For a group of older people, actively participating in the medical world has been the silver lining of COVID-19.

Officially operated through Socially Responsible Surgery at Boston Medical Center (BMC), the Medical Equity Club introduces students to medical disparities nationwide while supporting BMC physicians and patients.

Seniors Alexa Kalish, Ava Linas, Ana Martino and Emma Finkelstein founded the club during quarantine. Kalish said she came up with the idea after deciding it was time to take action against the medical injustices faced by many people across the country.

“During the pandemic, all of these inequalities have been really exacerbated. You could really see them being a lot more prevalent,” Kalish said. “Everyone was able to open their eyes a little more, myself included. I wanted to do something more and bring it to the high school community because I felt it was the right thing to do.

Once they founded the club, they immediately acted on the issues. Through their desire for change, they have been able to raise awareness of medical inequalities.

“We held a personal protective equipment drive to donate to BMC, and that was really our inspiration to start the club,” Linas said.

Since then, the club has been operating successfully for just over a year, despite the difficulties encountered by the leaders due to the numerous scheduling conflicts for the 2020-2021 school year.

Kalish said the club can both inspire students to get involved in the real world of medicine and help people connect.

“I hope that people who are in this club will find a sense of community and be able to be with people who have similar interests to them, as well as feel that they are making a difference in their communities,” said Kalish.

After their fun and creative work last year, Linas said the Medical Equity Club hopes to expand its acts of service to BMC COVID-19 patients.

“We created cards for hospital patients, especially patients who couldn’t see their family members. This year we hope to do it again, but closer to the holidays, so that they are more festive and meaningful,” Linas said.

Kalish said one of the goals of the club is to raise awareness of the issues that people working in medicine face on a daily basis.

“It’s anything from socioeconomic disparities to racial disparities, and we address it all through our healthcare professional educational sessions,” Kalish said.

Sophomore Piper Kelly signed up to attend the club this year and said she looks forward to broadening her understanding of these topics.

“What first caught my attention was the medical part. I’m excited to learn how real medical jobs work and how I can apply it in my everyday life, both the medical part and the equity part,” Kelly said.

Linas said all students should join because it’s an opportunity for students to learn about real-world medical issues while building a strong community of students with whom to share common goals and interests. Linas said she is looking forward to this next school year.

“It’s a great way for anyone interested in social justice or the medical professions to get involved,” Linas says. “I think this year we’re going to be able to have a lot more impact. In general, I’m super excited to see what we can do.