The RCVS and the VSC have published a report on supporting Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) veterinary students which includes a template guidance document on accommodating religious clothing and beliefs in veterinary education and clinical settings.
The report is the culmination of the work of a joint RCVS and VSC BAME Student Support Working Group, comprising BAME student and staff representatives from UK vet schools, as well as representatives of the RCVS Diversity and Inclusion Group and the Vet Schools Council. This working group grew out of virtual roundtable events held in the autumn of 2020 to discuss the barriers to providing support for BAME veterinary students.
The Working Group was created to examine key issues that BAME veterinary students face throughout their studies and to make recommendations that would improve their experience, with key areas of focus being:
- to develop clear discrimination reporting structures
- to develop and support a group of role models within the vet schools amongst both students and faculty
- to develop support structures for BAME students
Both the RCVS/VSC BAME Student Support Working Group Report and the Guidance on Religious Clothing are available to download from the RCVS Publications webpage. See the RCVS’s press release.
