A thread on #vetmed recruiting BIPOC students in the K-12 space.
In recent weeks I'm hearing so much excitement & energy around the long game of recruiting BIPOC students into vet med. I know many of us have dancing images of exposing littles to animals & animal docs.
In recent weeks I'm hearing so much excitement & energy around the long game of recruiting BIPOC students into vet med. I know many of us have dancing images of exposing littles to animals & animal docs.
I'm soooo supportive of this, but hear me clearly that these efforts already have HUGE blind spots that must be addressed if we want these efforts to even have a chance.
1) Stop assuming Black & brown kids don't also have a "calling" to be a veterinarian like so many of our applicants. Stop assuming that lack of exposure is the why our kids don't want to be vets. Recognize that there are systemic biases that reroute interested kids. #itsamyth
2) Heard of the school to prison pipeline? Yeah, it's a thing. Black & brown kids are disproportionately punished in K12 programs, school districts have policies to arrest elementary school children for fighting, suspensions, expulsions, etc--all disproportionately leveled.
And you know what happens when you get "in trouble" a few times? You get tracked into lower level courses, inappropriately get labeled as SPED, opportunities get cut off. But these kids STILL would want to be veterinarians.
3) If kids are fortunate enough to sidestep getting labeled as a troublemaker, then there's the guidance counselors. Now, no shade on GC's, they are yet another bunch of underpaid/underresourced professionals, but trust, bias can be a big problem.
There's lots of evidence that counselors will recommend less competitive undergrad programs--or drop college recs all together to recommend the military or trade schools. Boom, you've lost another bunch of kids who as littles wanted to be a veterinarian.
Side note--that almost happened to me. In TAG/honors programs all K-12, graduated in the top 15 of my class, GC told my parents she thought I belonged in community college. My parents were like:
4) And then you run into pre-health advisors, another awesome group of professionals, but I've seen & written about how some will reroute students to other disciplines. Again--more leaks in the pipeline.
Be clear, I want to see veterinarians at career days at schools populated by BIPOC kiddos ❤️, but don't go in thinking that exposure is the solution. Structural racism is the problem, folks. STRUCTURAL.
In as much as you think it's essential to work w/ the kids, its important that you pay attention to K12 policies that openly marginalize & denigrate BIPOC kids. It's critical to pay attention to school board races, understanding Title 1 schools & how these kids are treated.
Real talk: These are the things that make or break our efforts. Systemic problems require systemic change. Vets doing cool thinks with littles is important, but it doesn't address the systemic racism that prevents BIPOC kids from pursuing #vetmed
So, be sure your recruitment & exposure plans takes this into account & recognize the personal responsibility each of us has to change the destiny of BIPOC who want to be veterinarians. #fin #goodtrouble #necessarytrouble
