For the first time, a registered nurse was added to the staff during the winter season, and ultrasound equipment was flown in. After Shemenski complained of pains, the new equipment was used to send images back to physicians in the United States. The other safeguard against emergencies is the extensive medical and psychological tests that the National Science Foundation in Washington requires for everyone bound for Antarctica. But Thompson, the doctor who slipped and hurt his back, said even the most rigorous medical examinations aren't foolproof. For many Antarctic scientists, the risk involved is part of the allure of living in such a harsh environment, especially for the small elite bunch who choose to remain through the winter.
People like to know that they can do it, that they are strong.
That's why they went. They went to test themselves.