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Athletic Training Students Help Power Falmouth Race
Graduate students manage medical tent to assist racers
Second-year graduate students in Sacred Heart University’s Master of Science in athletic training (MSAT) program gained valuable hands-on experience when they provided medical services this summer at the 53rd annual Falmouth Road Race in Falmouth, MA.
SHU MSAT students volunteered as medical providers at the August race. Stationed in the medical tent at the finish line, they were available to triage various injuries and diagnose and treat runners experiencing exertional heat stroke. Students in the MSAT program volunteer their service annually at the Falmouth Road Race, where exertional heat stroke is all too common.
Julie Nolan, assistant clinical professor of athletic training who manages the SHU partnership with the Falmouth Road Race, said the work Sacred Heart students do at summertime races like the one in Falmouth is extremely important. “Exertional heat stroke is the second leading cause of sudden death among athletes and is often fatal if not quickly recognized and treated,” she said. “Our students had the opportunity to recognize athletes who were exhibiting common signs and symptoms of exertional heat stroke, perform a core body temperature assessment, assess various vital signs, and treat them via whole-body, cold-water immersion.”
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Nolan’s connection with the race goes back more than two decades. “When I began working at SHU in 2015, I had already been intimately involved with the Falmouth Road Race for almost 10 years, serving as a medical volunteer and conducting numerous research studies related to various aspects of exertional heat illness,” she said. “When I began teaching, I wanted to transition my involvement with the race to prioritize student learning.”
As an educator, Nolan said, there is no better feeling than seeing your students make a difference in their respective fields. “This event is so special to me personally, and to be able to share it with my students is extremely exciting and rewarding,” she added.
For volunteer Joseph McCormick ’26, the race-day experience filled him with confidence in his skills and career choice. “Working the race is now a memory I’ll always hold close,” he said. “It was a privilege to care for athletes who pushed themselves to achieve such an incredible feat, and the experience reinforced why I’m passionate about athletic training.”
Want to help people get moving?
SHU’s athletic training program employs strategies that produce technically skilled and empathetic health care professionals who are leaders in their profession. To learn more about SHU’s graduate health programs, reach out to Lea DiStasio, director of graduate admissions & recruitment, by scheduling a meeting, emailing distasiol2@sacredheart.edu or calling 203-371-7884.
Prospective international students should contact Edith Goutier, director of international admissions, by emailing goutiere@sacredheart.edu or calling 475-450-5714.
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