Diversity Toolbox

Videoconferencing has been associated with an uptick in discriminatory and marginalizing behaviors.

A colleague instant-messaged me a few months ago to ask for advice. She shared that she was trying to renegotiate hotel contracts as her organization was moving to virtual meetings due to COVID-19 restrictions. Before the pandemic, most of her day-to-day work involved emails and phone calls. Once COVID-19 struck and the world embraced or […]

Not seeing or acknowledging race serves as an exit ramp from discussing or participating in advancing social change.

I  remember years ago in grade school when kids stood in front of classmates, especially on movie day, and blocked their view. A common retort was, “You know your parents aren’t glassmakers, right?” It was a smart-aleck way of communicating, “You are blocking my view!” Years later, I have repurposed the adolescent retort when anyone […]

Truth be told, misogyny is a problem in veterinary medicine. Our increasingly female profession can take constructive steps to even the playing field.

Back in late July, U.S. Reps. Ted Yoho of Florida and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York had a bit of a run-in on the steps of the Capitol. The episode stemmed from policy comments that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez made during a speech and that Rep. Yoho strongly disagreed with. He used strong words when confronting her. […]

It is not the job of people who are marginalized to educate you; it is your job to catch up.

This seems to be a crucible moment in our history. We are in the midst of a pandemic that brought most of the world to a screeching halt. We also were faced with the horrific video of an African American man, George Floyd, being killed on camera by law enforcement. For many of us, these […]

Focusing on the delivery of information rather than the content can impair efforts to have substantive discussions about diversity and inclusion.

Have you ever found yourself in an argument with someone and as the argument progresses you become more animated? Your voice might rise. You might talk a bit with your hands. It is clear you are passionate about your position and really want your companion to understand your point. At a critical point in the […]

Sponsorship opens additional doors for underrepresented veterinary professionals.

At a fall conference on women leaders in veterinary medicine, Dr. Samantha Morello from the University of Wisconsin’s School of Veterinary Medicine called for more sponsorship of women and minorities in veterinary medicine. I immediately tweeted out support —http://bit.ly/2Qx4SwO — which led to a short online discussion about the difference between mentoring and sponsoring and […]

Veterinary medicine is slowly becoming a female-dominated profession. The reasons are many. Having more role models and promoting the value of a college education are ways to draw males back in.

Every so often I field a call from a veterinarian inquiring about the declining numbers of men in the veterinary profession. These callers are mostly genuinely interested in the factors that have led to just under 20% of DVM students identifying as men. Occasionally, such calls devolve into suggestions that diversity programs have disadvantaged young […]

Starting conversations about diversity and inclusion isn’t easy, but the payoff is well worth the time and effort.

Talking about diversity and inclusion is hard; it is uncomfortable sharing your innermost thoughts about how you see difference, what it means for you (or not) in day-to-day interactions, and how you think that might affect the way individuals move through the world. Talking about diversity sparks strong emotional responses around how we view fairness, […]

A professional look means different things to different people. Does your clinic’s policy reflect core values and a commitment to diversity?

Many years ago, my office initiated a dress code review. During our working group meetings, my male colleagues bemoaned how women could wear sleeveless shirts and sandals during the summer, while men were limited to sleeved shirts, neck ties and hot, confining loafers and Oxford shoes. Conversations quickly devolved into a gendered discussion about equity […]

Veterinary professionals can do more inside and outside of the practice to expose young people to potential careers in animal health and plug the leakage of talented students to other industries.

Annual studies conducted by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges find that prospective veterinary students routinely express interest in the profession before age 10. In those 10 short years, they develop a love of animals and a desire to help them. The profession, however, can seem one dimensional to young people: Veterinarians take care […]