AntarcticDoctor

Down here in Antarctica with a reasonable amount of free time, it is easy to let the mind and body slow into the sweet abyss of ennui. I’m especially concious of what this year means to my career; certainly it is an unparalleled life experience and I’m learning many skills (leadership, management, paperwork, snow-shovelling), but medically it has the potential to be a vacuum. Coming from a hectic ER job into a setting where I might only have to consult once or twice a week might sound wonderful, but I’m acutely aware that each passing day in Antarctica is at the expense of 30-100 patient’s worth of experience and procedures that I would have been performing back home. To counter the inevitable degradation of skills and mental fitness, I have made several promises to myself: I spend time doing minor tasks with surgical implements so as to maintain dexterity; I am studying for examinations on my return; I take part in online discussions and tutorials; and I am reading as many relevant journal articles as possible. (more…)

Yes, it is true – SANAE 47 were the champions at the take-over sports soccer competition, so I think it is only fair to claim the title. In any case, here’s a photo of the team together, which we’ll be sharing with the other overwintering teams. Click on the photo for a bigger view.

I’m not a superstitious person, or overly religious, but the longer I live the more I begin to believe in serendipity. Today is auspicious for many reasons – it is Good Friday to Christians, falling this year on South Africa’s Human Rights Day, and it is particularly special to us in Antarctica as it is the autumn equinox – a milestone in our year on the ice.   This equinox coincides with a beautiful full moon, and we have been further blessed by open skies and no wind.  Imagine out joy, then when the final gift arrived – a lovely aurora.  This one formed several bands over the south-eastern horizon, and was remarkably active, with rapidly shifting green veils.  At times, a red hue was visible in the lower reaches.  The full moon certainly prevented us from seeing the full splendour of the aurora, but it highlighted the landscape – while the base basked in the cool light of the moon, we watched the glowing southern lights over our familiar southern peaks… serendipity indeed.