The challenge of working in some of the world's most emanding environments is what drives on a Galway doctor who has this week arrived in Antarctica where she will serve as ship's doctor on board an icebreaking ship.
Citywoman Dr Deirdre McCormack, from Ballybane Road will look after all the medical needs on board the ice-breaker ship Nuyina working for the Australian Antarctic Division. The journey from Hobart to Antarctica took approximately two weeks and she set off on October 17.
The Australian Antarctic Division is a division of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water – which undertakes science programmes and research projects to contribute to the understanding of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.
In 2019 she spent six months undergoing extensive training at Hobart, Tasmania preparing for her first term in Antarctica where she was based at Casey station.
Following two weeks in hotel quarantine as part of Covid restrictions, she then made the journey to the station in November 2019 and returned to Tasmania having spent 12 full months in Antarctica with temperatures reaching up to -35 degrees.
During the winter months the number of people wintering on the base was reduced to about 35 people.
As well as her other duties, the innovative Dr McCormack drove HAG (large snow machines ), successfully grew tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables through hydro-phonics to provide fresh fruit, and vegetables for the team.
In addition to Antarctica, she has had many job postings in rural locations worldwide including Thompson, Canada, the Falkland Islands and Papua New Guinea.
She has also worked with the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Australia supporting the indigenous population in outreach locations.
Dr McCormack worked with the Himalayan Rescue association (HRA ) Nepal where she did two terms, one in Manang in 2016 where she successfully completed a mountain medicine course and spent four months volunteering as a doctor and supporting climbers at base camp Everest in 2019.
Working at Everest
In this role she provided medical care and advise to climbers who frequently fell victim to altitude sickness and were unable to proceed with the climb.
She also recalls meeting Irish climber Seamus Lawless at base camp before he tragically lost his life later on the fateful summit climb that year.
She has recently under-gone extensive training at Hobart, Tasmania since July for her second term to Antarctica to Mawson station which is the most remotest part of Antarctica.
The training involves a broad spectrum of activities including dentistry, surgery, fire training and helicopter evacuation training to cover all eventualities.
Deirdre is the second oldest of four girls Donie McCormack, a retired teacher from the Bish where he taught for over 40 years; and his wife Joan, a retired dental nurse; who are both very proud of her adventurous achievements.
She went to school in Mervue Scoil Trinoide Naofa and then to Salerno and then onto the then-UCG where she graduated. She moved to Australia in 1995 after she qualified as a GP and held a number of positions there, specialising in womens health care.
She visited Antarctica as part of a tourist trip after working in Thompson, Canada — a trip that sparked hrinterest in working in the area.
The draw increased with her readings about the Endurance and how Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean had survived the extremities of the region all those years ago.
She was attracted by the inspirational story of the explorers who had to cope without any of the modern 21st century equipment or facilities in such a wilderness of ice.
Her desire to play a key role in the missions increased when she met some other doctors who had been part of previous expeditions to Antartica and, once she heard their expriences, there was no stopping her.
Dr McCormack also has a great love of the outdoors, and on her previous trip to Antarctica enjoyed the aurora borealis and the famous emperor penguins of the region. She was fascinated by the seals and bird life also through the changing seasons there.
For the next while, this great expanse will be her home. The sights and sounds the soundtrack to her life, inhaling the air that enticed Shackleton and Crean, and becoming one of the latest generations of Irish people to contribute to the great understanding of the region.
It's a long way from Galway city — but the challenges of the post and the rewards of the environment are what drives on the Galwaywoman.
