Medics in the Hot Seat

1.    What’s your job role at the moment?
Full time NHS GP

2.     What expeditions have you been involved in in the past?
Kilimanjaro, Belize, Tanzania, Kenya, Costa Rica, Namibia

 
3.     How do you make expedition life fit in with your day job?
With difficulty – generally have to take holiday.

 
4.     Where was your first expedition and how did it go?
GR 20 high level route across Corsica – good, but weather and planning were big factors to take into account ie the weather was not what we expected and the planning was too little too late.

 
5.     What’s the most challenging thing you’ve had to deal with on expedition?
Resuscitating a dehydrated casualty at 4300m who I then made hypothermic by infusing cold IV fluids...a valuable lesson.

 
6.     What’s the funniest or most embarrassing thing that’s happened?  
Can’t think of anything particularly funny, but plenty of embarrassing things which I’d rather not mention...

 
7.     For anyone interested in using their medical skills in an expedition setting what advice would you give them?
Plan Plan PLAN. Talk to as many folk as possible pre-deployment, carry enough kit to do the job but don’t try to take a hospital on your back, expect primary care problems not ITU stylee stuff, have fun.

 
8.     Where do you plan on going next?
Sweden – North of the Arctic circle (86 degrees ) to fish for monster trout

 
9.     Where’s your favourite place in the world?
The Outer Hebrides in summer

 
10.  And finally, what luxury would you want on every expedition?
A notebook and pencil