For a group of seniors, getting to actively participate in the medical world has been the silver lining of COVID-19.

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

Seniors Alexa Kalish, Ava Linas, Ana Martino and Emma Finkelstein founded the club during quarantine. Kalish said she had the idea after deciding it was time to take action against the medical injustices numerous people were facing nationwide.

“Over the pandemic, all of these inequities were really exacerbated. You could really see them being way more prevalent,” Kalish said. “Everyone was able to open their eyes a little bit more to them, including me. I wanted to do something more and bring it to the high school community because I felt like that was the right thing to do.”

Once they founded the club they acted on the issues immediately. Through their determination for change, they were able to raise awareness for medical inequalities.

“We organized 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 successfully running for a little over a year, despite the hardships leaders faced from the numerous schedule conflicts of the 2020-2021 school year.

Kalish said that the club can both initiate students to get involved in the real world of medicine and help people form bonds.

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

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

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

Kalish said that one of the club’s goals is to spread awareness for the issues that people working in medicine experience daily.

“It’s anything from socioeconomic to racial disparities, and we address all of that through our educational sessions from medical professionals,” Kalish said.

Sophomore Piper Kelly signed up to participate in the club this year and said she looks forward to expanding her understanding on these subjects.

“What first caught my eye was the medical part. I am excited to learn how real jobs in the medical field 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, as it is an opportunity for students to get educated on the real world issues of medicine while building a strong community of students to share common goals and interests with. Linas said she looks forward to this upcoming school year.

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