Dr. Michele Raney

Board Member

The first woman and first female physician to winter-over at the South Pole, Raney served as Station Physician, 1979, where, in addition to being responsible for all aspects of medical care, she was a participant and winter-over investigator for a multi-year medical research project through the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, studying human immune response in bio-isolation. Also ran the base store and post office. After earning an M.D. at University of Southern California, and training in surgery, practiced emergency medicine for several years before completing specialty residency training in anesthesiology at Stanford University.

Over more than two decades, provided consultation, orientation and training to medical personnel for the U.S. Antarctic stations. In 1987, returned to Antarctica to perform site-specific medical facility assessment and training. Served as faculty at Stanford University and University of California Los Angeles Schools of Medicine.

Invited guest to SCAR’s Working Group on Human Biology and Medicine on multiple occasions. Participated in Oxford University training program for anesthesia in remote and austere environments (including Antarctica). Served as volunteer physician providing education and clinical anesthesia care on numerous surgical outreach programs in including INTERPLAST, ROTAPLAST, and International Medical Alliance. (INTERPLAST, was the subject of the 1997 Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject, “A Story of Healing”.) Served as visiting educator for World Federation Societies of Anesthesiologists in Central America. Served on specialty governing and implementation committees of INTERPLAST.

Currently specializes in anesthesiology in California, Montana, and New Mexico, is a leader on the board of the California Medical Association and the California Society of Anesthesiologists and a leader in the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Raney Peak in Antarctica is named for her.