ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

Alumni Spotlight: Bill Roberts, M.D., M.S.

Going the distance in sports medicine

Last fall's Twin Cities Marathon was a record-setter: It was the hottest race in the event's 26-year history.

The heat — 74 degrees with 87 percent relative humidity at the race's 8 a.m. start — contributed to several other records as well, says William (Bill) O. Roberts, M.D., M.S., a Medical School alumnus (Class of '78) and the marathon's medical director.

An avid outdoorsman and sports enthusiast, Bill Roberts, M.D., M.S., is also a nationally known expert on sports medicine.

About 900 people dropped out during the race this year — nine times the typical number who don't make it to the finish line, Roberts says — shattering the previous record of about 300.

The heat was also a factor in an increased number of ambulance transports (80) and a record number of people needing medical assistance at the finish line (292).

"We worked a little harder this year," Roberts says.

But he doesn't mind that at all. "The runners are fun to take care of," he says. "They're so motivated. We see a lot of smiles."

Being involved in the Twin Cities Marathon is just one of Roberts's many extracurricular activities. By day, Roberts is a professor in the University's Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and in July, he became program director of the St. John's Hospital family medicine residency program. He's also a past president of the American College of Sports Medicine, founding member of the American Road Race Medical Society, chair of the sports medicine advisory committee for the Minnesota State High School League, and member of the USA Soccer Cup advisory committee.

A well-known expert on sports medicine nationally, Roberts enjoys writing and presenting on sports medicine topics at professional meetings. But what he says he loves most is his volunteer work caring for athletes in marathons and other road races.

'If you can't play...'

Roberts has been an avid athlete since high school. He played hockey ("until I got cut") and football ("until I was too small") and ran cross-country and track ("I was a sprinter — I liked to get it over with quickly"). Page 2 »

Medicine in the wilderness

University of Minnesota medical students are leaving their books and laptops behind to hone their skills on ski slopes, whitewater, and vertical rock faces.

The students are combining their medical training with their love of the outdoors as members of the Wilderness Health Society (WHS), a 250-member club that is open to all health professional students at the University.

"It's fun and it's educational," says WHS president Katie Pastorius, a second-year medical student. "A lot of it is hands-on experience and practical skills."

On ski trips and rock climbing excursions, for instance, students have learned about surviving avalanches and splinting broken bones. The group also has gone kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, snowshoeing, and winter camping — learning how to handle the myriad medical risks that accompany outdoor adventure.

Medical School alumnus William Roberts, M.D., M.S., is the group's faculty adviser. Pastorius says it's obvious that Roberts is passionate about teaching and the outdoors.

"He's a great mentor," she says. "He is so enthusiastic, and he's very knowledgeable about wilderness topics."

Roberts says he's glad to be part of such an energetic group. "I wish I had thought of doing something like this in medical school," he says. "It's a fun application of your medical training."

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Alumni Spotlight: Bill Roberts, M.D., M.S.

'If you can't play...'

Medicine in the wilderness