Being a Veterinarian of Color with Dr. Niccole Bruno

"I ultimately went to Tuskegee University for undergrad, and so that also was a jaded view of what veterinarians look like, but at that point I think I started to become more aware that the profession was not as diverse."

Approximately 92 percent of veterinarians in the U.S. are white, according to the 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics report titled “Labor Force Characteristics by Race and Ethnicity.” Niccole Bruno, DVM, who is the Chief of Staff at Companion Animal Hospital in Spring, Texas, is in that 8%. She is Afro-Latina. In this episode, Dr. Bruno shares her story of what it's like being a veterinarian of color. She discusses her journey of becoming a veterinarian, mentions possible examples of microaggressions and illustrates the importance of having a more diverse staff.

For ideas about taking action to make the profession more diverse, please refer to Dr. Lisa Greenhill, the Senior Director for Institutional Research and Diversity at the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). For resources on diversity and inclusion, please visit AVMA's Axon digital education platform (https://axon.avma.org/), listen to this episode of Beyond the Stethoscope with Dr. Greenhill (https://tinyurl.com/y8v3e4me) and view the latest data set by the AAVMC (https://www.aavmc.org/about-aavmc/public-data). 

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