The Animal Aspirations Podcast

The Senior Vice president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and co-founder of the British Veterinary Equality and Diversity society (BVEDS) reflect on  their own journeys into the veterinary profession. Discussing the importance and impact of diversity and inclusion work, they talk about their hopes for the future.

Two clinicians at the Queen Mother Hospital talk about their journeys through internships and residencies and perceptions of the veterinary profession within ethnic minority communities. They discuss everything from food to finances and their hard work and resilience are an inspiration to current students.

Life after graduation With Dr.Bolu Eso and Dr.Fabian Rivers In this episode we talk about life after graduation with two trailblazing new grads who are taking social media by storm (@drbolueso and @dreadyvet). They talk about their time studying in Eastern Europe, following their dreams and facing new the challenges. We then move onto their first jobs and the jump from being a student to a working vet. With a social media presence, they discuss why they wanted to share both their professional and personal lives and being relatable role models. These guests are very characteristic and their take on mental perseverance as a vet and a human will give you some insight into their worlds.

In response to the BLM movement the RVC created a race equality task force to improve the college experience for visibly ethnic minority students. Professor Dan Chan tells us what changes have been implemented so far and what he hopes to  achieve. Continuing the theme of support, we talk about the importance of including communication and reflection work in the curriculum to give students the language and skills to speak up for themselves.

This episode focuses on support networks, family and friends. We remember our first day at vet school and discuss society’s perceptions of what a vet looks like. We reflect on the pressures faced by visibly ethnic minority vet students and why we want to be at the forefront of change within the profession.

In this episode we talk to Animal Aspirations’ first ever social media representatives about their role in promoting diverse role models in the veterinary professions and who inspires them.

In this episode I’m joined by two co-students. We talk about their experiences of entering the vet programme after having studied for a previous degree and the financial implications of this. We address the struggles of working and studying in a pandemic and the importance of friendships and surrounding yourself with people who can help you be the best version of you.

In this episode we speak to two students about their journey to vet school. We talk about the academic pressures, following your dreams and the challenges faced along the way. We suggest tips to help with the application process and what to include in a personal statement. We discuss how to get the most out of work experience and how to prepare for interviews. If you are thinking about applying for a veterinary science course but are feeling a bit overwhelmed, then this is the episode for you.

Welcome to the Animal Aspirations Podcast. In this first episode we talk to the co-founders of Animal Aspirations about the early days of the organisation. As vet students they had to search for relatable role models. So in 2019 they set up Animal Aspirations at the RVC to help encourage other young people of diverse backgrounds to consider a career in the veterinary profession. Their idea was so popular it has since been replicated in other UK vet schools. Today they tell us how it all started.

Animal Aspirations is a student led organisation which promotes diverse and positive role models within veterinary medicine and other animal related professions. This podcast is a series of conversations with visibly ethnic minorities where guests at different stages of their careers talk about their journeys. Featuring members of the Animal Aspirations team as well as working vets, and senior members of the RVCS there is something to learn from everyone. Educate, Inspire, Diversity!