this has greatly paid off in the form of a list of experiences that were not just enjoyable, but have really enhanced her CV.

Pictured above: Alumna Nicola Parry (BVSc 1997)

“It didn't take me long to realise that this story needed to be told. We were only a couple of weeks away from the deadline date for abstracts for Student Posters for the 2020 American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) annual meeting. A perfect opportunity for her story to continue! So, the next morning, I emailed her to ask if she'd be interested in putting together an abstract to submit for the meeting, highlighting the power of networking for students who want to pursue a career in pathology.”

“Amy didn't hesitate at all, she was thrilled by the idea. She put together a great abstract and was then so happy a few weeks later to hear it had been accepted (I wasn't surprised)! The deadline for the poster submission was then quite tight, we only had a couple of weeks. But I was floored when she sent me her finished product – it came out even better than I'd imagined. Then, even better, ACVP contacted me yesterday to ask permission to share the poster on their social media pages. They loved her poster and felt the message would be beneficial for other students and residents, and wanted to share it more widely, outside the meeting venue.”

So, we too wanted to share Amy's poster, as the messages are ones that translate across all specialty areas.