Putting inclusion into action in veterinary medicine

In this interview, Tripp Oliphant, DVM, discusses the difference between expressing support for diversity and putting that support into practice. He discusses the role of accountability, communication, and mutual respect in creating environments where LGBTQIA+ veterinary professionals and other team members feel welcomed and valued.

Below is the transcript, which has been lightly edited for clarity.

dvm360: Are there any conversations about diversity, inclusion, or belonging in veterinary medicine that you think are missing or not happening enough?

Tripp Oliphant, DVM: I think that—yes, I think that in this day and time we definitely are struggling with there being a lot of vocabulary that we use for representation and for saying that we support, but I think that it comes down to a day-to-day action. So yes, we can have policies and procedures, we can say that we're accepting and we are welcoming and in a diverse community, and that's absolutely true, and I think that that's so important, and having that, but I think that each day taking accountability for our actions—and if we say something that offends someone, or we don't understand where they're coming from, whether that be our coworker or our clients, and recognizing that we're all coming in with baggage, we're all coming in with different life experiences.

I think sitting down with those people, that's what allows for us to have that true belonging and feeling like we all kind of matter, which we do matter, but all of us have a great rapport with each other, is saying, 'Okay, look, I didn't mean to offend you in that.' So yes, I think it is very important for representation, having those things on the doors that say we're welcoming here, but then it comes down to ultimately those day-to-day conversations of do we really feel accepted in this situation.