UNE medical students put clinical skills into action for runners of Maine Marathon

As runners completed the Maine Community Bank Maine Marathon, Half Marathon, and Marathon Relay on Sunday, Oct. 4, over 30 student volunteers from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) were ready to help them recover.

Working from a tent near the start and finish along Portland’s Back Cove, 34 first- and second-year students practiced Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) therapy with race participants under the supervision of UNE physician faculty. The experience allowed students to apply lessons in anatomy, physical examination, and osteopathic manipulative treatment in a fast-moving community setting.

For Baillie Kappel (D.O., ’29), who helped bring the student volunteers together, the event demonstrated how clinical education and public service can reinforce one another.

“Not only did this offer immediate support and relief to the runners, but it allowed students to see how OMM works in a real-world setting,” Kappel said. “Second-year students gained valuable teaching experience, while many first-years practiced the techniques they had been learning over the last few weeks.”

OMM therapy is a hands-on approach to address musculoskeletal pain, in which osteopathic physicians use techniques to diagnose, treat, and help prevent illness or injury by improving motion in the body’s joints, muscles, and connective tissues. It is a distinct branch of medicine taught to students pursuing medical degrees through schools like UNE’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The day’s peer-to-peer model paired first-year students, fresh from coursework focused on the lower extremities, with second-year students who could guide them as they treated runners. Faculty members remained on hand to oversee care and offer technique tips.

For the students, that combination of supervised practice and direct patient response made the race a valuable extension of the classroom. Michael Conte, D.O., associate clinical professor of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and a faculty supervisor at the event, said he saw their confidence grow as they applied their developing skills.

“I saw example after example of runners getting up from the treatment table with reduced pain and improved movement, with students describing their excitement in being able to work with these athletes and feeling more confident in their skills after the experience,” Conte said. “For the runners, many of whom were not familiar with osteopathic medicine and osteopathic manipulative therapy, it was a chance to experience this form of care and see the benefits firsthand.”

As Maine’s only medical school, UNE COM extends its impact far beyond campus through experiences that connect students with the communities they will serve. At one of New England’s longest-running marathon events, the 34 volunteers introduced a broad audience of runners and spectators to osteopathic medicine while providing hands-on support when athletes needed it most.

“Bringing together students to support our community and represent UNE COM was such a meaningful experience,” Kappel said. “It was incredibly rewarding to see that what we were doing was having such a substantial impact on the students and the community as a whole.”