Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsBeing Black in veterinary medicine can involve two different hurdles: gaining a realistic path into the profession and being treated fairly after you arrive. In an AAHA NEWStat interview published February 26, 2024, emergency veterinarian Brina Baker, DVM, and emergency veterinary technician Imani Henlon, LVT, described those hurdles in their own words. Baker found encouragement through representation and later reported both support and racial bias at work. Henlon described the financial difficulty of obtaining clinical experience, followed by inconsistent support and unresolved leadership problems.
Their conversation is valuable precisely because it is personal. It is not a survey of every Black veterinarian, technician, assistant or clinic. It shows how access, mentorship, workplace culture and leadership can shape two careers in veterinary emergency practice.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Ettinger’s Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine | $282.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
The Merck Veterinary Manual | $61.36 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Veterinary Terminology & Abbreviations: a QuickStudy Laminated Reference Guide | $9.27 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Introduction to Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology Workbook | $36.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Mosby's Veterinary PDQ | $27.14 | Buy on Amazon |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Who was interviewed, and what did they discuss?
Terrisha Buckley’s AAHA NEWStat conversation featured two professionals working with Veterinary Emergency Group at the time of publication:
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall- Brina Baker, DVM: an emergency veterinarian who spoke about entering veterinary medicine, representation, workplace support and racial bias.
- Imani Henlon, LVT: an emergency veterinary technician who discussed the challenge of securing experience while studying and working, then described what happened after she obtained an externship.
The interview asked questions that many readers may recognize: What does it feel like to live as a Black veterinary professional today? How do the obstacles to entering the field compare with the challenges of working in it? Do staff members feel supported by their clinic? What would they tell their younger selves?
#1 Best Overall
AAHA states that interview views belong to the speakers and do not represent the association or its board. Keeping that boundary matters: Baker’s and Henlon’s accounts illuminate real experiences without establishing how common any particular experience is across veterinary medicine.
Getting into veterinary medicine: access is not the same as ambition
Baker: representation made the career feel attainable
Baker described the process of entering veterinary medicine as lonely and discouraging. A relationship with a Black female veterinarian changed what she thought was possible. Seeing someone who shared her identity working as a veterinarian provided a concrete example of the career rather than an abstract promise that “people like her” could succeed.
That distinction is important for prospective students. A person can have the grades and determination required for veterinary school yet still struggle to picture a place for themselves in the profession. Mentorship does not remove admissions, financial or academic barriers, but it can supply information, encouragement and a sense of belonging at the point when an applicant is deciding whether to continue.
Henlon: clinical experience competed with paid work and classes
Henlon’s entry barrier was more practical. She needed clinic experience while balancing school and paid employment. Many early-career pathways rely on unpaid externships or shadowing, but time away from paid work can be unaffordable. Henlon connected her difficulty finding an opportunity to those time and financial demands, not to a lack of interest in veterinary medicine.
Once she secured an externship, the opportunity became a turning point: she was offered full-time work. Her account shows why “get experience first” is incomplete advice when the experience itself is inaccessible. A short placement can demonstrate ability and lead to employment, but only candidates who can reach that placement receive the benefit.
Rank #2
What their entry stories have in common—and where they differ
| Entry question | Baker’s account | Henlon’s account |
|---|---|---|
| What made entry difficult? | She felt alone and discouraged while pursuing veterinary medicine. | She had difficulty obtaining clinical experience while working and attending classes. |
| What opened a door? | A relationship with a Black female veterinarian helped her see the career as attainable. | An externship provided experience and led to an offer of full-time employment. |
| What does the story suggest? | Representation and mentoring can affect whether a potential applicant can imagine belonging. | Paid, accessible routes to experience can matter as much as motivation. |
These are different mechanisms. Baker needed an example and encouragement during entry; Henlon needed an opportunity that fit the economic reality of her life. Treating either story as the single Black veterinary experience would erase the other.
What it felt like inside the workplace
Baker described support from a medical director—and serious gaps in DEI effort
Baker said she felt supported by her medical director. That positive relationship did not make every concern disappear. She also described racial bias and microaggressions in the workplace and argued that diversity, equity and inclusion work must be more than visible symbols. Her assessment was direct: “There’s still a MAJOR lack of effort when it comes to DEI. More should be done aside from t-shirts and posting banners in the hospital.”
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Her point is about substance and accountability. A poster can signal a value, but it cannot by itself change who is recruited, who is promoted, how complaints are investigated or whether employees can challenge inappropriate behavior safely. Baker’s comments were her own, not an official AAHA position.
Henlon described inconsistent support and unresolved leadership problems
Henlon’s account was less consistent. She said support varied and that some leadership problems and complaints were not resolved. She also reported experiences involving racial bias, microaggressions and verbal abuse. The combination matters: an incident can be harmful, but the response from supervisors often determines whether an employee believes the organization will protect them in the future.
Neither speaker said that every clinic operates this way. Their descriptions show why a clinic’s written values and its day-to-day response can diverge. Two employees in the same broad field may experience the same profession differently depending on a medical director, shift leader, reporting process and local team culture.
Support, discrimination and leadership: a side-by-side reading
| Workplace dimension | Baker | Henlon |
|---|---|---|
| Direct support | Reported feeling supported by her medical director. | Described support as inconsistent. |
| Negative experiences | Discussed racial bias and microaggressions. | Discussed racial bias, microaggressions and verbal abuse. |
| Leadership response | Her account included a supportive medical-director relationship alongside broader DEI concerns. | She said leadership issues and complaints were not adequately addressed. |
| What the contrast shows | A supportive supervisor can make a meaningful difference without resolving every structural problem. | Inconsistent follow-through can undermine an employee’s sense of safety and belonging. |
The contrast is not a contest over whose experience is more representative. It is evidence that “Does your clinic support you?” cannot be answered by a mission statement alone. Support is experienced through supervision, scheduling, feedback, complaint handling and consequences for abusive conduct.
What the reported workforce figures do—and do not—tell us
The AAHA article attributed the following figures to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
| Occupation or group | Share identified as African American/Black | Date qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Veterinarians | 1.3% | The AAHA passage does not state the underlying BLS data year. |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians | 5.7% | The AAHA passage does not state the underlying BLS data year. |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers | 3.7% | The AAHA passage does not state the underlying BLS data year. |
These numbers should not be presented as current 2026 estimates. The publication gives no underlying year, and the figures describe identification categories rather than the full range of experiences within them. They are useful context for why representation can feel scarce, but they cannot measure how often bias occurs, explain its causes or predict what any individual clinic will be like.
What meaningful change would look like
Start outreach before a student applies to veterinary school
Baker called for meaningful outreach to inner-city schools and intentional scholarships. Early contact can make veterinary work visible to students who have had little opportunity to meet a veterinarian or see the range of animal-health careers. Scholarships address a different problem: the cost of prerequisite courses, applications and professional education.
Effective outreach should offer more than a one-day presentation. Students need clear information about prerequisite subjects, realistic timelines, financial aid, technician and assistant roles, and ways to ask questions later. Programs should measure whether participants gain sustained mentoring or a reachable next step, not only how many people attended an event.
Make clinical experience economically reachable
Henlon’s externship story points to a specific design problem. If the only route to experience requires unpaid time during school, people supporting themselves may be excluded before anyone evaluates their clinical ability. Clinics and schools can reduce that barrier through paid placements, stipends, predictable schedules, transportation assistance or credit-bearing experiences that do not require a student to forgo wages.
Accessibility also means publishing requirements clearly. A candidate should know the expected hours, supervision, tasks, application deadline and whether the placement can lead to employment. Transparent criteria reduce the chance that opportunities circulate only through informal networks.
Build complaint systems that employees can trust
Henlon’s comments about unresolved complaints make follow-through a central issue. A credible process identifies whom to contact, protects against retaliation, sets response timelines and records the outcome. Leaders should distinguish between a routine disagreement and conduct involving harassment, racial bias or verbal abuse, while taking every report seriously enough to investigate.
Training is necessary but not sufficient. Clinics also need accountability: managers should be evaluated on team climate, repeat incidents should trigger review, and employees should be told what can be shared about the result without compromising privacy.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Replace symbolic DEI with measurable commitments
Baker’s criticism of banners and T-shirts does not mean symbols are always harmful; it means symbols cannot be the endpoint. A clinic can pair public statements with measurable actions such as paid student pathways, structured mentorship, transparent promotion criteria, regular climate checks and documented responses to complaints. Publishing a goal without assigning an owner and a deadline makes progress difficult to assess.
AAHA-related coverage separately describes blendVET as offering DEIB training for veterinary practices and pathway events at K–12 schools in underserved communities. That is contextual information about a possible service category, not an endorsement by Baker or Henlon and not evidence that a particular program is available to every clinic.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Advice for people entering the field
If you are a student or career changer
- Ask prospective mentors for specific help: prerequisite planning, shadowing contacts, application review or an honest description of a typical shift.
- When an externship is unpaid, ask whether the clinic has a stipend, flexible schedule, school credit or another way to reduce lost wages.
- Keep a record of applications and responses. A denied opportunity is information about that site, not proof that you do not belong in veterinary medicine.
- Look at the behavior of the team, not only its diversity statement. Ask how concerns are reported, who investigates them and how quickly employees receive a response.
Henlon’s message to newcomers was encouragement, especially for people who lack experience or have been denied opportunities. Her path shows that a later opening can change a career trajectory, so an early rejection should not be treated as a final verdict.
Best Value
If you supervise a veterinary team
- Audit who receives externships, interviews, mentorship and advancement opportunities.
- Offer paid or otherwise supported routes to entry so that experience is not reserved for people who can work without income.
- Train supervisors to recognize microaggressions, intervene in the moment and document repeated behavior.
- Give every employee a clear reporting route and a stated response timeline.
- Ask staff privately whether they feel supported, then act on recurring themes rather than treating the survey as a public-relations exercise.
If you are a pet owner
Clients influence clinic culture through the conduct they expect. Do not excuse racist, sexist or verbally abusive behavior toward veterinary staff. Support a clinic that explains its standards, protects its team and treats every employee as a professional. Respectful client behavior cannot fix institutional problems, but it removes one source of pressure from already demanding emergency work.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
How to read these two accounts responsibly
Baker and Henlon offer testimony, not prevalence data. Their experiences should be neither generalized to every Black veterinary professional nor dismissed as isolated anecdotes that require no response. The strongest reading holds both facts at once: individual clinics can provide meaningful support, and the same field can contain racial bias, microaggressions, verbal abuse and inaccessible entry routes.
The interview also separates access from retention. A scholarship or externship may help someone enter, but sustained belonging depends on supervision, fair treatment and action when harm is reported. Conversely, a supportive manager can make a major difference while broader professional representation remains limited.
For readers considering veterinary medicine, the practical lesson is to seek specific mentors, ask precise questions about paid experience and reporting procedures, and keep pursuing openings that fit your circumstances. For clinic leaders, the lesson is to fund the pathway in and make accountability visible after hiring. Those steps respond directly to the barriers described in this conversation without pretending that two voices can stand in for an entire profession.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Leave a Reply