History of VOICE

In the spring of 2001, students founded an organization at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine to increase awareness and sensitivity to socio-cultural issues in the field of veterinary medicine. This organization was originally known as Veterinary Students for the Promotion of Socio-cultural Awareness (VSPSA). In 2004 the executive board created a new title for the organization: Veterinary Students as One In Culture and Ethnicity (VOICE). VOICE created the following mission statement:

“We are aware that veterinarians and students have different economic, social and cultural backgrounds; therefore, our task is to unite the veterinary community by institutionalizing the University’s core value of multiculturalism. We will accomplish this task via cultural events, forums, lectures and educational campaigns. We believe that acknowledging, understanding, and nurturing of our differences will improve our service to our clientele and enhance the veterinary profession.”

Over the past 6 years, VOICE has successfully carried out annual events, including Latin Taste Fairs, Latin Dance Nights, Multicultural Holiday Parties, Native American Heritage celebrations, African-American Taste Fairs, Black Heritage Film Festivals, African Dance Class and Asian Taste Fairs. VOICE has expanded programming to include annual speakers addressing the topic of diversity within the profession. Past speakers have included Dean Michael Blackwell of the University of Tennessee, and Lisa Greenhill, Associate Executive Director for Diversity with the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges.

Community outreach, such as disaster relief drives, after-school programming promoting the veterinary profession in the Ithaca community, and undergraduate mentoring have all been integral components of VOICE’s ambition.

Throughout the course of VOICE’s existence the student representatives became keenly aware of a lack of similar organizations in many other veterinary schools. Various representatives in the veterinary profession echo this sentiment. “[VOICE] provide[s] learning opportunities that are not currently provided in the veterinary curriculum,” explains Michael Blackwell, DVM, M.PH, Assistant Surgeon General (Ret.), Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee.

In evaluating the success of VOICE on Cornell’s campus, the executive board decided to expand VOICE nationally. With financial backing from Pfizer Animal Health, VOICE became a national organization at the 2007 Student AVMA Symposium hosted by North Carolina State University. During the National VOICE launch, representatives from 10 veterinary schools registered and received their chapter start-up kit.

“VOICE is an excellent model for veterinary students to engage in the practical leadership training that will better prepare them to be culturally competent professionals in a diverse world,” says Dean Blackwell.

In the future, National VOICE hopes to establish a chapter at each veterinary college, create a diverse national network of mentors in the various fields of veterinary medicine, and establish a fund that will reward veterinary students for showing outstanding leadership and commitment in the area of diversity.