On March 17, the Association of American Medical Colleges advised suspending student contact with patients, and Georgetown heeded that guidance.
Within a few hours, six third-year medical students, led by Hannah Day (M’22), had set their sights on mobilizing a national student-led movement to support those on the front lines of the pandemic response. By the next day, they had a mission statement, a new website, and a social media presence.
MedSupplyDrive collects personal protective equipment (PPE) from researchers, businesses, and individuals around the country and coordinates donations to hospitals with the greatest need.
By activating their networks, the organizers generated a remarkable response. In just over a week, the movement attracted more than 341 volunteers from 37 states, including volunteers from 41 undergraduate universities and 66 medical schools. The numbers are growing by the day, as reports of health workers facing intense shortages of PPE increasingly dominate the headlines.
“We understood that a lot of students like us were suddenly sitting on the sidelines during this crisis, wanting to be involved, and feeling downhearted that they were taken out of clinical rotations at a time when it felt essential to help,” says Zuby Syed (M’22), coordinator of communications and one of the founders.
MedSupplyDrive volunteers have collected PPE from research labs, tattoo parlors, construction and auto body companies, and individuals, among others. There is no minimum donation—even one box of masks will help, according to the organizers.
With the exception of the pickups and deliveries of donated equipment, the entire operation is virtual.
All information from donors, health care providers, and volunteers is managed via their website: medicalsupplydrive.com. Regional coordinators around the country organize local volunteers and coordinate donations.
The streamlined donation process is geared to minimize human contact. Donors are advised on how to package their equipment or supplies. Then a volunteer arranges a “no-contact” pickup and takes the materials directly to a local hospital.
“We’ve tried to evolve quickly because every day the picture of this pandemic is changing, and the need for PPE continues to grow,” Syed says.
The team analyzes statistics on coronavirus hot spots daily, adjusting social media outreach to ensure they reach regions most in need.
Organizing the effort has offered students a lifelong lesson about pivoting toward something positive when it feels like a door has closed.
“We believed there was definitely something we could do and needed to do,” Syed says. “Lives were on the line. We connected with others that felt similarly.”
