Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association honored for DEI initiative
On July 14, 2023, the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) received a national Best in Business Award from the Veterinary Medical Association Executives (VMAE) at the organization's Annual Summer Conference hosted in Denver.
The MVMA was honored for launching a partnership between the association, Mission Animal Hospital and Cristo Rey Jesuit High School‐ Twin Cities. The partnership employed a team of four students in a veterinary hospital through the Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study program. The students take part in a 40‐hour work week throughout the academic year.
In a news release, MVMA Executive Director Kelly Andrews said that the partnership helps high school students from all backgrounds access the veterinary profession.
“We hope to be a pilot for other veterinary associations that are looking for ways to access youth and increase diversity in the profession," she said. "Winning this award is an honor and we hope the national attention will spark conversations around how we can grow this model.”
The partnership started with a proposal from MVMA’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Action Team. While looking for ways to inspire change the DEI Action Team decided one way to take action would be to grow relationships with youth in diverse communities.
There are 37 Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study programs across the country with hundreds of corporate partners. But until now, there had never been a partnership in a veterinary clinic.
Andrews said the association was impressed with Cristo Rey’s proven track record of success with their work study program.
"This partnership aligned with their goals, and we couldn’t have asked for a better clinic to pilot the work study program,” she said in the news release.
Sophomore student Diego worked at Mission Animal Hospital this past academic year. His experience highlighted the importance of creating more opportunities for students in the veterinary field.
"Every day I walk into the animal hospital feeling like a part of the team and feeling I’m actually working at the animal hospital because of how much I want to do this for a career," Diego said in a media interview this past March.
Having the veterinary profession listed as an educational and training option for students at Cristo Rey is an invaluable impact of this partnership. Not only that, but students also gain nearly 300 hours of work experience in a clinic setting in one academic year which will help them tremendously in any future veterinary school application.
Students also have the choice to return to their work study location throughout their high school career, providing the option of spending around 1,200 hours in a clinic setting before they graduate high school.
The MVMA, Cristo Rey and Mission Animal Hospital will partner again for the 2023‐24 academic school year. The association aims to expand into similar high school work study partnerships in Minnesota and to help foster other organizations nationally.
“Helping all populations and students believe they can work in the veterinary field someday is how we can ensure the future of veterinary medicine is a diverse one we can all be proud of,” said Andrews.
About the VMAE Best in Business Award
Each year VMAE recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of their members and the work they do on behalf of their associations. The aim of the VMAE Best in Business Award is to identify and increase the recognition of those programs or projects. For more Information: https://vmae.org/awards/best‐in‐business‐awards/
About the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School‐ Twin Cities Corporate Work Study Program
Some 86% of Cristo Rey‐Twin Cities students identify as Hispanic, 10% as African or African American and 4% as multiracial. In addition, 86% of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and the average family income of Cristo Rey students is $44,933. The Cristo Rey Class of 2023 had a 100% college acceptance rate. To learn more: https://www.cristoreytc.org/
About the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association
The mission of the MVMA is supporting and empowering veterinary professionals, advancing animal well‐being and promoting public health.
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