Diversity in veterinary medicine: No longer the whitest, but still the biggest loserSeptember 25, 2020Veterinary medicine is no longer the whitest profession in the country. Speech pathologists and dental hygienists beat us out this time. Still, 90 percent white (down from 92 percent in 2013) is nothing to celebrate. As our country convulses anew over the ingrained effects of slavery, bigotry, and racism, the thoughtful veterinarian should probably question how these cultural forces affect our profession and what we should be doing to address its persistent homogeneity. Risks and rewards of homogeneity It can always be argued that, as in milk production, homogenization has its benefits. And it's true—we're somewhat more insulated against controversy, dissent, and unproductive infighting this way. But we're also lacking in diversity of thoughts, opinions, interests, ideas, and experiences. Oh… and don't forget the flavor. I mean, we're really quite bland (as our conferences' musical events continue to demonstrate). As a consequence of our composition, veterinarians don't argue much about race or diversity. We all seem to agree on one thing: Most of us appear to believe the ideal demographic composition of the veterinary profession should reflect the diversity of its entire community. We intuitively understand we can't adequately serve a nation as diverse as ours without graduating veterinarians …
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Staffing shortage threatens health of 75 million pets by 2030September 16, 2020The animal health industry’s critical shortage of veterinarians may leave millions of America’s pets without access to care in the coming decade.
Collaboration strives for more diverse, inclusive professionAugust 7, 2020When it comes to building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) veterinary profession, there is still much work to be done.
Increased diversity, inclusivity at center of industry-wide challengeJuly 27, 2020The Pet Sustainability Coalition has teamed up with technology platform WeSpire to create a 30-day challenge aimed at inspiring 1,000 small actions to lay the groundwork for long-term DEI improvement.
Veterinary gender bias spread by those who are blind to itJuly 6, 2020Veterinary medicine may be dominated by women, but this does not mean gender discrimination is absent from the profession, according to a new study out of the U.K.
Associations call for support, respect amid anti-racist protestsJune 3, 2020As anti-racist demonstrations continue to take place around the world, industry associations are stressing the need for mutual support, consideration, and understanding.
Veterinary schools disproportionately admit white studentsSeptember 26, 2019When it comes to achieving goals of diversity and inclusion in the veterinary profession, a sustained effort is required.
Banfield campaign pushes industry-wide inclusion for HispanicsSeptember 20, 2019A new campaign from Banfield Pet Hospital and Healthy Hispanic Living (HHL) aims to increase the voices and visibility of Hispanic health-care and veterinary professionals.
Sex discrimination accounts for nearly half of veterinary workplace incidentsSeptember 16, 2019Women working in the veterinary profession continue to face “outright discrimination” and sexism from colleagues and clients alike.
AAVMC diversity program recognized with national awardAugust 14, 2019The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) is being celebrated for its efforts to increase diversity in the veterinary profession.
