Vet Candy: Tufts University Veterinary School Aims to Increase Diversity

Tufts University’s veterinary school aims to increase diversity

By Angela Nelson

Damian Clarke, is a Black veterinary student who does not often see himself represented in veterinary medicine — a field which is about 89 percent white. Originally from Barbados, Clarke moved to the United States in high school and received his undergraduate degree in Florida before landing on the Grafton campus of Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

“While I haven’t had one specific role model who looks like me, I’m able to find bits and pieces from different people who I aspire to be like. And that, for me, has been just as good,” Clarke said.

Cora Evans, a second-year veterinary student at Cummings School, grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she often visited the Duke University Lemur Center with her mother. She knew from a young age that she wanted to work with animals, but she had met only one Black veterinarian in her life. That changed in her undergraduate years when she attended Spelman College, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) for women, and completed a study abroad program focused on wildlife conservation in the East African nation of Tanzania.

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Clinics scramble and other fun

I just wanted to update those out there about the ongoings of your loyal editor of The Vet Gazette. I've been quite busy with the start of clinics--it's a lot of work to come up with differentials AND at the same time have to figure out where the paper towel dispenser is in the ER!

The first week of June took me to Post Falls, Idaho to participate in the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Experience. If you haven't heard of the VLE, I encourage you to read more about it at: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/orgvle/

The week-long experience brings together students, faculty and industry veterinarians from around the world to learn leadership skills and communication tools, culminating in how to apply those skills to the real world of practicing veterinary medicine. What I really love about the experience is meeting so many different people but finding out how many things we have in common. I even got to learn a little Arabic. Marhaba! (That means hello)

This week I've traveled north to Schaumburg, Illinois to participate in the Task Force on AVMA Programs for Students and Recent Graduates. We just got started this morning, but there are a dozen veterinarians and students committed to evaluating the programs that are available to students and what the next move can be to improve. How has the AVMA benefited you as a student member? I would love to hear from my readers on what you like about AVMA and what you think can be improved. Help me make the student voice be heard!

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your submissions. Your regularly scheduled content should be returning in the next couple weeks.