Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association to host inaugural RISE virtual conference

Taking place from November 13 to 14, 2021, the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) is launching RISE—an online conference putting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) front and center. According to the release, RISE speakers will include more than 60 Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), in furthering MCVMA’s mission “to lead veterinary medicine towards the racial and ethnic diversity, equity, and inclusivity that our profession needs to serve a multicultural society.”

“MCVMA is excited to have the opportunity to host so many talented BIPOC speakers on these much-needed topics in veterinary medicine,” said Marie Sato-Quicksall, DVM, CVA, president of the MCVMA, in the release. “As our organization continues to grow, we feel it is our responsibility to provide BIPOC veterinary professionals with opportunities to speak and for our profession to hear from these often-unheard voices.”

RISE will offer 50 hours of RACE-approved continuing education credit (CE), in a range of topics including wildlife medicine, surgery, community practice, animal welfare, access to veterinary care, and DEI. In addition to CE, the conference will host events and interactive workshops. RISE gets its name from the 4 pillars of the conference, which are as follows:

• Resource (DEI in Action): This track will provide universities, organizations, and individuals resources for this ongoing endeavor.
• Inclusion (Cultural Awareness and Global Connections): The social makeup of the United States is always evolving, and with change comes the unique opportunity for the veterinary profession to develop the resilience and adaptability needed to best serve all communities.
• Support (Veterinary Medicine in the Community): Sessions in this track will explore current best practices within veterinary community medicine while offering useful tools to work with communities toward a common goal of collecting human and animal health and welfare.
• Elevate (BIPOC Specialists and Leaders in Veterinary Medicine): Sessions in this track include topics such as One Health, animal welfare, surgery, emergency medicine, internal medicine, practice management, and much more.

This conference is open to all in the veterinary profession and beyond, both in the US and internationally. Visit here to register and for complete conference information.