About Diversity at Penn Vet
At the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, we have made significant strides in increasing diversity among our student body. By focusing our recruitment efforts and directing scholarship funds towards needs-based support, we are proud to report that 20 percent of our students now come from underrepresented minority groups in veterinary medicine.
To further guide our efforts in today's environment and to look toward the future, we have established the Diversity Council, consisting of students, faculty, and staff who provide valuable feedback and direction for our initiatives. As a school, we take pride in our history of celebrating "firsts," including our first African American, Latinx, and female graduates who have paved the way for future generations of veterinarians. Discover more of the history that has impacted Penn Vet.
About Student Diversity
According to the most recent U.S. Census around 90% of veterinarians in the United States are not identified as Underrepresented in Veterinary Medicine (URVM), as defined by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). Through concentrated efforts at expanding our recruitment and directing scholarship funds to needs-based support, we have grown the school's students who are from underrepresented groups in Veterinary medicine from 15% to between 30-36% in the last seven years. This is a vital step in making veterinary medicine more inclusive at Penn Vet and reflects our commitment to diversifying and connecting the Veterinarian community.
Student Diversity at Penn Vet
About Faculty Diversity
Since initiating its Faculty Diversity Action Plan in 2012, Penn Vet has established an Office of Faculty Affairs and Diversity, a Faculty Council to establish guidelines for faculty affairs and diversity issues, continued use of established procedures for best search practices by faculty search committees, continued oversight of every faculty search by a Diversity Search Advisor, Town Hall meetings, lectures and gatherings for faculty and students to address gender issues and diversity in the veterinary profession, and a continued improvement of the SVM standing faculty profile based on gender and ethnicity.
In 2018, 49 percent of the standing faculty was female and 14 percent were minorities. The School of Veterinary Medicine welcomes and accepts diversity in the broadest context so as to recognize, value and learn from all people of varying cultural backgrounds regardless of their race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class status.
- One of the missions of the Office for Faculty Affairs and Diversity is to foster a respectful, creative, and collaborative environment that will support the faculty, staff and student body, to maximize their contributions to the educational, research, clinical, and service missions of Penn Vet.
- Our goal is to make Penn Vet a more welcoming and diverse institution by devising strategies for attracting exceptional scholars and students, and nurturing their development. Penn Vet’s diversity among its faculty and student body is of paramount importance, because brilliant scholars and students are absolutely essential in keeping the institution become productive, creative, competitive, and successful in its mission to train the next generation of leaders in all fields of Veterinary Medicine.
- Penn’s stature as an eminent and innovative University rests on our conviction, combined with compelling evidence that excellence and diversity go hand in hand. The School of Veterinary Medicine is eager to move decisively forward in building an ever more diverse and eminent faculty, and in fostering an inclusive and equitable community. To that end, the Office for Faculty Affairs has developed an Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence.
About Penn Vet Alumni
Penn Vet has graduated over 7,000 VMDs with living alumni who currently reside in all 50 state and 17 different countries and represent a variety of backgrounds and experiences. The Office of Alumni Relations supports Penn Vet’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity even beyond graduation.
As part of this commitment, the Penn Vet Alumni Board has created a Vice President for Diversity & Inclusivity who will aim to include alumni in understanding and making diversity a priority. Through the Penn Vet Alumni Board guidance, we hope to engage more alumni that reflect our full alumni population who can also be lead volunteers that speak to various perspectives. Learn more about Penn Vet's alumni board...
Additionally, with the help of alumni volunteers, Alumni Relations has created a new affinity group designated PAVED: Penn Alumni Veterinarians for Equity and Diversity. The goal of PAVED is to create a network of alumni who identify as underrepresented minorities and wish to build a community, develop support systems, and provide opportunities to create connections among alumni and students. Learn more about PAVED...