Clawing Our Way to Inclusion: Identifying Minority Students’ Barriers to Entering the Veterinary Medicine Profession

Veterinary services are being utilized more each year as pet owners are increasingly viewing and treating their pets like family members. Due to this changing perspective, the veterinary profession has grown significantly. Yet, despite this change, there is a lack of ethnic/racial diversity within the veterinary field. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors and/or barriers associated with minority students’ desire or lack of desire to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. This study used an online survey tool to collect qualitative and quantitative data from 456 undergraduate students at the University of Arkansas during the spring 2026 semester. A total of 353 students (77.41%) identified their ethnicity as white, and 103 students (22.59%) identified their ethnicity as part of a minority group (Black/African American, Asian, Native Islander, Hispanic/Latino, or Other). Survey results indicated that geographical background, educational background, pet ownership history, and family support are not perceived as impactful factors or barriers encountered by minority students when considering whether or not to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Instead, findings indicated that apparent lack of ethnic/racial diversity within the field itself, lack of knowledge/exposure to veterinary medicine, and financial concerns were perceived as the greatest factors/barriers for minority students. Therefore, these results reinforce the need for continued education, financial support, and recruitment of students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds into the veterinary field in order to increase racial and ethnic diversity.