On October 9, more than 40,000 runners raced in the annual Chicago Marathon. This year, more than 10 students from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) volunteered to assist a team of healthcare providers to ensure the runners were healthy and safe during the event.
The volunteers were part of the Emergency Medical Club and Sports Medicine Club on the Downers Grove Campus. They arrived on site at 4:00 AM on race day to help check in the medical volunteers, including physicians, nurses, podiatrists, psychologists, and healthcare students. Once the race started, CCOM students were responsible for documenting patient encounters in the main medical tent. Additionally, the students worked with interdisciplinary healthcare teams in different units within the medical tent, including an intensive care unit. They tended to runners experiencing dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities, and severe muscle cramping.
“I personally found this to be a valuable experience. It was great to be able to observe healthcare delivery in a unique setting as well as play a role in supporting some impressive athletes,” said Jane Leach (CCOM 2025), Emergency Medicine Club President.
To learn more about the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, please visit: https://www.midwestern.edu/academics/degrees-and-programs/doctor-of-osteopathic-medicine-il
To learn more about the Emergency Medicine Club, please visit: https://midwesternu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/emclub
To learn more about the Sports Medicine Club, please visit:
https://midwesternu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sportsmed
Original source can be found here.
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