Thank you for visiting the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion page of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC). ACVECC is committed to creating an environment that is welcoming to all and fostering the spirt of inclusion in veterinary emergency and critical care. The goal of the college is to identify strategies to increase diversity in veterinary emergency and critical care, as well as to work towards creating an inclusive and equitable environment for everyone.
Mentoring: ACVECC has a group of individuals committed to mentoring students of all ages interested in veterinary medicine, as well as in veterinary emergency and critical care. Please send an email to Dr. Shaunita Sharpe (shaunitasharpe@gmail.com) if you are interested in working with a mentor.
Scholarship to IVECCS: ACVECC, AVECCTN (the Academy of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Technicians and Nurses: https://www.avecct.org/) and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS) will sponsor underrepresented veterinary students once a year to attend the International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (IVECCS) conference. https://iveccs.org/scholarships-grants/
Social Media: ACVECC is committed to celebrating and highlighting the diversity within the college as well as within the veterinary community, we are “Critically Diverse”. Through our social media accounts, we will continue to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, provide resources and education. Please follow us for more updates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
ACVECC Residents and Mentors
This is a reminder from the Chairs of the Credentials and Diversity, Equity Inclusion and Accessibility Committees that DEI training is required for all residents that are currently in training (effective starting this cycle 2022-2023), and must be done and uploaded into the database. Please see the information below, taken from pages 19 & 20 of the July 2022 Residency Training Standards.
From the Standards:
Diversity, Equity Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Training: ACVECC residents are required to undergo training on issues related to diversity, inclusion, allyship and wellbeing during their residency. Residents must fulfill one of the five following options to satisfy the DI training requirement.
1. Participation in the Purdue University Diversity and Inclusion Certificate course (Certificate Program Overview). This option is currently the most comprehensive, veterinary specific DI training available. It is fully satisfiable online and residents have a year to complete the course after registration. The college has negotiated a discounted price of $100 per resident, payable by the resident. Contact the ACVECC Diversity & Inclusion Committee (ACVECCdiversityandinclusion@gmail.com) to receive the discount code.
2. Participation in the AVMA Brave Spaces Certificate program (https://axon.avma.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=125) free to AVMA members. Non-members may also complete this certificate for an additional cost.
3. Participation in an approved DI course, program or certificate mandated by the resident’s training institution. If a resident’s training institution already has a mandatory training course or certificate, completing this will fulfill the ACVECC DI training requirement. Residents are instructed to verify qualifying courses/programs/certificates with the ACVECC DI Committee.
4. Participation in at least 3 hours of DI lectures or discussions at IVECCS. Residents should scan their badges upon entry of the lecture room. Participation will be verified through VECCS
5. Viewing 4 AAVMC videos selected by the ACVECC DI committee. These videos range between 30-45 minutes and are available on the ACVECC website. Residents are required to answer accompanying questions to verify videos were viewed if selecting this option for DI credit eligibility.
Residents must upload documentation, verifying completion of one of the above requirements to the training database. If a course has been completed at the resident’s training institution (number 3 above) an email confirming completion of the DEIA requirement must also be uploaded. (See the attached screenshot which shows you where to upload your DEI Training verification materials on the Documents page of your database report.)
Lauren Harris, DVM, DACVECC
Chair, ACVECC Credentials Committee
Helpful Website Resources
Veterinary Diversity Organizations:
Veterinary Wellness and Mental Health Organizations and Resources
Veterinary Mentorship Organizations:
Veterinary Diversity and Inclusion Training:
DiVersity Matters at AAVMC Podcast “Diversity and Inclusion on Air”:
Allyship Resources: