I have always enjoyed a challenge. My passion for animal science combined with pre-veterinary curriculum rigor lured me toward a professional career in animal health. However, I noticed that along my career path that role models, mentors or professional symbols that resembled me were noticeably absent. My observation became even more apparent when I realized that I had not met another Black veterinarian until I started vet school at Tuskegee University, a renowned HBCU (Historically Black College and University).
Being the standout amid an environment of high cultural homogeneity can be isolating especially within a profession where bonds, networking and professional connections can be paramount. In the face of this disproportionate reality, I found that I was constantly focused on social maneuvering to avoid feeling “otherized.” From the way that I spoke to the music that I listened to in the veterinary hospital to my hairstyle, my goal was to culturally intermix – or assimilate – with my colleagues. I relied on code-switching so that I didn’t feel like a foreigner in a profession to which I have dedicated my life.
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At times, feeling like an outsider can be shockingly surreal. After a busy day of consultations and surgeries, I scrambled to leave the hospital so that I could attend a local veterinary chapter meeting that I had been looking forward to. I remember arriving at the meeting wearing identical attire to my other colleagues. They often wore plaid shirts and khaki pants. When my colleagues entered the building’s foyer to sign in to the meeting, they were greeted with a collegial, ‘Hello and welcome to the meeting.’ I, on the other hand, was immediately regarded as one of the catering staff. Just before I could completely sign my name and collect a swag bag, the liaison for the company leaned in toward me and said, “Make sure you look to the side when you bring the bread out. I will be sitting to the left and you may not see me.” I paused for a few moments to comprehend fully what she said and what was happening at that moment. I replied amiably, “Hi. I’m Dr. Campbell, nice to meet you.” To her credit, she immediately apologized as I watched her cheeks grow crimson with embarrassment. I have the utmost respect and admiration for the hard-working folks in the catering industry, but that incident and similar scenarios have occurred throughout my professional journey. It reinforces a sentiment that many in the BIPOC community have felt while navigating the veterinary space: ‘you aren’t one of us.’
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Unfortunately, it is commonplace for BIPOC veterinary students and veterinarians to feel a lack of belonging and connection to their profession. It doesn’t have to be this way. The DVMC aims to meet the needs of the BIPOC community and inspire change throughout the industry. My goal for the DVMC is to feed the appetite and imagination of underrepresented boys and girls who want to be veterinarians. Representation is the universal language of our imagination. We look at people that came before us and say, ‘I can do that.’
I love being a veterinarian – and I want to inspire more people to be interested in veterinary medicine through activism, mentorship, and financial support.
Source: https://t-tees.com
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