Advancing DEI in veterinary medicine

On this week's episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, welcomes special guest Kemba L. Marshall, MPH, DVM, DABVP (Avian), to discuss her new book Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine. Throughout the episode, Marshall shares her journey to becoming an author, including what led her to begin this conversation on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in veterinary medicine, her "why" and start to veterinary medicine, and what she hopes future generations of veterinary professionals will look like and resources they have to continue advancing DEI in the industry.

Be sure to head over to the dvm360 Instagram account to enter for a chance to win a copy of Marshall's book.

Below is a partial transcript

Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: [Kemba] embarked on her latest venture in 2020, when she founded Marshall Recruiting Consortium to address the lack of diversity in agriculture and animal health sciences. I'm curious to get your perspective on that thing, Kemba, but like, what made you step into that component in 2020? What was [it] like, did you have like, an AHA moment?

Kemba L. Marshall, MPH, DVM, DABVP (Avian): Yeah, I think we all did. So, so COVID-19 is happening, and I think all of us are like, what is this? And, oh, by the way, the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, [and] Ahmad Aubrey, it was thing after thing after thing that was happening. And I think all of us, we were we were experiencing it at the same time, ...so many of us were either [in] quarantine at home, working from home, and you were just in your home with your social media or your radio or your television, and it was like compounded thing after compounded thing. And at that time, what I found was so many of my veterinary colleagues were reaching out to me, asking me questions, and Adam, I will tell you, at first I was like, not only do I have nothing to say, but I refuse to speak. I don't want to talk about it. I just, no, because I'm literally in my own thing trying to work it out.

And then my good friend, Gal Pal, [Mia Cary, DVM] was like, but Kemba, what if you do say something, and what if you say something to individuals that may not hear it from another person, but they'll hear it from you. And that sent me on this whole other journey to say, What would veterinary medicine look like if I said I personally want to be involved in advancing the profession?

Instagram Giveaway Rules

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1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHO ARE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD AT TIME OF ENTRY. Void where prohibited by law. This sweepstakes begins on February 12, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. ET and ends on February 19, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET (“Promotion Period”). Sponsor’s computer is the official time keeping device for this Sweepstakes. Enter the Sweepstakes during the Promotion Period by: (1)viewing the post on Instagram or LinkedIn; and (2)commenting on the post and tagging three friends. Online entries must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on January 22, 2025. Alternatively, anyone may enter the Sweepstakes by printing the words “MMAC Book Sweepstake,” along with his or her name, title, date of birth, street address, city, state, zip, and phone number on a 3.5" by 5" white index card. Mail the card to MultiMedia Animal Care, LLC Attn: Marketing Department, 2 Commerce Drive, Cranbury, New Jersey 08512. To be considered eligible, entries must be received no later than January 22, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET. No methods of entry other than the methods specifically described herein will be accepted. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected or incomplete entries or unsuccessful attempts to enter. Incomplete entries and/or entries not received by the deadlines will not be eligible.Limit (1) one entry per person, per mailing address, per outer-mailing envelope, and per email address.
2. Winner will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received on or about January 24, 2025. Drawing will be conducted by MultiMedia Animal Care, LLC whose decisions are final. Drawing times are subject to change or cancellation with or without notice. Odds of winning will depend upon the total number of eligible entries received. For winner’s name, send a separate self-addressed, stamped envelope to 2 Commerce Drive, Cranbury, NJ 08512 by February 14, 2025.
3. The prize (“Prize”) consists of the following: three (3) copies of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine by Dr. Kemba Marshall with Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of $60.00 each. Dr. Marshall is not a participant or sponsor of this promotion.
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