I am living at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station as part of the medical support staff, ask me anything!

Have you ever had to remove someone’s tongue from something cold they licked?

Lol no not yet

As a physicians assistant in one of the most remote areas of the world, what are the most common issues that you see in your patients during a typical year?

Also, how many The Things have you had to deal with so far out there?

This year has been super quiet actually, partially due to luck, partially due to the strict quarantining requirements from COVID. We've practically eliminated all infectious diseases on station.

Mostly we see minor traumas; broken toes, bumped heads, that kind of thing. Occasionally mental health and psych support, due to the isolation and darkness taking its toll on people.

But overall, this has been an exceptionally healthy group.

​

No Things spotted but I thought I saw a dog running in the distance once....

Speaking of eliminating infectious diseases, does this include STDs? Iirc the last time I read about the very Liberal culture in the stations, there were some concerns about periodic outbreaks...

Is that no longer a problem at your station?

No outbreaks this season. Most everyone is coupled up in monogamous relationships.

What supplies do you bring/have on hand to address the ailments and injuries? I’m sure you have to have a sort of kitchen sink approach, right? Have you had to get creative with treatments?

We have a great clinic that the NSF/USAP has set us up with. Everything for life support, xray, ultrasound, full laboratory suite and pharmacy... we actually get more than our share of space for treatment and medical storage. We have a ton of capability for the size of our facility, although we don't have surgical facilities or a CT.

Are you prepared to do an appendectomy to yourself?

Absolutely not.

How much does the complete darkness mess with people's sleeping schedule and general sanity?

People have different approaches to it. Some people who have flexible schedules just start going with whatever their body tells them, as far as sleep; i.e., they sleep when they're tired, stay awake while they're not. Some others, who have more (or want more) rigid schedules use some mild sleep aids to maintain a somewhat normal schedule.

Generally what I've noticed is that people (myself included) tend to be more tired and require more sleep as the dark months wear on. Some of that is due to symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, which can be severe, but I think it's just a general trend in the human body being without sunlight.

Finally, there's the group of people who just follow the (fast-ish) satellite internet schedule, which is about 5 hours a day, and just sleep whenever is convenient outside those hours.

Sanity is kept the same way as anywhere; embrace your hobbies, keep in contact with those you care about, try to engage in the community, and try not to be a total hermit.

What time zone do you usually operate in?

New Zealand (Auckland) time

Do you stress about the fact that you are completely reliant on the station's systems to maintain a habitable environment, or is it something you don't think or worry about?

What, if any, special traits do you see in people that end up working on an isolated station?

I had a tiny moment of stress as I saw the last plane leave for the season in February, but it was mostly drowned out by excitement. You just get used to it and don't think about it much anymore. Plus, the power plant has multiple backups and contingencies, so really the station systems are the least of my concerns.

I think it attracts people with a sense of adventure, people that want to experience the exotic or the extreme. I definitely fit into that category. There's also those people that just see it as a job.

What would you do to get your hands on a fresh salad right about now?

A lot! We do get fresh greens from our greenhouse, but many times it's a lot of stems and tough greens... so yeah I'd hold a penguin for ransom at this point for some fresh romaine or an apple.

Why don't popcorn or chips go stale?

It is so incredibly dry, generally hovering around 0% absolute humidity. In fact, I've opened a bag of chips, come back later and I could swear that they were crisper than when I opened them.

How does your skin handle that lack of humidity? Must need lots of lotion.

My nose hurts just thinking about it. Nose bleeds must be common.

Yep, I blow bloody boogers out of my nose just about every morning. We have humidifiers available, but for some reason I haven't been using one :D.

I used to apply it a lot when I got here, but not anymore. Not sure if my skin adjusted or I just stopped caring.

Im from the EU and have no qualifications as a medic or scientist; Im just an average person in my 20s with no meaningful degree.

If there are any, what's the most reasonable job for me to aim for if I want to work on any station on the continent for a summer?

Station steward might be a good fit. They're basically the dishwashers on station, and some other random jobs. No special skill required.

I'm a sous chef with 14 years experience washing dishes. I also know how to properly restart a wireless router. Where do I apply?

Google GSC antarctica

As someone who’s an alt for this upcoming winter season, what items did you pack that came in handy or what did you wish you packed?

Wish I brought more room decor! LED string lights, posters, tapestries, etc. My room is so bare and depressing. I'd also have brought down a beasty desktop instead of my gaming laptop, but that's mostly so I could do more 3D modeling.

Also, more socks. The super dry air here makes natural fibers brittle, so you should half-expect any denim or other cotton to deteriorate before the end of winter. Wool does pretty well though. Over summer, you should be fine with anything.

How much luggage are you allowed to bring?

this year, 100 lbs. Could vary year to year though

Do you like the John Carpenter movie The Thing?

Yeah I like the movie :) We actually watch a set of 3 movies every year when winter starts ("first damn week of winter!"), which generally happens the weekend after the last flight of the season leaves.

- The Thing From Another Planet
- The Thing (the one w/ Kurt Russell)
- The Thing (2011)

Yo, I always wondered about that “First week of winter” line in The Thing (1982.) Doesn’t it seem a bit bright, and day lasting too long, for the first week of winter in the movie?

It depends on your definition of winter. The last "summer" flight leaves when there's still 24hr of light. Sunset happens about a month later, and then it's 24hr darkness. The technical season extends from the winter solstice to sunrise.

This answer here

What's it like being the southest person on earth?

It's a bit of a downer.

If you happen to find a size M, grey waffle-knit Penguin zip hoodie in skua, could you stash that and DM me? Thanks!

SP or MCM skua?

SP! Lol I’m sure it’s long gone by now, but you can’t find those things even on eBay and I never knew how much I loved that hoodie until it was gone.

I've looked through station Skua a few times and haven't seen anything like that, but I'll take a look in the Skua shack when we pull it around.

Do you think you and your fellow Antarctic workers would be well suited for a long space mission, such as a trip to Mars?

Yep absolutely. I volunteer as tribute.

How often are random people hooking up and does it get socially complicated?

Okay I wasn't going to comment on this, but...

I don't know how previous seasons have been, but this season there have mostly just been quiet couples, no hook-up culture that I can see. Sorry to disappoint. But I've heard it can be a bit more lively during summer seasons.

Do y'all ever have beef with Mcmurdo station?

How do y'all stay occupied when there's months without anything going on?

They got beef with us! They just jealous we have a greenhouse ;). Nah I kid, there are pros and cons to each station, and different ones appeal to different people.

We got a ton of stuff to do here. Besides the community events like South Pole Olympics, mystery dinner theaters, trivia nights, etc... we also have a sports gym, weight room, 2 movie lounges, a library, a small climbing gym, and a craft room! Basically, if you have a community event idea, you can make it happen.

That's sounds amazing, really. Care to elaborate on the South Pole Olympics?

Basically we devise events for everyone to compete in, and everyone votes on their favorites. We take the top 25 or so, organize the events, tally the points, and give out awards :). Events range from distance frisbee throw to doubles ping pong to 1-on-1 cribbage to 3-person volleyball.

Has anyone hosted a dungeons and dragons game at the south pole yet?

Yep there's a dedicated group that plays twice a week.

Did you have to go through a training/preparation program before going to the south pole?

Yes, there is a lot of training and team-building that you go through. Normally this is in person near USAP HQ in Colorado, but since COVID happened it's all been remote.

Can you folks Stream movies?

Unfortunately even our best internet is not fast enough for streaming.

Will the station be getting starlink internet when it becomes available?

Possibly. There's concern it could interfere with all the microwave astronomy experiments occurring here.

If I were the IT guy, i'd bring a plex server (fully loaded).

Great idea, except it's explicitly prohibited by our USAP protocols.

Can you bring DVDs? Or properly iwned digital copied stored on a hard drive?

Yeah DVDs are fine, but ripped files you'd probably want to keep a low profile with even if you own a legit copy. USAP obviously doesn't approve of copyright piracy, and people might not understand the nuance.

Hi! You mentioned that the dorm room walls are paper thin. What if you snore?😴

I guess you provide earplugs to your neighbors.

how many PAs/NPs/MDs are at your station and are surgical capabilities available?

what kind of imaging modalities do you have?

do you have just point of care labs or the ability to perform other labs?

what if someone needs a blood transfusion?

thats all i can think of for now. thanks for the AMA!

The South Pole Station has one doctor and one PA or NP. No surgical capabilities, no OR, although sometimes a surgeon has acted as the station doctor.

We have x-ray and ultrasound.

We have POC labs like UA, Upreg, strep, flu, monospot, etc. Plus more robust labs like CBC, CMP, blood gas, lipase, troponin-I, BNP, urine drug screen, lipids... I'm sure I'm missing some but you get the idea.

We employ a "walking blood bank" here. Everyone on station is typed and we have equipment/facilities to draw from donor and infuse to recipient. We have no other blood products.

Do you leave the station often to go outside for some.. fresh air (or any othe reason)?

If you do, how long until you have to go inside again to avoid becoming a human icicle?

Yeah I go outside almost every day. We have excellent gear to protect us from the cold, which is good because some of the outbuildings are over half a mile (~1km) away from the main station.

Properly clothed, and as long as the wind isn't insane, you can stay out for hours.

Don't you have some kind of a live show this morning? I'm not sure how to locate it but it is 7 20 am Eastern Time

You're looking at it.

How's the bouldering gym looking these days? SP for two seasons! Lol.

Also Clint says there are no single ladies down here right now and you would hate it.

I'm not a climber, but from what I've heard it's doing pretty well! They've reset and remade a lot of routes, and it featured prominently in our South Pole Olympics (Speed and endurance climbing).

Are you able to get fresh water straight from the ice? Or do you have to get it delivered?

We do get our water from a Rodriguez Well (or just "rod well"). Hot water heated by the power plant is pumped into the ice in a column shape, and then the melt-water is pumped up for station use.

So is it a constant cycle that you can use to permanently supply yourself with drinking water?

yep that's right. And side note, the water has been frozen in place (until we melt it) for about a thousand years (depending on the depth of the column that year). Some people refer to it as "Jesus water" but it's really more like Genghis Khan water.

Being so out in the middle of nowhere. Have you ever saw anything "strange"? Be it your mind playing tricks on you or not.

There was one time, during the 3 months of pitch dark, when I was out looking for the Ceremonial South Pole. I knew it was nearby but couldn't find it. Then I turned around and it was suddenly right in front of me. Coulda swore it wasn't there a second ago.

There are loads of UFO reports throughout decades just curious if you have seen anything weird or unexplained?

Nope, but we definitely see lots of satellites in a polar orbit, auroras, and this year we got to see the lunar eclipse (along with the rest of the world) which was super cool.

Blink your eyes twice if management made you say that.

If I could show UFOs, I would upload that so fast and have the #1 tiktok of all time.

Hi there! I am a currently PA student about to round out my S1 year. My ultimate goal to to travel around the world to practice medicine with amazing groups like yours! How did you get started down this path? How many years experience did you have before landing this job? Any other resources on where to find international opportunities as a PA? What you’re doing sounds incredible, but personally I don’t think I could live there for so long. Anyway, thanks for this AMA, it’s awesome!

Hi and best of luck in PA school!

I graduated in 2015 and went immediately into an Emergency Medicine Residency. Mine was at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, which I cannot recommend enough. Staff was knowledgeable, compassionate, and good teachers.

After that, I worked in rural emergency medicine with the Indian Health Services in South Dakota. My hospital had no ICU, no OR, and was 3 hours by ground to the nearest trauma center. It was this experience (I believe) that really set me apart and set me up to get this job.

The best place to find remote or international jobs is through various agencies that recruit for them; however, this job I have right now I got directly through the UTMB website. I can't at the moment think of the different agencies that recruit (I haven't started my new job search yet), but I don't think they're that hard to find. I know there's PAs in the Marshall Islands, Virgin Islands, etc.

If someone told you how the book you are reading ends, would you kill them? Was that question part of your interview process?

Lol no, but I think all of us have heard that story.

What’s the dating ratio like? Male heavy or female heavy? You folks have nice snuggle/cuttle time? Any good drama?

All US Antarctica stations have a male-dominated roster. Over winter here at the South Pole, it was 5:1 male to female this year. Drama? Any time you have people, you have drama. But it's been pretty tame this year.

Do you guys hire RNs?

Not for South Pole, but they do have nurses at McMurdo Station!

Are The Thing and The Thing 2 banned?

Lol no they're celebrated

If somehow the civilized world as we know seized to excist do you still have means to get back to the"habitable" world?

We'd have to get pretty creative. But we have a massive supply of food, fuel, and some of the smartest people on earth here... so I think our chances are pretty good.

you said each station has its pros and cons? Can you give a small pro and con list for the different stations?

South Pole. Pro: Greenhouse, smaller crew, no need to go outside unless for work. Cons: more isolated and dangerous as far as medical emergencies, more spreading of duties (everyone takes turns doing dishes, for example).

McMurdo. Pro: More social activities due to more staff present (generally at least 3x South Pole numbers, sometimes 10x), wildlife spotting, outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, etc. Cons: might have to share a room, need to go outside to transit between buildings (and they can get bad storms), not as notable as the geographic south pole (heheh)

Palmer: I'm not sure, never been there. But I've heard lots of wildlife, and the smallest of all the crews.

Have you or will you be visiting the british stations?

No plans to right now, but I would love to someday.

So I read a book by a tech who did general labor (trash, fleet repair, etc). The name of the book escapes me, unfortunately. It was just him describing a "shift" of I think 6 months.

He mentioned that the reason we keep a base there is so other nations (read:Russia, which does have a presence, according to him) can't lay claim to the land. Basically, we keep a "science" base there that does only nominal science, it's more an excuse to be there so the russians don't get any ideas.

He said he worked as a contractor for the company that staffed the base, the pay was not great, and people just watched DVDs and read well-worn books, as well as having costume contests and other silly diversions.

Is that accurate?

(I recall the book had a hut with a sofa and some trash out front on the cover, but Google isn't giving me anything)

So there's some truth to what you're saying about the US station here. During the International Geophysical Year back in 1956 (i think?) there was a convention in France about how to treat territory in Antarctica. The US wasn't really that interested in the South Pole at the time besides patchy plans, and nothing was here at the time. Then Russia comes in, late, to the convention and starts saying they want to claim the South Pole. The French panicked and said that the USA had already laid a claim to it, forcing the USA's political hand in getting here first.

Could the science being done here be done elsewhere on the continent? Probably, somewhere within a hundred miles of here or something. But if we can be at the geographical south pole... why not?

I met one of your mechanics in Seattle once and he told us tales of the Gua birds. Do you guys still prank newcomer in the cafeteria with the "walk between buildings with a plate of food"?

Skua? Yeah I haven't had any run-ins with them, but I've heard they can get pretty aggressive. None here at the South Pole though... They're all at McMurdo Station.

What is the lowest qualification required for a job at that station?

Can you wash dishes? Or sort and deliver cargo?

Is alcohol and recreational drug use common?

Alcohol is available for sale in the station store, but is rationed so things don't get out of control. The station is under US jurisdiction so no recreational drug use is allowed.

Years ago at a party, I talked to a guy who had lived/worked at one of these stations for a while (not sure it was yours, I'm guessing it was South Pole for reasons that should become obvious) and he told us a bunch of stories. He confirmed that there is indeed an object at the South Pole like one would imagine, a ten foot tall barber-striped pole with a big chrome ball on top. He also described one of their "rites of passage," which was that one had to spend 30 minutes in a hot tub at full blast and then run, still wet and in their swimming trunks, to the physical South Pole and back.

I'm wondering if there is any truth to this? Or if there are any other unique traditions or what have you that you could tell us about?

Hahah well definitely sounds like the south pole.

There is in fact a pole surround by the 12 flags representing the original signers of the Antarctic Treaty, and this pole is a red barberpole-looking thing with a mirror ball on top. I show in on my TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Not 10 feet tall anymore due to snow drift, more like 4 feet.

No comment on the other tradition you mentioned... but we don't have a hot tub, just a sauna.

One of my hobbies is 3D artwork and cartography for table top Role Playing Games. What kind of 3D modeling do you do? And what type of laptop/gpu?

I started with making a model of the South Pole Station, which you can see on my youtube here. Now I mostly use it as an adjunct for teaching scientific concepts.

What are the mechanisms for addressing surgical problems like appendicitis or gallstones? Do you operate or transport people out?

Appendicitis the general plan is to apply antibiotics and arrange for med-evac ASAP. Antibiotic-alone therapy has been shown in recent studies to have pretty great curative results, and otherwise can be good to stabilize a patient while waiting for transport.

Gallstones would be more difficult if they turned into cholecystitis, but we try to prevent that by having everyone that comes down here getting a gallbladder ultrasound prior to deployment. If you got stones, you generally can't come here.

What is the medical clinic like from a staffing and capabilities standpoint?

One doctor, one PA or NP. We see patients, manage inventory, run the labs, the xray, the pharmacy, and do all our own nursing.

Hi, Josiah!

I have something of an odd question for you.

You've made very evident (and ongoing) efforts to simultaneously entertain and inform, which is something for which I have no end of respect. Moreover, you've found success in that endeavor on TikTok, which is – in my experience, anyway – a bastion of laziness, ignorance, plagiarism, and anti-intellectualism that rivals even Facebook's reputation.

That brings me to my question: Since TikTok is arguably the place that needs the most in the way of original entertainment and factual information, what advice can you provide to other would-be educators who are hoping to offer higher-quality content than what is typically surfaced there? Is there a way for someone to establish an audience without first coating themselves in a patina of recycled memes and terrible production values?

In short, how did you manage to carve out your higher-quality niche?

Well first, thank you so much for the kind words, and it feels great to hear some validation for what I'm trying to do on TikTok.

I do agree with you about TikTok's reputation; it's pretty bad. But, it has one thing going for it: if you make watchable content (whether a quality science lesson or some smutty dancing) it will get seen by people. That's more than I can say for YouTube, where I've been for years and barely got any traction.

My advice to those wanting to break through on TikTok is to just do something you're passionate about. Don't try to hop on the latest trend or dance or whatever; you might get a bunch of views on one video (if you're lucky) but you won't gather a following. Stick with your passion, give it a good shot.... and if it doesn't work out, then be able to come to terms with that.

Also be reasonable with your expectations. If you're going to make niche videos, expect a niche following. You're probably not going to get 10million followers making videos about fish species in the Great Lakes, but if your content is good, you WILL find your loyal following.

Lastly, make it as interesting and simple as possible! Too many educators tend to fall into the trap of either being too thorough and detailed (and lose their audience) or being too full of themselves and basically just trying to show off what they know.

Hope that helps!

It seems to me that the proof of whether or nor humanity has truly settled into a place is whether you can get a pizza there. I've heard that nuclear submarines have pizza nights, and the ISS has had a pizza delivered to it. So, can you get pizza at the South Pole?

Well we can make pizza here at pole which is pretty decent, but...

apparently during summer (so I'm told) you can get pizza delivered from McMurdo Station if you know the right people and if the flight schedule works out.

Former McMurdite here - How do the medical facilities at Pole compare to MCM?

Not too inferior, actually. We have basically all the same diagnostic and treatment ability, except for McMurdo's hyperbaric chamber (which shouldn't ever reasonably be needed here). MCM has more room in the clinic, more patient capacity, and more supplies/drugs.

Why did you dress like the imposter from Among Us?

for the likes

Have you guys received the Antarctica Service Medal? Do you ever get service members stationed with you in hopes of receiving one?

It's my understanding that you get it months after you get off the ice, so nope haven't got mine yet.

So when did you lose your appendix?

Not required anymore... antibiotic therapy has progressed to where we don't require a prophylactic appendectomy anymore for South Pole deployment.

Are you married? How are your relationship there?

Not married, don't think I'd come down here if I had to maintain a long-distance relationship.

I imagine you are part of the giant conspiracy to cover up the fact that the Earth is flat?

Has the Illuminati threatened your family, or are you just collecting lots of cash? And has anyone at the station fallen off the edge?

I haven't been on Reddit for a while, can someone let me know if this person is for real

Are you as lonely as I am?

Doesn't sound like it.

Winter or summer in the Pole?

Haven't done a summer yet, but my gut feeling is I like winter better. The auroras alone are reason enough for me.

How long do you plan to stay at the station, and where do you want to go when you leave?

I'm leaving within the next few weeks! Weather willing. I have a long travel list, which includes the Philippines, Faroe Islands, and Norway... but first I have to head home to Florida to see my brother get married.

What are your thoughts on Admiral Richard Byrd and his expeditions?

Admiral Byrd was a hero. Currently reading a couple of his books. He really paved the way for exploration in the Antarctic, and he did largely (at least at first) with zero government help.

I just think it's sad that people don't hear about his real accomplishments anymore, they've just coopted his legacy for conspiracies. Lots of people quote his supposed "secret diary," the authenticity of which has never been validated and is extremely suspect due to style and content.

I think he'd be really sad to see this as his legacy. Hopefully people come to their senses eventually.

[removed]

Ah I had some trouble starting the post from the other site (the web address included the entire body and Chrome threw an error). I guess the proof photo got lost in there.

Is there any way you have the link to the photo I provided in the application? I don't have it hosted anywhere else.

EDIT: Ok got it hosted, hopefully that's good enough.

How much civ 6 do you play?

None but I've heard this station is a wonder in it?

What’s socializing like with the rest of the crew?

I guess we’re all used to being confined with the same people because of covid, but what has the experience been like for you?

I tend to get along with people pretty well, so I've had no problem making friends. I think most people here are the same. I've seen that the key is to stay humble, don't take things personally, and realize when the problem is you.

Can you get things posted to you?

Yep! Things can get sent here, although personal packages are the lowest priority after station supplies, science cargo, etc. I won't be here long enough to receive packages this season, as I'll be leaving right as they are coming in.

Packages/letters only arrive in the summer (Nov-Feb) when flights are coming and going, so to get something from the USA you need to send it around Oct-Dec

How easy is it to see the night sky there? I imagine you can't just step outside in the middle on night due to the extreme temperatures?

Because we have 3 months of total darkness during the polar winter, it's actually amazing stargazing and auroras at any time of day. 3pm? 4am? midnight? It's dark all the time. Go outside and see the stars whenever you want.

Do you know the guys from the Marambio base? Or you are not allowed to interact with other bases due to political reasons?

Nope we're totally allowed! But we don't do it often due to language and distance barriers. The nearest station to us is Vostok, a Russian station, about 800 miles away. So it's not like we can pop by other stations for coffee.

But we do connect with them at times! We send each other pictures of the station staff at midwinter, and most of us participate in the Winter International Film Festival of Antarctica.
Check out our films from this year!

How has America's political/cultural split affected you and the station?

Not at all, at least this season. Politics rarely comes up, and people tend to self-squelch that confrontation when it does.

Do you know the guy who just posted in Superstonk?

No idea what that is.

Do you drink coffee or tea on a daily basis? If so, which brands?

I have no idea what brand coffee, it's whatever the galley makes every day

If you could get any food delivered to you right away, what would it be?

A box of Gala apples.