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Louise Milligan is an animal physiologist. She says that this was not the job she was looking for when she entered college.

"I sort of fell into becoming an animal physiologist," she says. "I worked in a research lab in the summer after my third year as an undergraduate assisting in a study on the effects of acid rain on fish. I was hooked immediately."

She quickly found that she loved the work. "The more I learned about the diversity of animals and the weird and wonderful places they live, the more entranced I became with trying to understand what tricks they have that allow them to survive in what could be considered harsh environments. Certainly, by comparison, humans are rather boring."

However fun the work might be, Milligan puts in her fair share of hours. She says that often her days can be long and far from routine. "One of the joys of this job is that there is no typical workday."

And since Milligan also teaches, that adds to her load. "Mondays are my most hectic days; [there's] rarely time for lunch. The evenings [after 10 p.m.] are spent working on the next day's class notes," she says.

"When classes are over, my time is very much my own. I spend time writing papers from my research or carrying out experiments in the lab. Though, as one progresses in science, the amount of time spent in the lab doing experimental work decreases, and the amount of time supervising students doing the work increases."

Although she is busy, there is time in Milligan's schedule for a little adventure. She notes one particular incident that happened shortly after she started teaching at a university.

"I was asked to participate in a video promoting science," she says. "Little did I know that I would end up in a pair of hip waders that leaked, knee-deep in a local stream in late October holding a fish net, talking about the importance of studying fish physiology.

"Several takes were necessary. All told, I stood in that very cold stream with wet legs for the better part of two hours, all in the name of science!"

The benefits from her job go beyond a paycheck. "My career has, in many ways, defined my life. It has given me opportunities that, as a student, I did not imagine," she says. "Not only intellectual challenge, but also, the opportunity to travel the world and meet a variety of interesting people. Science is truly without boundaries."

Peter Hansen is an animal physiologist at the University of Florida. He also says that his career has made a difference in his life. "My career has altered my life in many ways. Most importantly, it has changed the way I think," he says.

"Due to my training, I see everything much more critically, and in much more detail now. And this has affected how I think about everything in life -- from religion to politics to public policy. It has really opened my eyes."

Of course, you have to view the world through a critical eye in order to see solutions that you might otherwise miss. That's just what helps Hansen make an important discovery. "There is a constant number of exciting activities happening in my life," he explains.

"But the most exciting for me was when myself and a team of scientists were doing a very targeted research project. We obtained results from that experiment that led to a patent for fertility-enhancing drugs. That's something not everyone can say they accomplish in a day's work.

"Anything can happen in this field. And that's my favorite part of it. There is always the possibility of discovering something new," he says.

Not all of the job is exciting, however. Hansen is quick to point out that which is tedious to him. "I think the hardest and least fun part of what I do is writing grants to obtain funding for my research. It's not exciting, but it makes the exciting things possible," he says.

"Then there is the other paperwork which comes along with the job which must be filled out," he says. "No one likes to do it, but in order for all of the fun work to have any meaning, it must be done."

Hansen also teaches during the day and then works from home with his research at night. He says that he became an animal physiologist because he was "fascinated with biology, as well as being intrigued with experimentation."

He does note, however, that a career as an animal physiologist is not for everyone. "Only those who are committed to science and who have the intellectual ability to succeed should consider this career. Others will find themselves overwhelmed, or perhaps bored with it. And for it to be fun, you must truly love what you do."

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