Non Technical Summary
The Cornell MSP has 3 achievable and quantifiable objectives:1)Recruit5 URVM Cornell CVM DVMstudents who show a strong interest in careers in agricultural/renewable natural resource sciences. In partnership with CVM DVM Student Services and Admissions and the CVM DVM Admissions committee Scholars will be selected using a holistic admission review, which takes into account factors such as a student's strength of coursework, academic and extracurricular interests, unique talents, and background;2) Retain 100% of Scholarsby matching Scholars with trained faculty and peer mentors beginning the summer prior to their first year, and continuing through the academic year for their entire 4 years. Additionally, 100% of Scholars will join/attend, along with benefitting from culturally-appropriate academic and peer mentoring, professional development, and leadership, along with a focus on dedicated well-being supports leading to their successful graduation and veterinary careers;3) Incorporate Special Experiential Learning (SEL).100% of Scholars will engage in an authentic mentored research project, and internship/externship opportunities in a USDA-NIFA area of emphasis, culminating in a capstone paper and presentation. MSP scholars will be evaluated twice a year; data will be used for programmatic assessment/improvement.Our goals and objectives are to recruit, retain, and graduate MSP Scholars URVM, ultimately diversifying the veterinary workforce by establishing a strong mentoring framework that improves academic performance, develops clinical skills, prepares for board exams, and career and personal development by creating and leveraging existing effective mentoring programs that focus on providing guidance and support in developing the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the veterinary profession. We will achieve this MSP mentor program by:Recruiting mentors: Identify and engage experienced veterinarians and senior DVM peer mentors with experience in a variety of areas of interest. Regardless of mentoring experience, we will provide faculty, alumni and peer mentors with formal training provided by the Cornell Intergroup Dialogue Project, anacademicinitiativegrounded intheoryandpracticethat creates community across differencesthrough criticaldialogue.Match mentors with mentees:Peer Mentoring: All MSP Scholars will be matched with a peer mentor who is a DVM student in their 3rdor 4thyear. Emphasis will also be placed on vocational compatibility so that mentors can help mentees develop around professional interests. The MSP staff will match mentors with MSP Scholars the summer prior to the beginning of the DVM program to answer any queries and aid in the MSP Scholars' smooth transition to Cornell. Since mentors have knowledge and experience with the DVM curriculum, they will serve as role models, guides, and resources.Faculty MentorsAll MSP Scholars will meet potential faculty mentors the summer prior to their fall matriculation. Faculty mentors will be assigned on their first day of orientation. Faculty mentors will work to instill confidence in the MSP Scholars, give them opportunities for intellectual, academic, social, and personal growth, and lay the foundation for a successful career in Veterinary Medicine.Alumni Mentors: MSP Scholars will relate to alumni URVM representing diverse career fields in veterinary medicine, who are willing to share their personal and professional insights. Each MSP Scholar will be assigned a primary alumni mentor based on their expressed interests but will have the opportunity to develop a relationship with any of the alumni mentors in the network.Set expectations: Mentors and mentees will be expected to meet monthly to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and identify areas of support both personally and academically. Each year the relationship and interactions will be assessed to ensure needs are being met (e.g., frequency and format of meetings, the topics to be discussed, and the goals of the mentoring relationship).Develop a communication plan: Establish a monthly communication plan that allows for regular check-ins between the mentor and mentee. This could include in-person or virtual meetings.Monitor progress: Monthly check-ins by will be established with the mentor and mentee to assess progress towards the goals of the mentoring relationship. A quarterly feedback mechanism to support and ensure productive and beneficial mentorship relationship will be established. The Project Coordinator (PC) will work with CVM Office student services, Faculty and Senior DVM student mentors to create, integrate and streamline the mentoring process that is sustainable beyond the life of the grant.Evaluate the program: Collect feedback from both the mentors and mentees to assess the effectiveness of the mentoring program. Use this feedback to make improvements and refine the program over time.

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
307	3999	1060	100%

Knowledge Area
307 - Animal Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
3999 - Animal research, general;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems);

Goals / Objectives
This is a new proposal to establish a Cornell University (CU) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Doctor of Veterinary Medicine's (DVM) Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP), which aims to increase the number of those Underrepresented in Veterinary Medicine (URVM). The Cornell MSP has 3 achievable and quantifiable objectives: 1) Recruit 5 URVM Cornell CVM DVM students who show a strong interest in careers in agricultural/renewable natural resource sciences. In partnership with CVM DVM Student Services and Admissions and the CVM DVM Admissions committee Scholars will be selected using a holistic admission review, which takes into account factors such as a student's strength of coursework, academic and extracurricular interests, unique talents, and background; 2) Retain 100% of Scholars by matching Scholars with trained faculty and peer mentors beginning the summer prior to their first year, and continuing through the academic year for their entire 4 years. Additionally, 100% of Scholars will join/attend, along with benefitting from culturally-appropriate academic and peer mentoring, professional development, and leadership, along with a focus on dedicated well-being supports leading to their successful graduation and veterinary careers; 3) Incorporate Special Experiential Learning (SEL). 100% of Scholars will engage in an authentic mentored research project, and internship/externship opportunities in a USDA-NIFA area of emphasis, culminating in a capstone paper and presentation. MSP scholars will be evaluated twice a year; data will be used for programmatic assessment/improvement.

Project Methods
The Cornell MSP has 3 achievable and quantifiable objectives:1)Recruit5 URVM Cornell CVM DVMstudents who show a strong interest in careers in agricultural/renewable natural resource sciences. In partnership with CVM DVM Student Services and Admissions and the CVM DVM Admissions committee Scholars will be selected using a holistic admission review, which takes into account factors such as a student's strength of coursework, academic and extracurricular interests, unique talents, and background;2) Retain 100% of Scholarsby matching Scholars with trained faculty and peer mentors beginning the summer prior to their first year, and continuing through the academic year for their entire 4 years. Additionally, 100% of Scholars will join/attend, along with benefitting from culturally-appropriate academic and peer mentoring, professional development, and leadership, along with a focus on dedicated well-being supports leading to their successful graduation and veterinary careers;3) Incorporate Special Experiential Learning (SEL).100% of Scholars will engage in an authentic mentored research project, and internship/externship opportunities in a USDA-NIFA area of emphasis, culminating in a capstone paper and presentation. MSP scholars will be evaluated twice a year; data will be used for programmatic assessment/improvement.Our goals and objectives are to recruit, retain, and graduate MSP Scholars URVM, ultimately diversifying the veterinary workforce by establishing a strong mentoring framework that improves academic performance, develops clinical skills, prepares for board exams, and career and personal development by creating and leveraging existing effective mentoring programs that focus on providing guidance and support in developing the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the veterinary profession. We will achieve this MSP mentor program by:Recruiting mentors: Identify and engage experienced veterinarians and senior DVM peer mentors with experience in a variety of areas of interest. Regardless of mentoring experience, we will provide faculty, alumni and peer mentors with formal training provided by the Cornell Intergroup Dialogue Project, anacademicinitiativegrounded intheoryandpracticethat creates community across differencesthrough criticaldialogue.Match mentors with mentees: Peer Mentoring: All MSP Scholars will be matched with a peer mentor who is a DVM student in their 3rd or 4th year. Emphasis will also be placed on vocational compatibility so that mentors can help mentees develop around professional interests. The MSP staff will match mentors with MSP Scholars the summer prior to the beginning of the DVM program to answer any queries and aid in the MSP Scholars' smooth transition to Cornell. Since mentors have knowledge and experience with the DVM curriculum, they will serve as role models, guides, and resources. Faculty Mentors All MSP Scholars will meet potential faculty mentors the summer prior to their fall matriculation. Faculty mentors will be assigned on their first day of orientation. Faculty mentors will work to instill confidence in the MSP Scholars, give them opportunities for intellectual, academic, social, and personal growth, and lay the foundation for a successful career in Veterinary Medicine. Alumni Mentors: MSP Scholars will relate to alumni URVM representing diverse career fields in veterinary medicine, who are willing to share their personal and professional insights. Each MSP Scholar will be assigned a primary alumni mentor based on their expressed interests but will have the opportunity to develop a relationship with any of the alumni mentors in the network.Set expectations: Mentors and mentees will be expected to meet monthly to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and identify areas of support both personally and academically. Each year the relationship and interactions will be assessed to ensure needs are being met (e.g., frequency and format of meetings, the topics to be discussed, and the goals of the mentoring relationship).Develop a communication plan: Establish a monthly communication plan that allows for regular check-ins between the mentor and mentee. This could include in-person or virtual meetings.Monitor progress: Monthly check-ins by will be established with the mentor and mentee to assess progress towards the goals of the mentoring relationship. A quarterly feedback mechanism to support and ensure productive and beneficial mentorship relationship will be established. The Project Coordinator (PC) will work with CVM Office student services, Faculty and Senior DVM student mentors to create, integrate and streamline the mentoring process that is sustainable beyond the life of the grant.Evaluate the program: Collect feedback from both the mentors and mentees to assess the effectiveness of the mentoring program. Use this feedback to make improvements and refine the program over time.