Case Study

Luana Ferrara: from vet in Australia to vet in Samoa

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Age: 40s

Then: Luana had been a vet for 15 years, and was feeling tired of the work. She also disagreed with the trend in veterinary practices towards merchandising pet food, collars and other products, making them more like a pet grocery store than a veterinary surgery. She moved into animal research, but her heart was not really in it. Meanwhile, she had developed an interest in animal welfare issues. This was further sparked on her travels in Nepal and Tibet, when she encountered many stray dogs in poor states of health.

Luana did the Life by Design public workshop, and came out with a dream of combining her existing skills with her interest in animal welfare and working in developing countries. The first step she took towards her dream was spending some time to get her finances in order.

Now: Luana is a vet working in Samoa with the Animal Protection Society, a position she obtained through the Australian Volunteers International Program. Her work involves desexing dogs, educating people in responsible pet ownership and care, and treating sick
and injured animals. She finds the work deeply satisfying, and faces a daily challenge of working the best she can with the little veterinary equipment available to her.

Luana says: "The workshop helped me realise that I could work with the skills I had in other ways to suit me, rather than going off on a new and unrelated tangent altogether. I have made some major changes in my life, and I am very happy here in Samoa (although a
cold day would make a nice change!). I get to work outside in the fresh air and sunshine, with great co-workers and very appreciative locals."

We say: "Luana was facing a value conflict in her existing work environment. It is usual for people suffering values conflicts at work to experience a lower level of work fulfilment and satisfaction. It was useful for her to have clarity that her dissatisfaction arose more from the values conflict than the veterinary work itself. Rather than leaving her area of specialty, Luana has been able to use her existing skills, doing work she enjoys and is good at, in an environment more aligned with her values and interests."

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