Careers in Wilderness and Expedition Medicine: From Ultramarathons to Antarctica

What if a medical career could take you far beyond the walls of a hospital?

In this episode, we explore the growing world of wilderness and expedition medicine, where doctors work in remote, resource-limited and often extreme environments. 

Fortunately dramatic rescues are rare and wilderness medicine is often more about planning, prevention and managing risk in environments where help may be hours or days away. 

You’ll hear from two doctors building careers that combine medicine, adventure, logistics and leadership:

• Dr Molly Cargill – an ACRRM registrar and wilderness medicine educator heading to Antarctica later this year to work as a doctor on New Zealand’s Scott Base. 

• Dr Sophie Fontaine – junior doctor in Gippsland with a passion for expedition medicine, disaster response and extreme environment research.

Both guests also speak about how rural generalist training complements expedition and wilderness medicine; where being calm, adaptable and resourceful when there’s no easy back up, is key.

In this episode:

• What wilderness and expedition medicine actually involve.

• Why prevention and logistics are just as important as emergency response.

• The realities of practicing medicine in remote environments

• The non-clinical skills needed, including leadership and communication

• Practical advice for junior doctors interested in this pathway

For more information about the study and training opportunities across regional Victoria, head to the Monash Rural Health website.

The North West Victoria and Gippsland Regional Training Hubs have commissioned this podcast to help medical students and junior doctors learn more about training and practising medicine in regional Australia. Find your nearest Regional Training Hub here.