Vets in Diversity Podcast: Recent Episodes
The University of Edinburgh
Welcome to the Vets in Diversity Podcast series from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.
Our student-led Animal Aspirations Edinburgh group has teamed up with the Easter Bush Equality, Diversity and Inclusion group to produce this podcast series of Vets in Diversity.
Throughout this series, we talk to students, university staff and leaders within the veterinary profession about race equality, diversity and inclusion within education and the profession.
This series features 10 episodes, which look to unfold some of the challenges and intersectionality faced by BAME people entering a profession where 97% of vets registered in the UK consider themselves from white ethnic backgrounds. Episodes range from the challenges that BAME people face in accessing higher education at high tariff universities to BAME mental health and support; from decolonising the curriculum to dealing with COVID, racism and BLM.
Equality, diversity and inclusion is a core part of the strategic framework at the University
The Future is bright – In this final episode of the series, we talk about how far we’ve come in identifying the gaps in the system, but also discuss how we are working towards finding solutions. We look towards hope and discuss how ultimately working together in raising awareness, implementing change and standing up for a more equal society will result in achieving a brighter future.
Host:
Chantelle Lee - 4th year vet student
Guests:
Dr Daniella Dos Santos - British Veterinary Association, Senior Vice President
Information:
Royal Dick School of Veterinary Medicine – website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet
Email: vetug@ed.ac.uk
Dick Vet Student Support Services - https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/studying/undergraduate/student-support
University of Edinburgh Health and Wellbeing Centre - https://www.ed.ac.uk/students/health-wellbeing/health-and-wellbeing-centre
British Veterinary Association (BVA) - https://www.bva.co.uk/
ASPIRES Research, longitudinal research project studying young people's science and career aspirations - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/departments/education-practice-and-society/aspires-research
Mental Health and Support for BAME in higher education – This episode touches on issues relating to BAME Mental Health in Higher Education, how things have changed during COVID, Brexit and Black Lives Matter movement and highlights support available at both a wider university level as well as within the School of Veterinary Medicine.
Host:
Ting En Khor - Final year vet student
Guests:
Mike Grieve - Student Experience Manager, School of Veterinary Medicine
Ronnie Millar – University of Edinburgh, Director of Counselling Services
Information:
Royal Dick School of Veterinary Medicine – website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet
Email: vetug@ed.ac.uk
Dick Vet Student Support Services - https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/studying/undergraduate/student-support
University of Edinburgh Health and Wellbeing Centre - https://www.ed.ac.uk/students/health-wellbeing/health-and-wellbeing-centre
Student Counselling Services - https://www.ed.ac.uk/student-counselling
Student Services A-Z - https://www.ed.ac.uk/students/student-services
The University Listening Service - https://www.ed.ac.uk/chaplaincy/the-listening-service
The Chaplaincy - https://www.ed.ac.uk/chaplaincy
COVID – 19 – in this episode we have a conversation with a BAME student about COVID-19 and navigating vet life as a student at The University of Edinburgh during a global pandemic. We also catch up with the Co-chair of the university’s EDI Race Equality and Anti-Racist (REAR) Sub-Committee, and talk openly about what the University is doing to strategically address EDI as a core priority during these increasingly challenging times.
Host:
Chantelle Lee - 4th year vet student
Guests:
Roxanna Neo - final year vet student
Johanna Holton - Co-chair of UoE EDI Race Equality and Anti-Racist (REAR) Sub-Committee, to talk openly about what the University is doing to address EDI
Information:
Royal Dick School of Veterinary Medicine – website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet
Email: vetug@ed.ac.uk
British Veterinary Ethnicity & Diversity Society (BVEDS) - https://bveds.com/
Race Equality and Anti-Racist Sub-Committee (REAR) - https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity/edi-groups/edi-committee/edic-thematic-sub-committees/race-e...
Difficult Conversations –In this thought-provoking and inspirational episode, wehave the difficult conversation about racism, discrimination, ‘white privilege’ and why society still can’t talk about these issues openly. We discuss how we can make a positive contribution towards EDI, without feeling fear, shame or blame and explore how we can better equip ourselves to have these conversations.
Host:
Calum Mcintyre - final year vet student
Guests:
Dr Issa Robson - Co-founder of the British Veterinary Ethnicity & Diversity Society
Information:
Royal Dick School of Veterinary Medicine – website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet
Email: vetug@ed.ac.uk
British Veterinary Ethnicity & Diversity Society (BVEDS) - https://bveds.com/
BVEDS EDI reading list - https://bveds.com/educational-reading/
Employers' View – In this episode we speak to Dr Amanda Boag, Referral Director at IVC EVIDENSIA - Europe’s largest vet health care provider. We discuss BAME Vets within the profession and changes they are making within their organisation to better support underrepresented communities. We hear about how they have made EDI a core strategic priority in everything they do and why it’s so important to them.
Host:
Calum Mcintyre - final year vet student
Guests:
Dr Amanda Boag - Referral Director at IVC EVIDENSIA
Information:
Royal Dick School of Veterinary Medicine – website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet
Email: vetug@ed.ac.uk
IVC EVIDENSIA BAME Vet Medicine Scholarships – https://ivcevidensia.co.uk/ethnic-diversity
IVC EVIDENSIA - https://ivcevidensia.co.uk/
Graduate Life – In this episode we speak to two of our BAME Dick Vet Graduates and briefly discuss their journey into vet medicine, but more importantly explore where their education has taken them since graduating from the Dick Vet.
Host:
Roxanna Neo - final year vet student
Guests:
Dr Mandisa Greene - President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
Dr Mark Anthony Laloo - Emergency and Critical Care Clinician
Information:
Royal Dick School of Veterinary Medicine – website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet
Email: vetug@ed.ac.uk
British Veterinary Association (BVA) - https://www.bva.co.uk/
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons - https://www.rcvs.org.uk/home/
British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) - https://www.bsava.com/
Admissions and how underrepresented communities can access higher education – This episode will provide you with an insight into how to apply for Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, it also highlights our widening participation programmes aimed at underrepresented communities. Within this episode we hear more specifically about the challenges that BAME communities face in accessing high tariff universities and what the wider university and vet school are doing to tackle these issues.
Host:
Ting En Khor - Final year vet student
Guests:
Laura Cattell - Head of Widening Participation, The University of Edinburgh
Dr Gurå Therese Bergkvist - Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions, School of Veterinary Medicine
Gurpreet Grewal-Kang – Head of Recruitment and Admissions, School of Veterinary Medicine
Information:
Royal Dick School of Veterinary Medicine – website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet
Email: vetug@ed.ac.uk
Vet School MOOCS (free online programmes) - https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/studying/moocs-overview
School of Veterinary Medicine Outreach and Schools Liaison - https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/studying/outreach-and-schools-liaison
Easter Bush Science Outreach Centre https://www.ed.ac.uk/easter-bush-campus/science-outreach-centre
Widening Participation at the University of Edinburgh - https://www.ed.ac.uk/student-recruitment/widening-participation
Widening participation projects - https://www.ed.ac.uk/student-recruitment/widening-participation/projects
ASPIRES Research, longitudinal research project studying young people's science and career aspirations - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/departments/education-practice-and-society/aspires-research
Student Journey at the Dick Vet – In this episode we talk to two of our BAME vet students about their experience at Dick Vet and discuss their journey in getting here. One of our students is international and applied from Canada after graduating from High School, and the other student is originally from Hong Kong, but moved to the UK many years ago and has grown up in London. This episode also provides an insight into some of the challenges they faced in applying to vet school and how they overcame them.
Host:
Roxanna Neo - final year vet student
Guests:
William Dabri - 4th year vet student
Chantelle Lee - 4th year vet student
Information:
Royal Dick School of Veterinary Medicine – website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet
Email: vetug@ed.ac.uk
Vet School Student Experience - https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/studying/undergraduate/student-experience
Looking to the Colonial past and its impact on Higher Education today – In this episode we are exploring historical evidence to help explain why the system is structured the way it is and why racial inequalities exist within higher education and across sectors within society. We also explain what is meant by the term ‘decolonising the curriculum’ and discuss how it is being done within HE and more specifically at the Dick Vet and look at its impact on the educational experience for all staff and students.
Host:
Mili Metha - 4th year vet student
Guests:
Dr Henry Dee - UncoverEd Researcher
Dr Dr Silvia Perez-Espona - Conservation Science Programme Coordinator and EB EDI working group member/co-chair
Information:
Royal Dick School of Veterinary Medicine – website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet
Email: vetug@ed.ac.uk
Race Equality and Anti-Racist Sub-Committee (REAR) - https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity/edi-groups/edi-committee/edic-thematic-sub-committees/race-equality-anti-racist-subcommittee
UncoverEd - http://uncover-ed.org/
Easter Bush Campus Local Group of the College Equality and Diversity Committee - https://www.ed.ac.uk/medicine-vet-medicine/staff-and-current-students/equality-diversity/committee/easter-bush-campus-local-group
Animal Aspiration (AA) Edinburgh – This episode introduces listeners to Animal Aspiration (AA) Edinburgh, outlining its remit and how it works with Vet School Admissions and Recruitment to support widening participation and BAME outreach, as well as highlighting the national AA network.
Host:
Calum Mcintyre - final year vet student
Guests:
Mili Metha - 4th year vet student
Chantelle Lee - 4th year vet student
Information:
Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies – website: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet
Email: vetug@ed.ac.uk
Animal Aspirations Edinburgh Email – animal.aspirations@ed.ac.uk
Animal Aspirations UK - https://www.animalaspirations.com/