Surf, Science, and Survival: A Doctor’s Life in Remote Medicine

From remote surf camps in Indonesia to some of the most isolated islands in the South Atlantic, Gemma van Huyssteen has built a career shaped by curiosity, adaptability, and medicine far beyond hospital walls.

In this episode, Gemma shares her journey as a GP with extensive experience in remote, wilderness, and marine environments. She talks candidly about working in settings where evacuation can take days, resources are limited, and clinical decision-making relies as much on preparation and judgement as formal protocols.

You’ll hear about:
• Providing medical care in remote Indonesian surf communities
• Managing hazardous marine and wilderness injuries in austere environments
• Life and clinical responsibility aboard highly isolated research vessels
• Teaching and working around dive and marine-related injuries in challenging settings
• Why stepping outside conventional medical career pathways can open unexpected doors

This conversation explores what real-world remote medicine looks like, the nuance between training and lived experience, and how surfing, science, and medicine intersect in places where help is never close by.

Follow more of Gemma’s work:
Surfing Doctors Association: https://surfingdoctors.com/
Instagram: @gemstargazer – https://www.instagram.com/gemstargazer

Connect with Marcus:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-stevens

A thoughtful, grounded discussion about building a meaningful medical career off the beaten path, and being honest about what experience really looks like in extreme environments.

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