Gender imagery in Veterinary Medicine
This past summer, I wrote three blogs as part of a VIN news service series on the winners of the Solutions for the Profession VIN Foundation essay contest. This year’s subject was practice consolidation. My goal was to highlight thoughts and perspectives from veterinary students on the changes in our industry.
After the essays and blogs were published, I received an email from a veterinarian who questioned the gender imagery in the opening paragraph and thus its selection as one of the winning essays. I was one of the judges and consider myself pretty tuned into gender issues so I was surprised.
The essay
I went back and read the paragraph:
What an exciting time for the veterinary field! Never has our quaint, but oh- so-romantic profession received so much flattery from suitors. Like the endearing neighbor girl, whose awkward, adolescent frame gave way to a strong, feminine elegance that all angles of light seemed in favor of. The suitors, previously unaware of her presence, caught a glimpse of her alluring beauty as the wind of the 2009 recession played with her dress, taunting investors with flat to low growth during a time when most industries were seeing substantial declines. Suitors have gathered in droves now, bearing riches, vying for whatever remains of the unassuming enchantress. An exciting time indeed, or has our industry shown too much? Imagery aside, 25% of veterinary practices, representing half of all veterinary visits, are predicted to be corporately owned by 2023.
The concern is whether the imagery objectifies women. Objectification is the act of treating a person as an object based only on visual appearance rather than acknowledging their personality and humanity. By using a metaphor for our profession that only relies on appearance, are we minimizing the people who work in the profession? Do words such as “alluring,” “taunting,” and “unassuming enchantress,’ play into sexual power dynamics?
Should I, a strong feminist, have been more alarmed? Am I inured to this language due to frequent exposure? The veterinarian who was concerned by the essay suggested that younger women might be more attuned to the way language can be used inappropriately. He suggested that maybe baby boomers and Gen Xer are less conscious of gendered language.
I read the essay again several times. Then, I had multiple other women and men read it, including my teenage daughter. The veterinarian who emailed me also had others read it. Opinions on the imagery were split. While there has been conversation behind the scenes, there has been no comments on my website, on VIN, or on other platforms. The author of the essay did not intend for the writing to have crossed the line between vivid and offensive, but understands how different perspectives led to alternative reactions.
My goal with the blog has always been to spark conversation and I think gender imagery is important to discuss. I, personally, was not offended by the gender imagery in this essay. However, there have been other moments where gender imagery in veterinary medicine has made me mad.
Another gender imagery example
For example, last year, I attended a lecture at a veterinary conference. The lecture was a celebration of the development of one of the veterinary specialties. The lecture contained many images of the founders of the specialty, smiling, receiving awards, lecturing, and celebrating successes. The few important and prominent women were not pictured or acknowledged. The first direct photo of a woman showed someone with her head in her hands and was used to discuss veterinary burnout.
I don’t think it was intentional but the result of the lecture was a portrayal of our industry with success for male veterinarians and struggle for females. Although the lecture was supposed to be a celebration, I was mad. I wondered whether anyone else noticed the bias in the presentation. I asked another participant and she echoed my concerns.
The lecture did prompt me to wonder if implicit bias contributes to the higher incidence of burnout among female veterinarians and physicians.
Gender Bias versus Gendered Metaphors
So, the question is whether the essay also contains gender bias? After much thought, I would argue that the two instances are different. The lecture was maddening because it was a downplaying of the strength of women’s contributions to our specialty.
On the other hand, I believe the discomfort created by the gender metaphor in the first paragraph of this essay serves to highlight the real gender and power dynamics that are part of veterinary industry consolidation. We do have an increasingly female profession and the aggressive financial players buying up our industry are overwhelmingly male. You can’t accurately discuss the issue of veterinary practice consolidation without discussing the gender dynamics.
If we care about having a veterinary controlled profession, we need to elect legislators that will fairly regulate private equity and protect against monopolies. We need retiring male veterinary practice owners to give their female associates the opportunity to purchase their practices. Finally, we need women to not only call out gender imagery but to also stand up, lean in, and purchase veterinary hospitals.
But my opinion, is just that, my opinion. And I do believe that what we need more of in veterinary medicine is open, direct dialogue about gender issues.
So, what do YOU think?
11 comments
As the veterinarian who initiated the conversation leading to this blog post, it’s probably fitting that I provide the first comment attached to it. I do hope that this is just one of many comments to provide a wider scope of perspectives and view points than the author has received from the group of individuals involved in the judging of these essays. I also want to be clear that my objective in questioning the imagery expressed in this particular essay was not to push for censorship of the author. It was solely to voice concern that awarding this essay was endorsing it’s content, and to try to learn from those selecting it if that was their intention. I did get a response from the CEO of VIN. I won’t share his answers here for respect of privacy from his personal communication, but if he wants to share his thoughts on the process here, that would be welcome. I reached out for comments from VIN Foundation Board members but received no reply. I did also communicate with the author to bring up the concerns voiced to me by female colleagues representing multiple generations. Out of professional respect I wanted him to be aware. I would definitely want someone to share feedback with me so that I could either explain any misunderstandings, or learn and make corrections.
Dr. Davidow has requested comments and feedback to her questions about the topic of gender imagery and bias. She described a metaphor that upset her deeply as a woman, and the metaphor used in this essay that didn’t. Is there a difference? Or is the only difference that one involved pictures and one painted a picture with words? We can only grow and learn and understand each other better if we share our perspectives and experiences as a community. I challenge you to add to this comment thread. Let’s try to learn how to support each other. How to elevate each other. How to encourage each other. The alternative is becoming more divided.
Respectfully,
-Gary Marshall, DVM
Gary,
I’m happy to share what I responded to you in September:
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Hi Gary,
Beth contacted me about your concern.
The essays are judged in 3 stages.
To be honest I hadn’t thought of gender mix in the judges until Beth raised the issue.
In response to Beth sharing your query, I collated the gender of the judges for her.
Rounds 1: approximated 80 submissions; 1 of the 5 readers were female
Round 2: approximately 20 submissions; 1 of the 4 readers were female
Round 3: 6 submissions; 0 of 3 readers were female
The round 1 female judge rated it 5 out of 5 with the comment:
Wow, this could be the winner. Great hook, clear grasp of the facts and excellent close.
The round 2 female judge rated it 4 out of 5 with the comment;
The writing style on this is very fun, demonstrates good understanding of business concepts
Still, to be sure we weren’t missing something obvious due to gender balance, this past weekend at a meeting where 18 were in attendance, nearly half female of various ages, Beth raised the question (without mentioning the concern or your name). She asked all attending to read the essay. Then asked what everyone thought. None raised your concern.
Then, without revealing your name, Beth explained the concern. One female questioned why the writer didn’t just get to the point – meaning she didn’t see the purpose of the introduction, but she wasn’t concerned about the content or context of the introduction.
The overall consensus in the room was that this was written by a young and talented writer who opened with a literary artistic flare, rather than a dry and rote introduction. They felt the writer was painting a picture. No one saw it as inappropriate or misogynous.
Looking at it from a different angle, hundreds have read the piece and none have raised a similar concern. That’s pretty telling amongst the readership on VIN.
Still, I am certainly not dismissing your concern; art and literature are very much in the eye of the beholder. What strikes one person in a specific way might not strike others similarly.
Even though it appears gender balance would not have led to a different result in this case, I will suggest that this year we aim for a more gender balanced reader team.
Thanks for sharing your concern.
>>>Paul<<<
Paul D. Pion, DVM, DipACVIM (Cardiology)
co-founder, VIN
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An update:
The fourth annual Solutions For the Profession Essay Contest is currently active. Details here: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/solutions-for-profession-veterinary-student-essay-competition/
Because of your concern we have added 4 female colleagues to the group of readers this year.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Hi Gary,
Thank you for being such a great ally for women and for actively encouraging everyone to more closely examine their perceptions on the long road to gender equality. Words (just like actual images) have a lot of power, and how we use them is very important.
It is simpler (though still not easy, for some) to call out obvious cases of gender bias and sexism than it is to address the subtle societal conditioning that leads to and reinforces the mindsets that result in those cases.
This conversation stresses the importance of diversity in the thought leadership guiding an industry – and this goes beyond simple gender parity, as not everyone has the same experiences as either a man or as a woman, and some people have internalised societal conditioning on gender roles and differences as fact. For instance, I once worked under a female manager who asserted that it is right that a gender pay gap should exist, because men value their time more and charge for it appropriately whereas women just didn’t have sufficient ambition and confidence to ever be as capable at generating good revenue for a business. She asserted this as a universal truth by inherent gender traits, and accepted no individual variation nor the role that society has played in boosting a man’s perception of his own importance while stressing to a woman the need to be patient and generous with their time in order to be accepted. Likewise, some women may celebrate being acknowledged for traits demonstrating a “strong, feminine elegance” and see this as sexual empowerment, whilst others would prefer not to be viewed foremost through the lens of their gendered physical traits at all (especially in the workplace). I’m glad more voices were eventually invited to the discussion, and I am not surprised by the divided views – there has been such a struggle to overcome overt discrimination, that to recognise and address the insidious root of the problem seems to some people to be a frivolous act of privilege or a step too far.
When I first read this paragraph I was immediately hit with the “ick factor”, as Patti worded it so accurately in a comment below. Beyond this, I did not immediately recognise it as problematic, as I saw the imagery as simply a reality of sexual attraction existing in society. Similarly, I have been slow to understand the high rates of female deaths in crime and horror fictional media as “problematic” the way many feminists describe it, as that too is a reflection of what is currently a societal fact. In many ways my perceptions in this regard may be no better than those of my female manager mentioned above, based on my own experiences and the limited opportunities I’ve taken to engage with other views on these topics. I can gladly say however, that as a result of this discussion and (in a beautiful case of irony) Dr Davidow’s own response to Patti below, I can now recognise how this imagery is problematic and I’m grateful you spoke up.
The industry has been transitioning from older male-dominated to (initially) younger, female-dominated, and most of the now-mature women of the industry have struggled to be taken seriously by colleagues and clients alike, as well as to overcome their (our) own imposter syndrome, given the previous lack of representation in the field. It would be a mistake to think upcoming generations will have it much easier, but perhaps we’d like to think a path has been forged to help along the way and to give that generation an example to look towards. To simultaneously have colleagues of all levels being encouraged to view the industry as an awkward young girl blossoming into sexual attractiveness is highly diminishing and demeaning to the women of the industry who would like to be seen as capable and accomplished professionals, instead of a flirty sexual object that has naturally now come of age and worth.
Secondly, and most importantly, I dislike the admission in a comment reply below that Dr Davidow “interpreted the author’s intent as using a metaphor to bring to light the disturbing way private equity and other outside investors are preying on our profession”. It IS highly disturbing when the imagery of a pubescent girl is being used for a depiction of predatory behaviour. Especially when this is being described as an “exciting time” by the author, and the hint at slut-shaming and victim-blaming in the query of whether the industry has “shown too much”. It is reminiscent of the objectifying sexualised images in human medical textbooks that have recently spurred debate, and could be just as contributory to a culture where women feel unwelcome and at risk.
It may be a (current) societal fact that women and girls are largely seen as objects of prey, but it is not a depiction we should be encouraging in professional papers if we ever hope for such perceptions to change.
That is my (wordy and not-so-eloquent) takeaway – I acknowledge that it may not accurately reflect the better-examined concerns of others and likely may not have been the intent of the parties involved.
Thanks to all for the opportunity to discuss.
Regards,
Peta.
I realize I’m responding late to this blog, but thank you Beth for engaging in veterinary medicine and gender. Sharing our stories around this polarizing topic is so important. I was a small animal veterinarian for 20 years and a veterinary surgeon for 12 of them. I now also have a masters in depth psychology, a fundamental aspect of which includes the study of shadow: what is happening underneath what we can see or what we know about ourselves. As Beth’s two posts on gender, and the diverse and passionate responses exemplify, gender dynamics enormously impact our profession but we remain blind to many of their insidious ways.
As a female veterinary surgeon, I strongly suspected throughout my career that my gender negatively affected me almost daily, including referrals I received from colleagues and how they presented me to their clients, as well as how I perceived myself. I also know at least some clients left me specifically because they felt more comfortable with a male surgeon. I find it horrifying to read in the comments here of ambitious, talented female veterinarians wanting to buy practices in 2020 being questioned about their sincerity, commitment, and choices around family. These stories are truly shocking, even if they are normal.
What strikes me most about this blog and the responses is the invisibility to so many people (men and women) of such destructive and undermining language for the profession. I blame our culture, and not the talented student who wrote so lyrically and innocently, for the potentially deeply troubling view revealed of his or her new profession, founded almost 250 years ago. That multiple veterinarians read the essay without noticing the disturbing language speaks not about the sincerity of any of us to make things better, or desire to promote equality in the profession, but rather to how easily such disturbing, biased, and undermining ideas hide in plain sight. I hope to see more of this discussion for all of us!
Tamara Walker, DVM, MS, DACVS, MA Depth Psychology
I really agree with a lot that you said here. Your last paragraph really resonated with me.
“We need retiring male veterinary practice owners to give their female associates the opportunity to purchase their practices. Finally, we need women to not only call out gender imagery but to also stand up, lean in, and purchase veterinary hospitals.”
I am a 2016 graduate that has been trying to find a hospital to buy for a year now. My gender constantly comes up in initial meetings and it drives me crazy. I have had 3 practices in the last year that I was interested in purchasing. The first is where I have been working full time for the last 2 1/2 years. At the end of the day the owner (a woman) decided to sell to corporate because they could out bid me. This was despite the fact, that when I was initially hired we had an understanding that I would buy the practice from her.
The second two were single doc practices that were owned by male baby boomers looking to retire. Both questioned if I really understood the sacrifice and time I would have to put into owning a clinic and were curious if I had thought about how I would manage a family and take on this responsibility. One even asked if my husband understood what his life would be like and that his wife would not be able to be present in the relationship. Both were shocked that I didn’t have a husband and that I don’t think I want to have kids. If I were a man this would not have been an issue. One was even brave enough to imply that me not wanting a family must mean that I lack the compassion that he wants for his clients and would be all about the money and didn’t want to sell to someone just in it for the business. Neither owner would answer my emails or calls after that initial interview.
At this point I am resigned to likely doing a start up, and have left my practice to start my own relief business in the mean time.
Hi Melanie,
Thank you for taking the time to share your story. It is important to talk about the challenges we face in buying practices. We can’t keep the industry owned and controlled by veterinarians without these conversations. I recently had a conversation with a veterinary lender who has been strongly recommending start ups as the way forward for young veterinarians. I wish you the best of luck in your journey.
Beth, how can we have a veterinarian-controlled profession when you all sell out to the Mars family?
Hi Laura,
When we merged our practice with BluePearl, it was owned by 80 veterinary shareholders. I was naive in thinking that would be a long term solution to some of the difficult issues around exit strategy with large practices. You can call me naive but I did not predict that joining BluePearl would lead to becoming a Mars employee. Part of the purpose of this blog is to discuss what I learned and wish I had understood earlier. The other purpose is helping to brainstorm and discuss alternate business models that might give those looking to retire additional exit options.
Hi Melanie!
Just speaking out in solidarity. Clinics in my town won’t be getting sold anytime soon, so I looked into starting my own clinic. It was unfortunately also a really rough ride from the sexism side. With our council rules, there are heavy restrictions on the property able to be bought or leased for a veterinary clinic. As such, when attempting to lease a property within neighbourhood/community centres, I repeatedly had to try and sell myself as a prospect to the real estate agents and developers. I had one real estate agent start the meeting by giving me that long slow elevator look up and down, and then he informed me that I couldn’t support a lease of 100m2, let alone the size I was asking. To clarify, this guy knew nothing about me, my qualifications, my experience, my finances, he was going on absolutely nothing by my (professional, well-dressed but female) appearance. And this rejection was not due to his own exceptional skill or experience – he had recently leased a huge building to a veterinary student who didn’t end up graduating and naturally crashed and burned – and yet he still considered this to be one of his successes, rather than it being a deterring factor in my own proposal! I wasn’t just misinterpreting either – I’d brought my uncle along as he’s a business solicitor, and he admitted he was shocked by the guy’s treatment of me and had no idea how bad women really have it. This was the most obvious incident but far from isolated (also had plenty of people refuse to take my calls etc), just as you have also experienced.
I’m glad you have recognised and prioritised your ambitions early in your career, since we have these extra hurdles to overcome. Doing relief work will also be a great way to reflect on different hospital designs and management techniques, as well as it being good experience in business administration. Other (female) vets in my town have also gotten started by doing a housecall business, then leasing a small property solely for surgical purposes. It’s a lot of hoops to jump through but it might help.
Best wishes,
Peta.
The problem with the essay falls both in the imagery, and the power dynamics that are in place. While you, the writer, may not appreciate the ick factor, the ultimate interpretation is left as it always has been – to the reader. The bane of every writer’s existence, and yet the reason they are able to produce their works.
Let me point out several problematic areas – First, you allude to the “awkward adolescent frame, giving away to strong, feminine elegance” which is both infantalizing, AND insinuates the only reason a woman is attractive is because of her outward appearance. You then go on to say how the “recession played with her dress”, which can only be interpreted in a sexual manner. Ask the women in your life (and then actually listen to their answers) how comfortable they are with ANYTHING playing with their dress that they didnt explicitly give permission to. And finally, again you allude to investors flocking to the “enchantress” bearing her gifts based upon her appearance.
Regardless of how you intended the metaphor to play out, all of your imagery is based on the appearance and sexual attractiveness of the female representing the profession, rather than on its intelligence, strength and mental prowess. In an industry where women struggle to be taken as seriously as their male peers on a regular basis, it’s no wonder it would be poorly received and fall flat.
Further, in society in general, women struggle with being treated as more than just their outer appearance. The worth of a woman is heavily placed on how skinny she is, if she wears the right clothes, has her hair put in the right style or wears “the right amount” of makeup. The pressure to “be feminine” starts early, and insinuates itself through adolescence and adulthood. Girls are also less likely to pursue STEM careers because of outside pressure to stick to jobs that are more appropriate for a “lady”. Think about how many times you see a woman in a movie who DOESN’T work in the magazine or fashion industry (the answer is almost never).
So, your essay addresses a group comprising of intelligent persons, at least 50% of whom have managed to throw off the stereotypes that plague many, and have worked as hard as (and sometimes harder than) their male counterparts, and evokes the exact imagery that they have tried so hard to destroy. And somehow you’re surprised it was not better received?
There are layers of problematic imagery within your opening paragraph, which I’ve just scratched the surface to. I believe that you are a feminist, and would like to be an ally to your female colleagues. I am pleased to hear that, and welcome you to keep learning what makes you a strong advocate. As lesson #1, let me encourage you to not use sexualized, female imagery for comparisons with inanimate professions. It’s about as well received as me comparing my daily job to schlong size, shape or thickness preference.
Hi Patti, Thank you for taking the time to comment on my blog. To just clarify, I am not author of the essay. The essay was written by a student for a contest where the topic was practice consolidation. I interpreted the author’s intent as using a metaphor to bring to light the disturbing way private equity and other outside investors are preying on our profession. The discussion both here, and on VIN, has been a good way to highlight how essays can be interpreted in many ways and that we need to really watch how gender imagery shows up and acknowledge its impact.