I'm not surprised. When I moved to Atlanta I was pleasantly surprised to see blacks in more diverse positions and careers in the workforce. I had a black doctor! I had never had a doctor that wasn't white when I lived on the West Coast. It was fascinating. My mom said the same thing.
However, I *wish* the same would extend beyond the Atlanta border. It needs to.
I work in an Atlanta burb and am not surprised by this list.
Interestingly enough, where I live is VERY white (rural) but all of the doctors are either black, Indian or Asian. I don't think there is a white doctor. My OB appeared white but he was Hungarian, so I don't know how I would classify him.
Is there a particular reason veterinarian is number one?
The only guess I have is because vet school is so notoriously difficult to get accepted in the first place.
Anecdotally, it's way easier to get accepted than it is to get accepted to med school. You don't even need a science or pre-med type of undergraduate degree, just a few specific pre-reqs in math and science. I know someone who was a music major who went to Cornell for veterinary science, and that's one of the top 3 vet schools in the US (I'm assuming along with Wisconsin and Penn, but I could be wrong).
The only guess I have is because vet school is so notoriously difficult to get accepted in the first place.
Anecdotally, it's way easier to get accepted than it is to get accepted to med school. You don't even need a science or pre-med type of undergraduate degree, just a few specific pre-reqs in math and science. I know someone who was a music major who went to Cornell for veterinary science, and that's one of the top 3 vet schools in the US (I'm assuming along with Wisconsin and Penn, but I could be wrong).
That is interesting. I can only speak from limited knowledge, but I know the competition is pretty fierce. I think PP is on to something re: rural applicants. Given that animal experience is a hefty requirement for consideration, I'm sure that the demographics of those with that experience (particularly large animal experience) is primarily white. I am willing to bet that due to an aging large animal inspector population, large animal experience is given more consideration as well at these schools.
But I am only guessing. There may be other factors I am not thinking of.
Post by downtoearth on Jan 26, 2015 13:15:38 GMT -5
I can totally see "Environmental Scientists" b/c that is an off-shoot of my job. Working in the environmental engineer/scientist/geology area, yup, very whitewashed across the country - I would assume that the EPA also as probably the most white federal group.
There are a lot of studies on this and it's a big part due to donor lists and groups who back environmental/climate change policies - these are primarily all white groups and donors. I would venture that the majority of minority donor dollars goes into more social reform groups. However, that doesn't mean that the issues are all white - there is HUGE support in a lot of minority communities for environmental issues, they just don't have the voice or dollars behind them. I took this great class on the Social-Basis of environmental change and it was primarily black moms who fought for some of the first environmental regulations b/c nobody else was sticking up for the health issues that they saw in their environments. They also looked at a lot of the environmental changes as civil rights issues b/c the predominantly black and minority communities were getting the worst air and water quality compared to white communities. I also read an article that like 90% of black Americans agree that climate change and environmental issues are important compared to like 70% of white Americans. Still today more black kids live in higher air pollution areas and have higher incidences of environmental asthma (http://courses.washington.edu/envh311/Readings/Reading_10.pdf).
Anyway, that doesn't change that more white people are in the environmental science profession, but it should change how they reach out to new donors and how they frame environmental policies. I also think my calling is to eventually leave the side where I'm doing actual clean-up and investigations and go into the policy side... we'll see.
Anecdotally, it's way easier to get accepted than it is to get accepted to med school. You don't even need a science or pre-med type of undergraduate degree, just a few specific pre-reqs in math and science. I know someone who was a music major who went to Cornell for veterinary science, and that's one of the top 3 vet schools in the US (I'm assuming along with Wisconsin and Penn, but I could be wrong).
That is interesting. I can only speak from limited knowledge, but I know the competition is pretty fierce. I think PP is on to something re: rural applicants. Given that animal experience is a hefty requirement for consideration, I'm sure that the demographics of those with that experience (particularly large animal experience) is primarily white. I am willing to bet that due to an aging large animal inspector population, large animal experience is given more consideration as well at these schools.
But I am only guessing. There may be other factors I am not thinking of.
The draw from people who have large animal experience makes sense. I guess I just was thinking of vets as the cat and dog doctor. Now I'm wondering what the breakdown is with vets who treat household pets and those who work more with farm animals.
My little anecdote is that I knew someone who had applied to vet schools three years in a row and hadn't been accepted. She was black. It had the impression it was an extremely competitive process. I wonder if she ever got in. She was determined on going.
Is there a particular reason veterinarian is number one?
I bet it has a lot to do with the the number two whitest profession - farmer/rancher.
I tend to think of cats and dogs when I think of vets but vets are really essential in rural areas with working animals or livestock. If you're more comfortable with all kinds of animal from growing up on a farm, it seems like you'd have more interest in being a veterinarian.
That is interesting. I can only speak from limited knowledge, but I know the competition is pretty fierce. I think PP is on to something re: rural applicants. Given that animal experience is a hefty requirement for consideration, I'm sure that the demographics of those with that experience (particularly large animal experience) is primarily white. I am willing to bet that due to an aging large animal inspector population, large animal experience is given more consideration as well at these schools.
But I am only guessing. There may be other factors I am not thinking of.
The draw from people who have large animal experience makes sense. I guess I just was thinking of vets as the cat and dog doctor. Now I'm wondering what the breakdown is with vets who treat household pets and those who work more with farm animals.
My little anecdote is that I knew someone who had applied to vet schools three years in a row and hadn't been accepted. She was black. It had the impression it was an extremely competitive process. I wonder if she ever got in. She was determined on going.
Do white people not also have household pets at higher rates than black people in the US? I thought that was a thing. Did I make that up?
But yeah, I've met small animal vets of assorted races, but I've never seen a non-white large animal vet.
Interestingly enough, where I live is VERY white (rural) but all of the doctors are either black, Indian or Asian. I don't think there is a white doctor. My OB appeared white but he was Hungarian, so I don't know how I would classify him.
Real estate is pretty diverse which is cool.
Hungarians are still white.
This is because rural doctors are immigrants, not because our medical system is diverse. I'm sure our grad classes are still very very white.
Interestingly enough, where I live is VERY white (rural) but all of the doctors are either black, Indian or Asian. I don't think there is a white doctor. My OB appeared white but he was Hungarian, so I don't know how I would classify him.
Real estate is pretty diverse which is cool.
Hungarians are still white.
This is because rural doctors are immigrants, not because our medical system is diverse. I'm sure our grad classes are still very very white.
Oh absolutely it's because of immigration. And iirc, we prioritize immigration applications from doctors.
This is because rural doctors are immigrants, not because our medical system is diverse. I'm sure our grad classes are still very very white.
Oh absolutely it's because of immigration. And iirc, we prioritize immigration applications from doctors.
It does amuse me that at this point, if you're South African in Canada, we assume you or someone in your immediate family is a doctor. It's a very weird prejudice.
Oh absolutely it's because of immigration. And iirc, we prioritize immigration applications from doctors.
It does amuse me that at this point, if you're South African in Canada, we assume you or someone in your immediate family is a doctor. It's a very weird prejudice.
Where I live, if you're Asian, people assume you're related to one of the doctors or the owners of one of the Chinese takeout places. Sadly, it's probably true as there is NO ethnic diversity here. After living in Waterloo it's quite weird since Waterloo has such a high Asian population.