From Struggle to Success, A long post about how Lab Animal gave me my life back, and so much more.

It had been another long night, in another long week, in -(how many months had it been?)- and I was at my breaking point. I looked around and found myself asking, "Is this really all there is?" My name is Kate Hoffman, and I have had the privilege of working with animals since 2002, but my career really didn't take off until 2016, when I had some big decisions to make.

I was educated in Animal and Veterinary Science at the University of Rhode Island College of the Environment and Life Sciences, and I went on to pursue DVM studies at Michigan State University, where my sense of not belonging, of not being accepted for who I was, fueled my depression nearly beyond repair, and made it impossible to continue my academic efforts. I returned to Rhode Island and found that the companion animal world of clinical medicine that I had left behind was still very happy to take me back in and put my skills and education to work. Not only that, but I could work in what was considered to be the most elite team in the state, namely, the Surgery Department of the emergency and referral hospital that everyone in the area knew just by its nickname. I wasn't living my dream of practicing Veterinary Medicine, but I got to the point where I felt like I had "made it" well enough. I had reached the very highest echelon that I could without that terminal degree.

At first, it was exciting, and deeply meaningful. Rallying to the challenge of saving a hit-by-car's life at 1:00 in the morning, and then showing up for a TPLO at 7:00 the next day- and executing the anesthetic protocol flawlessly- running on pure passion and adrenaline; it was like living in the show ER... (Now, where was George Clooney?...)

Only, I had to start admitting that I was tired... like- really tired... all the time... And I really couldn't make plans with friends or family, because I couldn't predict what my work week would look like, or how much sleep I'd be able to get that week, but I did know I'd be working for most of the holidays, as usual, so, no, Mom, I won't be coming to Nana's for Easter... But it was all worth it!! Saving lives and working on a well-oiled team!!... But, we weren't really a well-oiled team... the micro-aggressions and flat-out nasty behavior were a dominant part of daily life and were starting to be more than I could take... And we didn't always save lives. People couldn't afford it, and we couldn't afford to do it for less, as much as we tried... And while we're on the subject of money, I'd been in the field for many years and I still couldn't make ends meet financially. I was working at the top of my field, and making barely more than (regional) minimum wage. ...and I had the realization that it wasn't going to get any better. My life was wasting away, and I was going to miss the whole damn thing. ...and I was still tired.

So, as I've said, I had to make some tough decisions. I knew I had to make a major pivot, and give a different discipline a shot, give veterinary medicine one more try, and if it did't work out, start all over again in something totally different. Agriculture, wildlife, shelter, and equine practice were not going to be an answer for me, as the same problems exist in those disciplines as in companion animal. The only chance I had of having a reliable, financially sound career path in a place that had an actual HR Department would be if I considered entering the world of Lab Animal, a world that I had no interest in before.

While I had always respected what people in Lab Animal did for science and for medicine, I doubted very much that I could stand to work in the setting, because everything I thought I knew about Lab Animal was a lie.

I had no idea that animals on study are protected by the Office of Lab Animal Welfare, and that researchers are required to mitigate pain and distress, and go through many rounds of scientific and ethical review before they can even order animals for study. I had no idea that lab animals were given interventions like medications for pain, or that there is something called a "humane endpoint" so that animals are not left to suffer and die needlessly. I didn't know that each institution has to abide not only by Federal and local laws, but that they also have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee that develops internal regulations that researchers and staff have to adhere to, with potentially career-ending consequences if they don't. I didn't know that researchers are essentially good people who don't want animals to suffer, and at the very least, who don't want compromised data from stressed animals. And most importantly, I didn't know that Veterinary Technicians and Lab Animal Care Technicians are the first line of defense in ensuring humane care and use of the animals in their care.

So, not knowing what I didn't know, I gave Lab Animal a shot, with the caveat that if it was horrible, I would walk away immediately. That was in 2016, and I haven't looked back since. In fact, my only real regret is that I spent so many years of my life struggling before coming into a discipline that values what I bring to the table in a very real way. What I discovered immediately is that Lab Animal Vet Techs are seen by DVM co-workers and others as the experts in nursing and patient care- imagine that! And Lab Animal Caregivers, who provide crucial husbandry for animals are acknowledged to be the experts on those particular animals and their wellbeing. And the people who keep the whole place running? Those would be the folks in Materials Management (formerly known as cage wash), without whom, everything in biomedical research would come to a screeching halt.

As soon as I showed-up in a lab animal setting, my education and experience were valued because they are valuable. I was quickly tasked not only with assessing patients, identifying common veterinary medical conditions , developing a plan of care, executing that plan of care, and discharging the patient all without consulting a DVM unless there was a complication beyond my skills (don't try that in a vet clinic!) but also with researching and developing an institution-wide enrichment program for all of the many species in our care. I then went on to develop a comprehensive mandatory training program on everything from basic mouse behavior and handling to advanced research techniques for the grad students, MDs, and PhDs who joined our institution, all in the name of advancing both science and animal welfare.

Somewhere along the line, I realized I wasn't tired all the time, and I was seeing my friends and family, and- I had to admit- it really was nice to be able to pay all of my bills all in the same month... At a certain point, I realized that I had been granted agency over my own life for the first time in a really, really long time. Basically, what I noticed was that I could breathe.

From that first institution, I went on to a really interesting experience at the nation's oldest university, working in a neuroscience lab and managing genetically unique mouse lines for the purpose of helping kids with developmental disorders. And now I work as the very first Outreach Specialist for the Boston University Animal Science Center/Animal Research Services. Some of the work that I do focuses on community outreach like this, letting people know that there are great and meaningful career pathways in lab animal research, and that we're here because we love animals. I also get to work with community partners and colleges to develop initiatives like certificate training programs, and we're even looking at what the future holds for higher education in terms of lab animal science curriculum. I get to sponsor conferences, give presentations, engage in thoughtful dialogue with people who might not yet have heard about all the ways that our lab animals are loved and cared for. I get to make a living wage and work in a safe, professional workplace where my rights are respected, as is my dignity. And I get to find people who are struggling the way I had been for so long, who just want what I have, and connect them with people who can make that happen for them.

And in the meantime, people all around me are- quite literally- saving the world. They are saving lives, both human and animal by finding cures to life-threatening medical conditions for people, pets, and wildlife of all ages. They are preventing and combatting the next global pandemic. And they are looking after one another.

I heard a speaker the other day say that biomedical research is a field in which a person can do well by doing good, and that really says it all. I cannot promise you that every day of your career in lab animal research will be perfect, but what I can share in all sincerity is this: If you show up, are accountable, have a good attitude, and work hard, the opportunities for where you can go in your career in lab animal research are virtually endless, and you may not even be able to imagine them yet! If this sounds good to you, tell me your story, and I'll try to help. Use our contact form, and I'll be in touch.

Take care,

Kate

Kathleen Y. Hoffman, BS, CVT, RLATG

Outreach Specialist

Boston University, Animal Science Center

katehoff@bu.edu