Do doctors really need an appendicectomy to go to Antarctica?
A decades-old prophylactic rule is grounded in safety, says Antarctic medic Dr John Cherry.
If you want to practise medicine in one of the most remote places on Earth, it can come at a cost — and Dr John Cherry has the scar to prove it.
Since the 1950s, doctors working in Antarctica during winter have been required to have their appendix removed before heading south, according to the Australian Antarctic Program website.
