The University of Tennessee Center for Veterinary Social
Work is initiating “Building Inclusive Veterinary Education,” a three-year
collaboration with the IDEXX Foundation. Researchers will explore the health
and wellness and needs of veterinary students and their experiences of equity,
diversity, inclusion and belonging in U.S. colleges of veterinary medicine. The
innovative project will identify veterinary students’ needs, the nature and
prevalence of wellness resources currently offered to meet those needs, examine
professional transition experiences of newly graduated Doctors of Veterinary
Medicine (DVMs), and deepen understanding of experiences of DVMs who have
voluntarily left the veterinary profession.
Project outcomes include the design and delivery of a
comprehensive hybrid Veterinary Student Wellness Symposium to highlight
evidence-supported approaches that best serve the wellness needs of veterinary
students and create resources to support mental health and inclusive learning
environments for students with diverse social identities.
We will be hosting virtual focus groups in 2023 for current students enrolled in a U.S. College of Veterinary Medicine, DVMs who graduated from a U.S. College of Veterinary Medicine since 2017, and Veterinary Mental Health Practitioners who work in a US College of Veterinary Medicine (those who provide mental health services to veterinary students, faculty and staff). The focus groups will be held virtually via Zoom and are scheduled for 60-90 minute. Only focus group participants will receive compensation in the form of a $50 Amazon gift card delivered via email.
To register for participation in this research study you must complete this interest form. For current veterinary students and mental health professionals within the college of veterinary medicine, you will need to use your school/work email address (i.e. .edu or .com). Gmail.com accounts will NOT be accepted. For veterinarians, you will need to use your school/work email address AND provide the name of your state and veterinary license number to verify your eligibility for this study. If you are unable or unwilling to provide this information but still want to participate, we are able to offer a screening phone call to confirm eligibility. Please indicate so on the interest form. Interest form information may be used to verify eligibility for this study. Participants will not be compensated if researchers have found that inaccurate or fraudulent information has been provided regarding eligibility.
If you have general questions about this research project,
please contact Dr. Pamela Linden at plinden@utk.edu
or Lisa Wiborg at lwiborg1@utk.edu.
