PQing

The process of being Physically Qualified to go to Antarctica via the US Antarctic Program is one of the important steps before coming down to the 7th Continent. You get an envelope of papers to fill out detailing your medical history, then you get a physical exam, have lots of blood drawn, go to the dentist, send all of the paperwork in, find out that they've lost the paperwork, and send it again. Then you wait a couple of weeks to hear back from them. (Them in this case is the medical office of Raytheon Polar Services Corporation. Yep, a little division of the company that makes missiles and bombs also runs much of the US Antarctic Program. All of the RPSC folks down here are friendly, hard-working people, but their bureaucracy back in Denver is legendary.) It seems to be a formality for reasonably healthy folks. But a necessary hurdle to pass.