27 Aug 2024
Katrina Tsang shared experiences after a report suggests more than a third of veterinary professionals had experienced discrimination, bullying or harassment linked to a disability or chronic condition.
Lacey Pitcher
Job Title
Katrina Tsang.
A vet who overcame a serious health condition to pursue a practice career has urged the sector to consider how small changes can help others in a similar situation.
Katrina Tsang (pictured) shared her experiences after a recent report suggested more than one-third of veterinary professionals had experienced discrimination, bullying or harassment linked to a disability or chronic condition.
The analysis also prompted calls for greater awareness of equality legislation and pledges to improve sectoral training provision on the issue.
Dr Tsang, who graduated last year, works as a small animal vet in Stirling, having moved to the UK from China to pursue her degree studies.
Shortly before her arrival, and having experienced many years of physical limitations, Dr Tsang was diagnosed with Bethlem myopathy, a form of muscular dystrophy that particularly affects the legs and arms. She explained that part of the reason she took her role was due to the care and consideration the practice showed in enabling her to do the job.
Dr Tsang said: “The practice invested in a wheelie stool for me, so that I don’t have to stand all day.
“Because of this, I am able to do full days at work. I commute for more than an hour to get there, but it’s worth it because they see me and support me.
“They have considered how to mentor me and support my learning so that, in turn, I can support and contribute fully to the team, patients and profession.”
Although the joint report by the RCVS and British Veterinary Chronic Illness Support (BVCIS), published last month, showed significantly higher levels of support within the workplace, nearly one-fifth (18%) of student participants said they had experienced discrimination, bullying or harassment because of a condition or disability, too.
Dr Tsang, a graduate from The University of Edinburgh, said that despite the support of medical professionals and providing examples of her own work experience, she had meetings during her early weeks at vet school where doubts were expressed about her ability to complete the programme.
She claimed that attitudes only began to change after she completed a two-week lambing placement, adding: “I was one of those children who knew I wanted to work in veterinary medicine since I was very young.
“I had prepared for years to make it a reality and hadn’t jumped over this many hurdles without any awareness of what the job involved.”
In response, the university said it “aims to help all students maximise their academic potential and ensure that learning and teaching environments are accessible to all”.
A spokesperson added that specialist staff work with students to make adjustments suitable for their individual needs, while support is also available to facilitate applications for financial allowances to cover additional expenses linked to an individual’s disability.
Dr Tsang also described how the experience of completing workplace placements during her degree programme had given her an insight into how supportive some practices can be when open conversations about reasonable adjustments had taken place.
She said: “Some practices were sceptical about my ability, whereas others really considered how to make my experience valuable.
“I firmly believe I have a lot to give the profession, as do many people who may think that veterinary medicine isn’t for them simply because of a medical condition, but perhaps we offer something different.
“It doesn’t need to be big changes; sometimes, the smallest acts of kindness and compassion make all the difference.”
Speaking following the publication of the latest report, BVCIS director Olivia Anderson-Nathan said more needed to be done to ensure both workers and students with disabilities, neurodivergence, and chronic illnesses “understand their rights and are given positive support to identify their needs”.
She added: “This means co-designing individualised adjustments and avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.”
