Mentorship is a mutually beneficial relationship in which a mentor provides a mentee with knowledge, time and energy to aid their professional development. It is more important than ever in veterinary medicine due to high student debt load, inclusivity and representation issues, escalating stress levels, staffing shortages and increased rates of mental health disorders affecting veterinary staff. New and recent graduate veterinarians wishing to practice exotic animal medicine are seeking mentorship in their workplaces, so providing an established program is attractive to job candidates, and can subsequently improve productivity and reduce employee turnover. Alternatively, veterinarians wishing to treat exotic animal species may be in a practice with no or limited mentorship so may seek a relationship outside of their workplace. Mentors can benefit by experiencing increased intellectual stimulation and satisfaction at work, keeping up with new advancements in veterinary medicine, attracting and retaining excellent employees, seeing improved productivity of the mentee over time and having increased exposure to diversity. Several mentorship models and their applicability to clinical practice are discussed. Clarity about expectations, roles, boundaries and the length of the mentoring relationship is vital to establish a healthy and effective relationship. A written action plan is recommended for both parties to receive the most benefit from the mentorship. Professional mentoring programs including MentorVet and the AAHA Mentoring Guidelines are briefly discussed.