MSc Podiatry Students Volunteer at TCS London Marathon 2024

Each year, some 60 Podiatrists, both qualified and pre-registration students from all over the UK, descend on the capital to volunteer for the TCS London Marathon. This year, our first cohort of AECC University College MSc Podiatry (pre-registration) students, along with Associate Professor in Podiatry and Course Leader, Simon Otter, joined peers from the Universities of Brighton, Northampton, and East London. The co-location developed a true multidisciplinary ethos and close working relationships with physiotherapists, nurses, paramedics, physicians, and the voluntary sector (via St John Ambulance) as part of the wider finish-line medical team.

AECC UC MSc Podiatry course at TCS London Marathon 2024

Our students gained valuable experience by providing care for a different client group in a highly unfamiliar “medical setting”. They provided care for runners who presented with a wide range of complaints, including blisters, wounds, sprains, fractures, and hypothermia, and for those who had collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

Podiatrists at TCS London Marathon 2024

As highlighted in Simon’s previous research for the BMC—A Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, our students reported how much they enjoyed the event and how exciting it was to be a part of it. They could utilise both their clinical and interpersonal skills learned from the MSc Podiatry course at AECC UC. The opportunity to work with other professionals and see a multidisciplinary team in action backed up the value of delivering healthcare with a person-centred approach at its core. The nature and range of injuries were a genuine surprise, and the need to support people emotionally was just as important as treating them clinically.

A fantastic opportunity and memorable experience for our MSc Podiatry students – well done to you all for making a difference!

TCS London Marathon 2024