On Call in the Arctic

A Doctor's Pursuit of Life, Love, and Miracles in the Alaskan Frontier

By: Thomas J. Sims

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

Imagine a young doctor, trained in the latest medical knowledge and state-of-the-art equipment, suddenly transported back to one of the world’s most isolated and unforgiving environments - Nome, Alaska. That’s what happen to Dr. Sims. His plans to become a pediatric surgeon were drastically changed when, on the eve of being drafted into the army to serve as a MASH surgeon in Vietnam, he was offered a commission in the US Public Health for assignment in Anchorage, Alaska, where he was scheduled to act as chief of pediatrics at the Alaska Native Medical Center.

But life changed along with his military orders when he learned he was being transferred from Anchorage to work as the only physician in Nome. There, he had the awesome responsibility of rendering medical care under archaic conditions to the population of this frontier town plus 13 Eskimo villages in the surrounding Norton Sound area. And he did it alone, with little help and support. All the while, he was pegged as both an “outsider” and an employee of the much-derided federal government.

In order to do his job, Dr. Sims had to overcome racism, cultural prejudices, and hostility from those who would have liked to see him sent packing. On Call in the Arctic reveals the thrills and the terrors of frontier medicine, showing how Dr. Sims had to rely upon his instincts, improvise, and persevere against all odds in order to help his patients on the icy shores of the Bering Sea.

©2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Fantastic!

My husband and I have trouble finding a book we can both agree on. There was no doubt that this one checked all the boxes and we both loved it.

Better than I expected!

I’m not sure why this book caught my eye, most likely good reviews and a true story.
But, I’m glad it did. My kind of guy and he kept his head and made it happen by learning, listening, and persevering.

Wow. Just Wow.

To say I loved this book is an understatement. The book was amazing. It was a a gripping page turner, one I never wanted to stop listening to. I felt such a deep endearing love & kinship w/ the author though we never met through his stories and I feel like I know him & the great people of Nome, that I wouldn’t otherwise have gotten to know. The narration was pure perfection. Like a beautiful symphony that hit every note perfectly. Probably the best narration I’ve ever heard on Audible and I’ve listened to a lot of books. Definitely get this book today. You won’t regret it.

Great Story, Great Narrator

Loved this book! I've been trying to get into audiobooks but often they don't keep my attention. This narrator was amazing though, and I couldn't stop listening! Great story of medicine and life in the Arctic in the early 70s.

Nome, Alaska medicine in 1972

Interesting, worth a listen. Medicine practiced on a shoestring in a remote Eskimo town. Wish he said what happened to the dog he tried to save. Lots of conflicts with administrators and others, bits of whining, so not all medical.