Student Experiences

Submitted by Bryanna Meredith, North Carolina State Unviersity

I found the learning and networking experiences available to me at the National AALAS meeting to be valuable to my current veterinary education and future career goals. Firstly, the opportunities for networking allowed me to interact with current residents, externship directors, residency program directors, and many others in the industry. This presented me with many opportunities to learn about new programs that I might apply to and get a feel of what life as a lab animal resident could be like. I spoke to many lab animal residents and vets who serve as role models for the type of career that I hope to have. I was also introduced to other members of the industry who made me more aware of the many roles that people play in animal research. I met facility managers, veterinary technicians, and even engineers who design animal research products such as caging and ventilation systems. This opened my eyes to how huge and interconnected the animal research industry really is.

I was also able to attend lectures that reinforced my current curriculum as well as taught me new things. As a veterinary student, most of our curriculum does not cover certain “untraditional” species found in animal research. I loved the opportunity to learn more about these species! This year was especially interesting due to animal research’s massive role in the COVID-19 pandemic. I heard talks about animal research’s involvement in producing COVID vaccines as well as the impact that COVID-19 has had on zoo animals. In the past couple years, we have been reminded of how crucial animal research is to our society. The AALAS meeting did a great job of exposing me to how interconnected the progress we have made with fighting and preventing COVID is. So many people have played small individual roles in getting our world back to normal, and I am incredibly grateful for them and for the National AALAS meeting making me more aware of this.

Most importantly, the National AALAS meeting reaffirmed my interest in laboratory animal medicine. This meeting reignited my passion for advocating for research animals. Moreover, it made me feel like a part of something bigger than myself. As an underrepresented interest area, lab animal-focused students feel often overlooked; but this past week, I was surrounded by people who were just as passionate about this industry as I am. I am incredibly grateful for the experience (and would absolutely love to attend again if given the opportunity).