Join VIN Foundation Executive Director Jordan Benshea as she chats with 4th year Auburn veterinary student Indya Woods about the importance of not listening on defense, coming to a conversation with an open heart, and the willingness to be vulnerable to connect with colleagues.
GUEST BIO:
Indya Woods
Indya Woods is currently a 4th year veterinary student at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. Indya grew up in Mobile, AL, and knew she loved animals from a very young age. Indya began pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian while in college at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. During her time at UAB, Indya completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. While in college, Indya also developed a love for servant leadership, mentorship, and community service- which influenced her extracurricular involvement in veterinary school.
At Auburn, Indya currently serves as Vice President of the Class of 2022. Indya has also served as 2019-2020 National Vice President of Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE) and 2020-2021 National Co-President of VOICE. Indya’s time with VOICE showed her that she has a true commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity within the veterinary profession, and hopes to continue to use her career to educate her peers on DEI within vet med.
After graduating in May 2022, Indya hopes to move to South Florida to become a small animal and exotics veterinarian. She also hopes to volunteer in aquatic animal rescue and rehabilitation.
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TRANSCRIPT
Intro
Indya Woods: You literally just have to show up, you just have to be honest, and you have to listen. There are times where, as a black woman, I had to speak and there were times that I had to listen. I think that was the most powerful thing that VOICE taught me. That there’s not always going to be a platform for me to speak, but there’s always going to be a platform for me to listen and to help.
Jordan Benshea: That is Indya Woods, a fourth-year veterinary student at Auburn, and this is the VIN Foundation’s Veterinary Pulse podcast. I’m Jordan Benshea, Executive Director of the VIN Foundation. Join me and our cohost and VIN Foundation Board member, Dr. Matt Holland, as we talk with veterinary colleagues about critical topics, and share stories. Stories that connect us as humans, as animals, as a veterinary community. This podcast is made possible by individuals like you who donate to the VIN Foundation. Thank you. Please check the Episode Notes for BIOS, links, and information mentioned. Welcome, Indya. Thanks for joining us today.
Indya Woods: Thank you for having me. I’m really excited.
Jordan Benshea: We’re all really excited to have you here. Let’s dive in.
Meet Indya Woods: A Journey to Veterinary Medicine
Jordan Benshea: Give us a little bit of history on where you were you born and raised and let us in on your life.
Indya Woods: Okay. I was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, very proud, Mobile, Alabama native. We are the home of Mardi Gras, no matter what anyone from New Orleans says. Yeah, I knew I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was maybe four or five years old, before I could even pronounce the word accurately. I didn’t really pursue that until college. I didn’t really see too much representation when I was young. So, in college I made a list of things that I really wanted to be. I made this random list of nursing and a dolphin trainer and a veterinarian, just random things like a stunt double. Then, finally, I looked at that list and I was like, you know, I think being a veterinarian would be it for me. Like that would be a childhood dream, that would be something that I would just be so happy to be because I love animals. So, all through college. I decided to go to Auburn. I have loved it ever since. I’m a fourth year at Auburn, very, very excited to graduate but very, very sad to leave pretty soon. My main goal in vet med is to keep making connections, keep being vulnerable and transparent about my journey, what it’s like to be a woman in medicine, a black woman in medicine, and just connect through transparency and vulnerability.
Jordan Benshea: I love that. You said you wanted to decide, or you decided when you were like four. Is that right?
Indya Woods: Yeah.
Jordan Benshea: So, when you were four had you at least put the veterinarian on your list later, but how was that defining moment for you?
Indya Woods: I honestly have no idea. That’s the funny part. My mom says I randomly came home from school, and I told her I want to be a veterinarian. Of course, I didn’t pronounce that word. Well, I probably said I want to be a veterbinarian or something since I was four years old. That’s when I said it for the first time, and I never wavered from that. She told me that recently, she told me that around my white coat. She was just saying, “I’m so proud of you. I don’t know where that came from, but you’ve always loved animals. You always have this spark that came around when you were around a dog, a cat, or anything, and I’m just proud that you stay true to that.” I told her I am very passionate about finding a career that I will find joy in. For me, vet med was the only thing that I could think of that did that. I think a little Indya at four years old just knew something that I didn’t know now, but I’m glad she stuck it out for sure.
Jordan Benshea: Then you’re in undergrad and you make this final list, and you decide for sure veterinarian. Tell us your journey to veterinary school. Did you go directly after undergrad? How did that work for you?
Overcoming Challenges and Finding a Path
Indya Woods: So, it was a crazy journey, for sure. I went to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. For those not familiar with UAB, it is a heavy medical school. I was surrounded by pre-med students, pre-pharmacy students, people that wanted to be chemists and engineers, but not really so much anyone that wanted to be a veterinarian. With that, there wasn’t really an Animal Science Program at UAB. So, I started off studying psychology and then right when I was about to graduate, like that last semester, I was sitting in my bed, and I was like I should just go ahead and complete all my requirements to also get a biology degree to make it easier to get in vet school. I literally took 18 hours of straight biology in one semester, just to finish that second degree. Right after I graduated that school, I was like, okay, I have a little bit experience, I’ve worked at a few different vet clinics, and I worked at the humane society, and the zoo. Let me try to get a big girl job after school for a couple of years before I apply to vet school, just to earn a little bit of money, understand what it’s like to be an adult in a sense, and get some better animal experience. I applied for a research job at UAB. It was in a cloning lab with pigs.
Jordan Benshea: Oh my gosh!
Indya Woods: I absolutely loved that job. I learned so much. I got to help with C-sections and embryo transfers, but it was just a fun experience, because I had no large animal experience before that prior to horses. I think that’s one thing that I pushed in vet med, like, don’t be afraid to try anything, because you can learn different things so quickly. You’ll learn that I like this, or I don’t like this, or I like this one aspect of that. For me, in research, I loved the hands on, I didn’t more so like the cells and the culturing, but I loved the hands on. So, for me, it pushed me to vet school even more. After working a year in research, I applied to vet school, got accepted, finished my second year in research, went to Auburn, and have found my niche in small animal and exotic medicine. I still am absolutely crazy about pigs, still love to have like some potbelly patients in my future. Yeah, I think that journey through UAB, and not having a foundation of animal science has taught me about finding your way no matter what you have in front of you, overcoming adversity, being open to try different things, and just making your own path.
The Impact of VOICE and Diversity in Vet Med
Jordan Benshea: I know you’re really active on campus, and one of the things you’ve shared with me that you’re active in is with a leadership role with VOICE which is Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment. Can you share with us a little bit about that organization, how you got involved, and the types of things you guys are doing?
Indya Woods: Of course. As a first year, I had a roommate that was, still is, like a mentor to me. She was heavily involved in VOICE. She told me to go to the National Conference to kind of network, meet other students, other underrepresented students around the country that are also interested in increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in vet med. So, I did that. It was a very small and intimate conference and something about VOICE just made me very passionate about showing up as myself and representing other students. At that conference, I just willy nilly decided, hey, I’m going to apply to be the national Vice President, and I got it. I had no idea what I was doing. I joined this team of people who were very passionate about allowing everyone to have a voice and allow everyone to show up as themselves in vet med and not to be ashamed of that. After my first year in VOICE as national vice president, I then went on to be national co-president with Kelly Hewitt. Kelly, I miss you very much! I never got to see her in person, but she’s a great person, and as national co-presidents, we did a lot. That’s when COVID happened, so everything shifted to virtual. We had a lot of opportunities to partner with groups like VMA, and so many different groups that allowed us to have conversations that were needed. Yeah, conversations for so many different groups within vet med. I think VOICE taught me that you don’t have to know everything about diversity, equity, inclusion, you literally just have to show up, you just have to be honest, and you have to listen. There are times where, as a black woman, I had to speak and there were times that I had to listen. I think that was the most powerful thing that VOICE taught me. That there’s not always going to be a platform for me to speak, but there’s always going to be a platform for me to listen and to help. I think one thing I would push about VOICE is join your local VOICE chapter and listen and engage and help where you can and understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion is a vow including everyone and giving a voice to everyone and allowing people to learn about different backgrounds, different cultures that they might not be exposed to, different identities and different sexual orientations, or whatever that is. It would absolutely benefit our profession if we all just walked into that mindset of I’m here to change.
Jordan Benshea: You touched on a few things there. One thing that you said that really stood out for me was that it’s about listening to everyone, right? And giving everyone a voice because sometimes I think that it’s easy during movements to just really focus on our voice is the right voice versus really welcoming a conversation.
Indya Woods: Right, yeah.
Jordan Benshea: And it seems that what you’re talking about is really welcoming a conversation to hear. You don’t learn things when you talk, right? We learn things when we listen and there’s a huge benefit in that. I really like what you were saying about just showing up and engaging but being willing to listen. Learn those lessons while you’re there. And that nobody knows it all, right? I mean, it’s good.
Indya Woods: Yeah, and definitely how you listen is so important, too. I feel now, we listen on defense. We’re ready to be like, okay, I can’t wait for this person to be quiet so I can share my opinion, but come to a conversation and say, I’m not here on offense or defense, I’m here to have an open heart and hear what you have to say and hear about your experience and hope that planted a seed in me to look at the world and at people differently. I think if we had that perspective, not to be combative with each other, not to be on one side or the other, but to literally have respect and show respect, then that would make a huge change for a lot of people.
Jordan Benshea: Very true. I really like what you said that there’s showing up and having that respect, and not being combative, but I really like what you said, when you said that most people listen defensively. That’s so true. If we can all just take a step back and know that we really have no idea what’s going on in other people’s lives. I mean, the range is vast, especially over the last year and a half, but just in general, if we are able to come out of this and be kinder, and be more caring, and thoughtful and willing to listen and less combative, I think that sets everybody up for success.
Indya Woods: Absolutely. I agree.
Jordan Benshea: So, what are some of the changes that you hope to see in the veterinary profession that’s come out of your experience from VOICE?
Indya Woods: Oh, that’s tough. That’s tough, because there’s so much. I think one of my most impactful talks that I listened to had to do with the deaf and hard of hearing community. I don’t feel like in vet med we talk enough about students, vets, and veterinary supportive staff who experience disabilities, and so many different things that we just don’t know about. I feel like our profession can be more accommodating in those areas and the only way that we can learn to be more accommodating and make change is by giving people who have those disabilities a platform to speak. I think that would be the main thing that I’ve recently learned about that I would love to see vet med shift towards, and also continue to uplift the many communities that are now blossoming within vet med and giving them a continuous platform and giving them the resources they need to make the change that they want to make.
Jordan Benshea: That’s interesting. A lot of times when you hear phrases like DEI, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or other topics that have become hot topics recently it’s nice to see that you’re including disabilities in there, because those challenges are really vast.
Indya Woods: I don’t think that it’s a problem to say as a minority, as a black woman, I want to create a space or allow a space for people experienced disabilities, even though I personally don’t have any. I think that is the largest thing about diversity, equity, inclusion, you meet people from so many different backgrounds, but we’re always going to advocate for each other. I’m heterosexual, but I’m always going to advocate for people that do identify as LGBTQIA. That’s because I love them, and I respect them, and they deserve just as much of a safe space in this profession as I do as a black woman. So, I think the biggest thing about VOICE that I love is that it is seriously a melting pot, but it’s a melting pot full of love and respect and upliftment and that’s just one thing that I know for sure that I’m going to carry throughout my career because of VOICE.
Mental Health and Identity in the Veterinary Profession
Jordan Benshea: Can you talk about the relationship you see through VOICE or through your experience as a veterinary student, between diversity, equity, inclusion, physical/mental disabilities or challenges, and how those things tie to mental health?
Indya Woods: Absolutely. It’s one of those things where if you don’t feel like you can show up as yourself, you’re never going to be able to fully be yourself and being yourself is one of the biggest things that affects mental health. I know from my personal experience at Auburn, as an African American student and as a woman, and as a black woman, I struggled with being one of the few minorities in my class. There is a lot mentally that I had to deal with, on both sides of being in a space full of white people and knowing that I want to translate a profession that is predominantly white to people of color, because there are a lot of discrepancies in vet med in the black community because we don’t have veterinarians that are doing the job that needs to be done, to communicate in a way that minority clients can understand. So, I think going back to your question, it’s all about how you’re allowed to show up. If I’m not able to be myself, and I feel like I have to constantly hide who I am, that’s going to wear and tear on my mental health. As a student, I’m not going to be as academically successful as I want to be, I’m not going to be the best veterinarian if I always feel like I have to put on this mask and not show my true colors, because my true colors are what makes me who I am. Allowing myself to be funny and joke a bit and talk about my hair and talk about my family like that makes me who I am, that makes me a better person and a better veterinarian. If I have to hide that, and so many students do feel like they have to hide that, they’re not able to be the best that they are. They’re honestly already hurting themselves in the long run, because they’re not going to fully pursue their career as open heartedly as they would hope to.
Advice for Aspiring Veterinarians
Jordan Benshea: What advice would you give to somebody that might be listening to this, and feel that they want to show up, they want that community, they want that sense of belonging, but they are hesitant to do so. They’re hesitant to be vulnerable, and they don’t know what it means to show up as themselves. Identity I think for a lot of people, it gets really confusing and especially when you’re amongst a group of other people and with COVID, so many people have spent so much time alone. So, what sort of advice would you give somebody that wants to engage, but it’s just a little trepidatious, about that first step.
Indya Woods: I would absolutely say just quiet out the world, like just quiet it out, close your ears to everything that does not allow you to be your best self. That may shut a lot of people off, that might shut a lot of opportunities off, but that opens you up to excel in the life that you only have one of. Absolutely seek out the community that you feel like you’re a part of, there are so many amazing African American vets in this profession that I have been able to find only because I sought them, and I reached out to them. I tried to follow them on Instagram from my doctor page, or I try to message them and said, “Hey, I needed this, or I love this.” It’s really allowed me to open myself up as a student and to show up unapologetically, because there’s already so many African American vets that are doing that. I would absolutely say seek out that community that you are looking for, because they will absolutely empower you in a way that you absolutely need.
Jordan Benshea: That’s great. I really like that. Having the courage to seek it out. That’s hard for a lot of people, but the answer is no to 100% of the questions you don’t ask, right?
Indya Woods: A lot of times where I wasn’t very courageous about who I wanted to be, it was because I felt like I had something to prove or something like someone else’s expectation to live up to. That person, nine times out of 10, isn’t paying you as much attention as you think they are. How dare you give someone else control over the life that you are working so hard for, the life that you only have claim to, and that you’re only going to live. It’s not fair to you, and I honestly think everyone is so special in their own way that they deserve to have a very fulfilling life and you can only do that by taking tiny, tiny steps of courage. I’m not saying just go out there and say this is who I am, but take those tiny, tiny steps of what you feel is allowing you to be yourself. For me, that tiny, tiny step I did a few months ago, was starting my personal Instagram. I don’t know why it took me years to do that. I told myself, I don’t want to be like an influencer, or I don’t want to share too much. I feel like I overshare, but my mentor highly encouraged me to do it. I’ve taken tiny steps with every single post and there are times I’m like, well, I shouldn’t be sharing this, or I have anxiety, or that’s a terrible picture. But at the end of the day, I’m very proud of the steps that I’m making through something that’s so small as Instagram, because it’s allowing me to show up as myself every single day, and connect with people who are also experiencing the same things that I am. Things that months ago, I was like no one else is experiencing this, no one else is dealing with anxiety in vet school and ready to drop out every second that they have a chance to, or struggling with being older than their classmates, or struggling with not really liking surgery. There are people out there that you can connect to, you have to find them, seek them, and build your happiness around that.
Jordan Benshea: Yeah, it’s really true, and at the VIN Foundation’s Vets4Vets confidential support group, we say you’re not alone, because everybody that comes in and looks for help or reaches out for help feels that whatever their situation is, that nobody else is in that exact situation. Not that it doesn’t feel horrific and not that there’s not validity there, but I assure everyone, every single one of our listeners, if you’re going through it, somebody else has been through it already. You’re not alone in feeling these things. I really applaud you, Indya, and what you’re saying, those little steps of courage, you take one, you hold that ground, and then you take a little bit more, and it’s everyday showing up for yourself. I think also as you do that, you find that that becomes part of your mantra as well, and it gets easier to show up for yourself and easier to brave those little bits of courage and then you can continue to push your comfort zone boundary further and further out. Right.
Indya Woods: Absolutely, completely agree.
Jordan Benshea: So, we try to keep these somewhat short so that our listeners will listen to the whole thing, ideally.
Personal Passions and Snorkeling Adventures
Jordan Benshea: Do you have a secret talent or something you enjoy doing that others might not know about? I love the answers we get on these because they’re almost never what we think.
Indya Woods: I absolutely love to snorkel and
Jordan Benshea: See! I never would have guessed that!
Indya Woods: I hear that a lot, but it’s one of those things where I don’t get to do it enough only because of my location and finances of course, I’m a broke student, but because of being in school. So far, my best snorkeling experiences have been with manatees in Crystal River and lobster diving in the Keys. But I really, really, really want to snorkel with sharks, but no one will do it with me. No one. Not even my dad who does almost everything with me. So, if anyone out there wants to snorkel with sharks, let me know.
Jordan Benshea: That’s an open call right there.
Indya Woods: I’m going to be terrified. We’re going to be terrified together, but we’re going to make it happen.
Jordan Benshea: Snorkeling with sharks. There you go. We never would have expected to hear that. I actually also am a huge fan of snorkeling, there’s something about that you can you know, you can go snorkeling and just be under the water and gone into a totally different world. It’s amazing, right?
Indya Woods: It’s like, to me, it relates so much to my anxiety because when I’m in the ocean, I don’t have time for anxiety. I literally release everything, because if I panic, I will not stay afloat, like it’s not going to happen. So, breathe, stay calm and no matter what is passing – a manatee one time was up in my face, almost nose to nose, and I was like Indya breathe, stay calm, okay. It’s a very docile animal, but those things are huge. I think snorkeling teaches me every day to just breathe and release and enjoy that beautiful surrounding that I’m always in, beautiful. I definitely hope to be able to do that more after school for sure.
Jordan Benshea: That’s wonderful. Yeah, I am actually a backyard beekeeper and I feel that way when I deal with the beehives. If you increase the speed in which you’re breathing, then you release more carbon dioxide and they react to that, and they get more aggressive. So, it’s really a lesson of, I have my bee suit on, but it is a lesson in just breathing very calmly and you’re instantly transported into this phenomenal ecosystem that they have which just blows ours away. It’s incredible. It’s that feeling. So very similarly, I’ve never thought about it similarly to snorkeling, but I can see that the similarities are there.
Indya Woods: Yeah, that’s so cool. I did that one time. That’s one of those things where you are kind of just like, I’m going to let the professionals do it. One time I could do, but not constantly. That’s really cool.
The Power of Vulnerability and Connection
Jordan Benshea: Okay, so if you could leave the audience with one thing, what would that be?
Indya Woods: That’s a, that’s a heavy hitter.
Jordan Benshea: It could be multiple things and, you know, we’ll probably do more podcasts with you, episodes with you, but just for this conversation.
Indya Woods: I’m just going to be cheesy and say, just be vulnerable and transparent. I honestly think that is woven in my DNA. It’s one of those things where I’m like, man, sometimes I share too much, sometimes I’m too transparent, but no, it’s been so rewarding. The little few months that I’ve invested in just being more transparent and open about who I am and my experiences as a vet student, and my experience as a pre-vet student, and my fears of being like a future vet. So honestly, I would say be more honest and open and transparent, so that we can continue to support each other in this profession and have a happier profession and have a profession that’s committed to allowing people to show up as themselves.
Jordan Benshea: I love that. Being vulnerable for me personally, has been something that I’ve really struggled with. I made a huge shift a few years back, and it’s changed everything, because it’s that willingness. That’s one of the reasons I started this podcast is because I thought we are only able to really connect if we are able to open up and be vulnerable. That’s the mother lode of all of it is the ability to connect as humans together happens when we are willing to take off that “face” that everybody sees. Although, I guess no one’s seen it for a year and a half, but roughly. When we are able to step back and allow ourselves to be vulnerable and be transparent, we all have, as we were saying earlier, have gone through very similar things and through that we are able to really connect, and through our stories. That was one of our goals with this podcast to be able to share moments of vulnerability in ways that we can help each other and help colleagues to improve and be happier and feel connected.
Indya Woods: Yeah.
Outro
Indya Woods: Well, thank you so much for doing this podcast with me and so many other professionals. I wish you all so much success in the future and can’t wait to continue to listen to all the amazing people that you’re going to have on.
Jordan Benshea: Oh, you’re so sweet, Indya. I am just so grateful that you’ve come on to this podcast and taken your time. The most important thing we have in this life is our time. So, thank you for spending your time with us. We really are grateful.
Indya Woods: Of course, it’s been fun. Thank you.
Jordan Benshea: Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Veterinary Pulse. Please check the Episode Notes for additional information referenced in the podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast, please follow, subscribe, and share a review. We welcome feedback and hope you will tune in again. You can find out more about the VIN Foundation through our website, VINFoundation.org, and our social media channels. Thank you for being here. Be well.