What is a P10 or POTL Academy?

One of VMAE’s signature programs, Power of 10 (P10) was introduced in 2012. Since then, over 30 VMAs have implemented this program to engage and develop recent graduates in a dynamic leadership development program. The P10 Academy (also sometimes described as the Power of Ten Leadership or POTL Academy), is a mechanism for participating VMA to offer and describe the program to its members.

How to Get Started

What will our VMA have to do?
Each VMA will create their own curriculum for the P10 Academy and invite 10 recent graduates to be part of that academy. A number of VMAs constructed their own curriculums, so there are plenty of great existing examples for you to use.

How much time will this take my VMA?
The time commitment varies depending on the structure selected. Committed volunteers can supplement the efforts of staff.

What will this cost my VMA?
You can budget whatever you like. Several state VMAs spent approximately $5,000 but others spent more. Sponsorship may be available from industry. Participating VMAs have shared their ideas, curriculum and costs in a separate document that you may find helpful.

What will my VMA get back in return for creating a P10 Academy?
You will generate and engage an incredible group of high-energy, enthusiastic recent graduates who will likely become active in your organization and spread the word about the wonderful work you are doing! You will also be affirming your VMA’s commitment to helping recent graduates develop foundational skills in leadership, communications and business that will advance their individual success. And you will find yourself with a much deeper understanding of what recent graduates find to be relevant and meaningful in their relationship with the VMA and with the veterinary profession. You will find that your P10 Academy pays dividends that far surpass your investment.

Only a number- While 10 participants typically work really well for most groups, there is still value in a group of more or less (5, 8, 12, etc.). Start small and grow if needed. The organizational investment is pretty much the same but know that you are bringing so much value to those who participate, regardless of the number.

Make it your own- While P10 is often called a Leadership Program or Academy, you absolutely can customize the program for your needs. For some, it is a personal and professional development program, as “leadership” can be an intimidating word for many at this point in their career, even if it is the reality of becoming a doctor.

Support- Call on your local/regional partners, sponsors, and members to provide support, mentoring, and resources. So many love to mentor and guide the newer generation; engaging them is a great way to get others involved and help subsidize the program.

Add some fun! Some of the most beneficial parts of the program are the friendships made and often solidified by fun social activities facilitated throughout the program: escape room, wine-tasting, kayaking trip, cooking class, etc.

Content and curriculum suggestions have been developed to assist the VMA with implementation of this transformative program in their association. The VMAE P10 Committee has developed a huge set of resources and topic ideas. See the file library at the bottom of this page for curriculum resources (Must be signed in to access). For additional tools and training ideas, please visit www.mindtools.com.

Value Proposition Statements

VMAE is excited to introduce you to a new turnkey benefit that you can use to promote your VMA’s Power of 10 program. The P10 Committee partnered with Chris O’Toole of Breightly to develop five value proposition statements that convey how the P10 program helps participants address specific pain points:

  • Communication
  • Confidence
  • Financial Burden
  • Isolation/Community
  • The Real World

Social Media Assets – These assets have been developed for each of the value proposition statements – just add them into your VMA’s already branded channel.

Email Assets – Like the social media assets, you have access to building blocks to drop into your email templates in MailChimp or whatever system you use. Again, turnkey assets to drop into your branded channel.

Lisa Perius, P10 Committee chair, discusses why and how to use the value proposition statements during VMAE | Summer Conference 2021

Materials/Resources

Power of Ten Logos – Many variations in color, size, and style can be downloaded from this Dropbox folder

P10 Webinar Recording

Position Descriptions

Adult Learning Concepts

Power of Ten Curriculum Resources

VMA Shared Materials

Alabama VMA P10 Materials

Arkansas VMA P10 Materials

Colorado VMA P10 Materials

Indiana VMA P10 Materials

Iowa VMA P10 Materials

Ohio VMA P10 Materials

Portland VMA P10 Materials

Video Modules

VMAE has commissioned Betsy Charles, DVM – executive director of the Veterinary Leadership Institute (VLI), which is dedicated to the development of healthy and resilient leaders who can make a positive difference for the veterinary profession – to produce a series of videos with facilitator guides that can be incorporated into Power of Ten programs. The first two modules, on leadership and on emotional intelligence, are now available for your use. Please click on the resources below to enhance the content of your P10 leadership academy! The password for the videos is: VLI

Impact Assessment

P10 programs have been created by at least 27 VMAs across the United States to strengthen the leadership capacity within their memberships, with a particular focus on providing development opportunities for recent graduate veterinarians. To date nearly 1,500 veterinarians have participated in these programs.

The Power of 10 Impact Assessment was designed to gather data from program participants to assess the overall impacts of the P10 leadership development initiative.