Volunteer slots free on Pan Am med team

ER doctors and nurses needed for more than 100 positions at Games

Paging doctors with no vacation plans.

With less than two months until the Pan Am Games, the medical team is short more than 100 volunteers.

The Games rely on 1,750 volunteers, and only a dozen paid staff, to provide comprehensive medical care, including on-field emergency treatment, to athletes, coaches and officials.

Doctors and medical practitioners, such as nurses, physiotherapists and chiropractors, are needed to work venues north and east of the city, including the Ajax ballpark and the newly built aquatics centre at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus.

In downtown Toronto, doctors and nurses with emergency room experience are needed.

Dr. Julia Alleyne, the chief medical officer for the Games, said she hopes volunteers will gain an understanding of both sports medicine and providing medical care for large events.

“Whether it’s a Rolling Stones concert or a sport event, there are a lot of similarities to bring that team together in a model that works for the province,” she said.

More than 63,000 people have applied to be part of the 23,000-strong general volunteer force since the Games started taking applicants in April 2014.

But Alleyene started recruiting medical volunteers well before then.

“For two years, I just did talks at every conference for every profession,” she said. “I had a lot of people warmed up.”

Her pitch to potential volunteers included getting on-the-job training and creating more knowledge-sharing in the profession.

“This is really about the legacy of building a sport medicine community that’s trained, integrated, engaged.”

Orthopedic surgeon Tim Dwyer was happy to lend a hand.

He’s volunteered for other sporting events, such as the World Junior Hockey Championship, and is eager to see elite athletes in town.

“It’s an amazing opportunity as a spectator and a great opportunity as a doctor as well,” he said.

Applications for all volunteers close May 31.

Potential volunteers could be called at any time leading up to the Games, which start July 10, as others may drop out.