The last word
Posted: May 7, 2012
Jeff Boyett, PA, befriended exotic wildlife like these 42-inch tall Emperor penguins while on a chilly medical adventure where he worked as a contract medical officer. As such, he supported National Science Foundation scientists and contractors at McMurdo Station, Ross Island, Antarctica, from Feb.-Oct. 2011.
Working as a physician assistant during the Austral winter, Boyett spent several months in total darkness and in temperatures that plunged to minus 60 F, providing medical care at a small clinic.
“We had several serious illnesses and injuries,” Boyett said. “One of which was a patient with a ruptured appendix that required a mid-winter medical evacuation by the U.S. Air Force. It took one week to prepare the icy runway to allow the plane to land near McMurdo Station.”
Boyett is currently an advanced physician assistant student at ASHS and has been practicing for 13 years.