Livestock Matters - Winter 2018

Livestock Matters Winter 2018 18 When vet Mirel Lucaci moved to the UK from Romania, his lack of English meant he had to put his veterinary career on hold. But he was determined to become a farm vet again. He is now one of the TB testing team at Wright and Morten in Cheshire. Here he gives his perspective on the role, and the journey he made to get there. The Wright and Morten practice is in the Edge Area of England: farmers are under 6-monthly TB surveillance testing. Herds under restriction are tested every 2 months. “I am very happy to be TB testing,” says Mirel. “But sometimes people ask me why I like my job, and say to me ‘isn’t it boring?’ “I tell them: every week I go to different places, onto different farms, and meet different people. After three years of working here, I’ve got to know people, and they know me. “I know I’m going to be TB testing. But I don’t feel like I’m doing the same thing every day.” Determined to vet Mirel came to Liverpool in 2009 when his wife Anita took up a post-doctorate position at the University. But while Anita spoke good English, Mirel spoke none. Mirel explains: “I tried teaching myself using a book, and attended a short language course. I knew all the words for individual objects, but not how to have a conversation. Then, through some Romanian contacts, I got a job as a cleaner in a hotel. There, I had to speak to people, and this improved my English. “After nearly a year, my English was good enough for me to get a job as a lab technician in the Biological Sciences department of Liverpool University. “I didn’t want to work in a laboratory long term, but it was a job, and all the time my English was improving. When the contract came to an end – after five years – I decided I was now ready to look for a veterinary position. “But all my expertise was with pigs!” explains Mirel. “There aren’t many around Liverpool! I needed experience with cows and sheep. So I looked in the Yellow Pages and identified dairy farms within 10-15 miles of the city. I rang them, offering to come and work for free, just to get some experience. But I was turned down by everyone! I needed to change the plan! I started responding to adverts for herdspersons and got a job on a farm near Nantwich. I’d start milking at 5:30am and not finish work until after 6pm, then have an hour’s drive home. By now I’d also got twin daughters. I only managed to do this job for 4 months! “I kept looking for ways to get farm experience. Meantime, I took a job working in construction, and did voluntary work at a small animal practice. Then, three years ago, I saw an advert in the Veterinary Record for a TB tester at Wright and Morten. “I thought to myself, well, I am a vet, and I’d just be TB testing. I don’t need to do everything. I think I can manage that.” Wright and Morten have been employing full time TB testing vets since 2009, to take the pressure off the clinical farm vets. By 2015 there was a team of three with Mirel being the first Romanian vet to join the practice. Today, Mirel’s colleagues in the TB testing team are Nieves Chanfreut (from Spain) and Cornel Gaica (also from Romania). They test around 6,500 cattle per month. Me and My Practice: Mirel Lucaci TB testing role provides the opportunity for determined Romanian vet Mirel Lucaci Wright and Morten Veterinary Surgeons Me and My Practice Downloading the day’s readings into the computer