Lucy W. Polas

I attribute my success to resilience, self care and empowerment, and strategic planning. Throughout my career, I've learned that challenges, disappointments, and perceived setbacks are inevitable. Rather than viewing those moments as roadblocks, I see them as opportunities to reassess, adapt, and identify a new path forward.

During moments of disappointment or perceived setbacks, I intentionally invest in myself. I've learned to make my coping mechanisms productive and restorative. Whether that's continuing my education, developing new skills, prioritizing my health, strengthening relationships, or seeking new experiences that broaden my perspective. By focusing on activities that contribute to my personal and professional growth, even difficult moments become opportunities to build a stronger foundation for future success.

Once I've given myself the space to reflect, I shift my focus to strategy, evaluating what I've learned, identifying new opportunities, and creating a plan to move forward. Over time, this combination of resilience and strategic thinking has taught me that success isn't about avoiding obstacles; it's about adapting, continuing to grow, and finding new ways to achieve your goals.

This one wasn’t traditional advice. It was more of a meaningful moment of encouragement early in my career. I had applied for a supervisory role at a specialty hospital I still bring my own animals to today, one of the best hospitals in New Jersey, in my opinion. I was really excited about the opportunity and went through the full interview process with their leadership team.

When I learned I wasn’t selected, the general manager personally reached out to share the decision. She told me they were impressed with my candidacy and encouraged me to apply again in the future for other supervisory opportunities, particularly within anesthesia. What has stayed with me most is how she closed the conversation: “Please don’t let this discourage you from reaching for bigger things.”

In that moment, I remember being genuinely taken aback, not out of disappointment, but because I had never once considered that I wouldn’t continue moving forward or growing into leadership roles. Her words reflected belief in my potential, and my internal reaction was simply clarity: I already knew I was committed to continuing to progress, regardless of any single outcome.

That experience became a grounding reminder that persistence and direction aren’t defined by one opportunity. Where there is a will, there is a way. As I often say as a woman in STEM: if it is scientifically possible, it is probable for me.

My advice to young women entering the veterinary industry is to remain relentlessly committed to yourself, your growth, and your voice, especially in an industry that is currently at a turning point.

Veterinary medicine is facing real challenges, but also a critical opportunity for reinvention. There is a tendency to accept “the way things are” because of historical constraints, but I would encourage women entering this field to never be afraid of innovative thinking or unconventional ideas. The industry is ours for the changing, it has never been more ready for that. The industry needs fresh perspectives, and it needs people willing to challenge outdated systems with solutions that improve care, efficiency, and sustainability.

At the same time, perseverance is essential. There will be moments of adversity, but those moments should not shrink your ambition or your belief in your ability to make an impact. Be emphatically pro-you—protect your growth, advocate for your ideas, and invest in your development without hesitation.

The future of veterinary medicine will be shaped by those who are willing to honor its history, but not be confined by it.

The veterinary industry is currently facing a convergence of three major challenges: a persistent veterinarian shortage, increasing burnout across clinical teams, and a (albeit smaller than before) gap between human-grade medical standards and what many veterinary environments are structurally able to support.

These pressures are interconnected. Staffing shortages place additional strain on existing teams, which contributes to burnout, and both of these factors make it more difficult to consistently deliver the level of care that modern clients increasingly expect.

At the same time, this creates a significant opportunity for innovation, particularly around workforce models, operational efficiency, and technology adoption. There is a clear need to rethink how veterinary care is delivered so that it is both clinically excellent and operationally sustainable for the teams providing it. Being this is the state of the industry I find true meaning in the fact that I work as a Strategic Support Manager at Indevets Relief. 

My organization can bridge this gap, subsequently improving patient outcomes but also creating healthier, more stable environments for veterinary professionals.

The most important value to me is staying aligned with my moral compass, making decisions that I can stand behind both professionally and personally.

I care deeply about the impact I have in the veterinary industry, which I’ve been part of for over 11 years. That impact matters to me not only in terms of outcomes for animals, but also for the people who dedicate their careers to caring for them. Supporting both is essential to how I define success.

I also identify strongly as a STEM-minded individual. The advancement of medicine and science is something I’m deeply passionate about, and I’m driven by the idea of contributing, however I can, to progress in those areas.

Ultimately, my values center around integrity of purpose, meaningful impact, and a commitment to advancing both the science and humanity of veterinary medicine.