The attitudes of minority junior high and high school students toward veterinary medicine

Understanding the Why: The Need for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine

This study illustrates the lack of racial diversity in the veterinary field, the historical and present-day causes of this unfortunate trend, and the various problems it causes in our practices and communities.

Solidifying the minority high school student pathway: evidence from the health professions recruitment and exposure program

Purpose

The objective of this report is to provide longitudinal insights on the impact of a health professions exposure program for high school students of underrepresented backgrounds in medicine.

Context

Medical students at the University of Chicago reviewed data from their chapter of the Health Profession Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP) from 2016-2021 to discover trends in enrollment. This data is documented in the context of the program's mission to increase awareness of health disparities, the success of prominent alumni, and recent community efforts post-COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

Two hundred and ninety-nine high school students participated in the University of Chicago HPREP program between 2016 and 2021. Participants ranged in age from 12 to 18 years (mean = 16, SD = 1) and 74% (n = 222) were female students. Of 252 respondents, 58% (n = 147) identified as Black or African American, 31% (n = 77) identified as Latinx or of Hispanic origin, and 10% (n = 24) identified as another race or as bi-racial. Ten or fewer black male students participated in the program every year, including the 2020-2021 year in which 61 students participated.

Conclusions

HPREP has played an important role in shaping the face of health care, especially in Chicago. The data suggests significant increases in the number of underrepresented minority women becoming physicians and serving Chicago communities in the next decade. Pathway programs for underrepresented students in medicine should be strategic in recruiting and educating future health professionals based on future workforce needs.

Supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging to strengthen and position the veterinary profession for service, sustainability, excellence, and impact

Advancing equality and equity in society is creating positive change, and the time has come to critically evaluate veterinary medicine, which, by all metrics, lacks diversity. To keep pace with increasingly diverse demographics and recent surges in pet ownership among all racial/ethnic groups, significant efforts to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) must occur in veterinary colleges and the profession. Recruiting more underrepresented students, building pipelines for diverse faculty/staff, and creating inclusive, welcoming environments where all can thrive are critical steps toward enhancing DEIB within our organizations and profession. Our goal is to share experiences and lessons learned from our intentional commitment to strengthen DEIB, with the hope that our journey will be helpful to others. Increasing diversity in the veterinary profession will be facilitated through removing barriers, creating inclusive work environments where all people feel they belong, and ensuring fair and equitable hiring and personnel management practices. These steps should in turn improve access and quality of veterinary care, ensure we are more representative of the communities we serve, increase revenue, and preserve the human-animal bond.

Representations of the veterinary profession in nonfiction children's books

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate how the veterinary profession is represented in nonfiction children's books and determine whether representations reflect the current veterinary profession or the demographics of the United States.

DESIGN

Survey.

SAMPLE

Covers of 46 nonfiction children's books and contents of 45 nonfiction children's books.

PROCEDURES

Book covers and book contents (images and text) were evaluated for representations of veterinarians and to identify settings, clients, technology and equipment, and animals portrayed. Book contents were additionally evaluated to identify specialties and career opportunities specifically mentioned in the text.

RESULTS

Book covers predominantly portrayed veterinarians as Caucasian women who wore examination coats, worked alone in veterinary clinics, and cared for dogs without a client present. Book contents predominantly portrayed veterinarians as a Caucasian man or woman who wore an examination coat, worked as part of a team in a veterinary clinic, and helped clients care for dogs, cats, and exotic animals. Specialties and career opportunities in the veterinary profession were mentioned in the text of 29 of 45 (64.4%) books.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Nonfiction children's book covers that focused on the veterinary profession portrayed a greater percentage of women than is currently found in the profession. Similarly, books portrayed a greater percentage of Caucasians than in the current or predicted US population. With the exception of Asians, books collectively represented lower or similar percentages of underrepresented minorities, compared with the US population. Veterinarians are encouraged to select books for individual children that portray veterinarians with whom the children can identify.