Dr. Emma Bratton from the AABP Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is the guest host for this episode of Have You Herd? Dr. Bratton is currently an American Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology policy fellow at the Unites States Agency for International Policy Development working in its center for Agricultural Policy and Growth. She is joined by Dr. Navartnam Partheeban who also goes by Dr. Theeb. Dr. Theeb is a clinical farm veterinarian based in the southeast United Kingdom practicing on beef, dairy, sheep and camelids. Theeb is originally from Scotland and has worked in Wales, England and Scotland, and has worked in private practice and industry. He describes why diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is personally important to him being a minority person in a profession that is not racially or ethnically diverse. Theeb shares that he did not know anyone who looked like him or talked like him when he was a student and a veterinarian and how this impacted him. He shares a story about how he has experience discrimination as a farm animal veterinarian and the importance of practice owners supporting their associates. The number of veterinarians in the U.K. who are persons of color is 3% while the general population is 14%. Theeb discusses that diversity can also encourage new ideas and ideas as well as better represent the veterinary profession to the clients they serve. He discusses the differences he has experience between his job in industry versus private practice and how that impacted him personally.  There is also a lot of discussion of the work Theeb has done with other organizations, research projects and outreach to advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in veterinary medicine. 

 Links:

Country Trust First – an organization with a mission to bring food, farming and the countryside alive for disadvantaged children, sharing knowledge, igniting curiosity, and broadening horizons. 

 Oxford Farming Conference 

 Follow Dr. Theeb on Twitter @navaratnampart1