192: Improving veterinary medicine through an intersectional lense

Serena Nayee, DVM, (she/her) is the founder and executive director of Chapter VIII: Veterinary Inclusion and Intersectionality Initiative and InclusiVet. Based on personal experience and statistical assessment throughout veterinary school and onward, the lack of inclusion and intersectionality within veterinary medicine heavily inspired her to create Chapter VIII upon graduation from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. She has previous experience as a medical director in the for-profit small animal veterinary urgent care sector, which inspired her to pursue development of accessible urgent care, after reflecting on the need for access to urgent clinical care and education among marginalized groups. Dr. Serena hopes to make urgent care and other specialty sectors within veterinary medicine more representative and accessible via incremental care and inclusive education.