The PQ Test
The Physical Qualifications form came in my email. It is perhaps the most stressful part of the whole program. Knowing I was one of the lucky individuals chosen to be a PolarTREC teacher, meeting a fantastic cohort of colleagues/ new friends, sharing with everyone you meet that you are going to Antarctica, but there is one that test to pass... the PQ!
A 14-page health form that encourages the poking and prodding of every nook and cranny to make sure there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with you. Anything that could cause problems when the nearest hospital is an 8-hour flight away, by an evacuation team, if you are lucky enough that the weather is good for the flight to land and take off. The added fear is they could actually find something seriously wrong during this process. Though the PQ process of today is less intense than in the past.
Terrie M. Williams, Ph. D. stated for her first trip to Antarctica in 1983 the trip meant "typhoid and tetanus inoculations, wisdom tooth extraction, and even consideration of appendix removal for the winter overs. Any organ or tissue that could give an expedition member problems on the ice was simply eliminated" (Williams, 2004) I am glad that this is not the case anymore.
I quickly glanced at the document and I see EVERY field must be filled in, but I don't have a nickname... This is the first question of many I have.
I got to the section I dread the most, shots... I need a flu shot, a TB test, and an extensive blood work panel. I have actually only ever had my blood taken once. It is kind of ironic that I am absolutely terrified of needles and I will be working on the research team which will be extracting blood from Weddell Seals.
I continue reading; what does "Non-Deferrable" mean? Google's response was not straightforward, but deferrable means postponed, that would make it not postpone-able?
Dental... A lot easier to understand. Dental exam, full x-rays, my wisdom teeth have been removed, and orthodontics which basically means I agree to wear my retainer as instructed.
Vision... Also, pretty basic except for the part that my "glasses must be held on by a retaining strap...side protectors are recommended" I feel as though I may look like my late grandfathers.
As I finished reading through the 14 pages of testing I must undergo my stress levels were definitely high, my "resting" heart rate most definitely reached the high range and if I were to have gone for my stress test, I would have probably failed.
Most of my doctor appointments will occur in the following month. Stay tuned to my journals as I journey through the PQ clearance process.
Williams, Terrie M. The Hunter's Breath on Expedition with the Weddell Seals of the Antarctic. M. Evans and Co., 2004.
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