Wemcast

What happens when your first major expedition is one of the world’s Seven Summits?In this episode of the World Extreme Medicine Podcast, emergency medicine doctor Ffyon Smith is joined by Kacylia Roy Proulx, a medical student at McGill University and President of her university’s Wilderness Medicine Society. Together, they explore Kacylia’s experience of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, from early trail excitement to summit-day exhaustion, team dynamics, and the real-time challenge of acute mountain sickness.This is an honest, insightful conversation about why we climb, how we build mental resilience, and what expedition medicine means to someone just starting out.You’ll hear about:The reality of altitude acclimatisation and AMS symptomsNavigating ethical dilemmas on the trailHow expedition teamwork makes or breaks the journeyFinding identity, purpose, and introspection at high altitudeAdvice for medical students looking to break into expedition medicine