The United States has faced a shortage of veterinarians since the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by increased demand, the high cost of education, and burnout. In addition to this deficit, the veterinary field remains one of the least diverse professions. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of January 2025, just 1.2% of veterinarians are Black, 3.6% are Asian, and 8.5% are Hispanic or Latino.
Ebony Gilbreath, DVM, PhD, DACVP,Tuskegee University’s Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, states, “There is still a large disparity in diversity within the field of veterinary medicine. The biggest gaps I see are the homogeneity of race within the profession, associated with a lack of minorities. This is still a vastly White-dominated field.”
The Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine (TUCVM) is working to address this imbalance by providing scholarships to Black students. The college has educated more than 70% of Black veterinarians in the United States and 10% of Hispanic and Latino veterinarians, making it the most diverse veterinary school in the country. The institution also accepts and graduates students from other underrepresented groups, including Asians and Native Americans.
“It is very common to hear Black students say that they never saw a veterinarian who looked like them when they were young. Many minority students also express having a difficult time finding opportunities to work in veterinary hospitals, which they sometimes attribute to discrimination,” says Gilbreath.
On February 22, 2025, TUCVM welcomed a cohort of 51 students with a White Coat Ceremony, celebrating future veterinarians preparing to help diversify the field. “I do believe progress has been made, largely due to the intentional efforts of our leading associations, such as the AAVMC and AVMA, to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine,” Gilbreath adds.
Tuskegee University, one of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), has a long legacy of advancing diversity in veterinary medicine. The veterinary school was conceptualized by Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson and named after the social reformer in 1944. He founded the school the following year, and although the inaugural class welcomed only five students, more than 3,000 have graduated since its inception.
Patterson also founded the United Negro College Fund and the College Endowment Funding Plan. In 1987, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one year before his death.
TUCVM supports its students through financial assistance and mentorship opportunities. Recognizing the barriers that aspiring veterinarians face, the school has established programs to help alleviate financial burdens and create more equitable access to education.
The Tuskegee Veterinary Medical Alumni Association Inc. (TVMAA) was established by alumni and friends of the college to support and foster programs at TUCVM. The TVMAA Endowed Scholarship was funded in 2022 with a $45,000 gift from the association and is supplemented by ongoing fundraising events.
In 2024, the Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation pledged $500,000 to the veterinary school. These funds will be awarded to one student annually in the form of a $25,000 scholarship.
TUCVM also provides a mentoring program designed to give students access to alumni who can help them navigate their college experience in a meaningful way. Mentors guide students in examining their professional goals and providing academic support. In addition to the mentoring program, TUCVM welcomes interns in areas such as clinical pathology, large and small animal clinical sciences, and pathobiology.
TUCVM boasts many accomplished alumni, including Dr. Ellis Hall, its first alumnus, who graduated in 1956. Anissa Riley, Director of External Affairs, notes, “We have many alumni who have made an impact, including some historical firsts and major positions.”
- Dr. Michael Bailey, a 1982 graduate, was elected in 2024 as the first Black president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
- Dr. Ruby L. Perry (Class of 1977) and Dr. Willie Reed (Class of 1978) received the AVMA Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Dr. Athema Etzioni (Class of 2001) became the third Black person—and the first Black woman—board-certified in veterinary clinical pathology by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 2014.
- The late Dr. William O. Jones (Class of 1954) became the first African American board-certified veterinary clinical pathologist in 1972.
