Anatarctica Steven F. Viegas, MD, Galveston , TX Antarctica , which was discovered to be a continent only as recently as 1841, has a short but remarkable history of exploration and discovery. The United States National Science Foundation has had an active research presence in Antarctica since 1959. Currently the National Science Foundation has three research stations (McMurdo, Palmer and Amundsen-Scott South Pole stations) in Antarctica . The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston supports the medical specialty and technical support for the healthcare needs of the staff and the scientists of these stations through its Telemedicine program. The remote location, extreme environment and technical limitations of these sites offer unique challenges to healthcare delivery.