Meet the only female general surgeon who went on an Indian Antarctica expedition

Imagine walking out on a sheet of ice looking up at the sky and spotting the sun and moon simultaneously in the middle of the night Dr Vaidehi Venkateswaran knows that feeling ldquoI physically cried when I landed in Antarctica I had been thinking about it for so longrdquo she admits As part of the 44th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica ISEA helmed by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research NCPOR under the Ministry of Earth Sciences MoES Venkateswaran was the only female medical officer on the Indian contingent for a whole year till she returned on December 15 2025The PistenBully used by the team to travel over the iceGood timingThe conversation begins with the most obvious question mdashhow does one apply to work as part of an expedition to Antarctica ldquoIt began in 2015 when I was at a student forum and a teacher of mine spoke about her own participation as part of an expedition It sparked a curiosityrdquo she reveals In early 2024 Venkateswaran submitted her official application to NCPOR ldquoIt was good timing They were beginning to invite applicants for the expeditionrdquo she sharesA view of the auroras in the skyWhat followed was a rigorous course of interview rounds including acclimatisation training at the IndoTibetan Border Police In November 2024 she joined members from Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO the Geological Survey of India GSI and the Indian Meteorology Department IMD among others as part of the expeditionldquoFor a girl from Mumbai who had never seen snow I was amazed that the plane landed on a sheet of ice Also when I landed it was Polar Day daylight for 24 hours I could see the sun and the moon in the night sky This was the closest I could get to an outofearth experiencerdquo the doctor saysMore than a medicThough she was part of a medical team of two doctors and a nurse Venkateswaran shares that the job was more than just medicine Once the resupply ship drops off rations and fuels and leaves in February the expedition is on its own Without mobile networks and limited internet connectivity radio is the only means of local contact ldquoThere are only 24 people on the station in Winter and it is so quiet Winter depression can set inrdquo she explainsAs a member of the medical team Venkateswaran would join field visits to ensure safetyNaturally birthday celebrations Christmas and festivities are taken seriously as are Independence Day and Republic Day mdash we hoist the National Flag with much pride she reveals mdash to keep morale high ldquoMost people will only be on the continent once in their lifetime after allrdquo the 31yearold saysEvery morning the team would check in for a meeting and be assigned tasks A member of the medical team would accompany the team on every field visit ldquoYou learn to multitask beyond your specialty We learned to sew gloves though there are always spares or apply desi jugaad when the need arisesrdquo Venkateswaran sharesSome of the research activities included mdash stake measurement on the continental ice to study the patterns of ice gain and loss measurement of sea ice thickness the station also provided launch support for the NISAR satellite launch ldquoIn winter the Southern Ocean around the continent freezes You can walk on ice that is 115 metres deep There are no landmarks or vegetation So it is easy to get lost You have to always carry a GPS to find your way backrdquoAn unforgettable adventureAntarctica is home to penguins But sadly the Andheri resident stayed away from them ldquoWe are strictly told not to interact with the wildlife on the continent The animals particularly Adeacutelie Penguins can get very curious since they do not view humans as predatorsrdquo she saysA view of the base stationWhile she waits for a debrief in the coming year the doctor is still coming to terms with the onceinalifetime experience She misses the stillness and quiet on the continent It also reminds us of the common humanity She says ldquoDuring winter apart from the three stations Indian Russian and Chinese there is no one else for thousands of kilometres The teams lend a hand to each other in emergenciesrdquo she says adding a warning ignored by scifi filmmakers ldquoYou cannot survive Antarctica solordquo Itrsquos something we forget easilyShe says ldquoIf yoursquore familiar with the movie Paa there is a scene where Amitabh Bachchanrsquos character creates this plain white globe He calls it a world that has no borders wars or divisions Antarctica is like that White pristine but just as dangerousrdquoLog on to ncporresin