Ramie Fathy: Founding POHPS to Unite Medical Students (Podcast #49)
In the first podcast of our COVIDcast series, we interviewed Ramie Fathy, a third-year medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine. A graduate of Princeton University, Fathy created the Philadelphia Organization of Health Professions Students (POHPS) to help students organize responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Where it Began
On a fateful afternoon in mid-March, medical students received an email that changed the way their medical education was structured the rest of the year.
“We had a sense that it was coming,” Fathy said. “Doctors were postponing appointments and transitioning to telemedicine.”
As clinical rotations were canceled and students were ordered out of the clinics, Fathy’s first thought was to read a dermatology textbook. “Along with some video games,” Fathy laughed. But over the next few weeks, he and his fellow students began to wonder what the next steps would be, as the school made it clear they were not supposed to have any face-to-face interaction with patients.
Fathy decided to make a Facebook group, to see if it would facilitate communication across institutions in Philadelphia and help students work together. Within a few hours, a couple hundred people had joined. Within a week, 2,000 people had formed various committees and sub-committees within the group, from medical schools, veterinary schools, public health schools, and medical institutions across Philadelphia.
What is POHPS?
As the network grew, POHP’s mission evolved. The goal of the group is to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on the Philadelphia community in a variety of ways. These include supporting healthcare workers by collecting and delivering personal protective equipment and supplies, helping with grocery purchases, virtual tutoring, and synthesizing information on COVID-19. Currently, Fathy coordinates committees and sub-committees, constantly brainstorming ways to improve outreach. Students from places as far as New Zealand are trying to start similar programs, asking for resources and advice.
Their PPE collection model is based on the PPE to NYC approach: a student compiled all the companies in Philadelphia that might have PPE, while other students called the companies to ask for donations. Students came up with creative ideas on who might have relevant equipment: tattoo parlors and nail salons became sources for gloves; construction companies donated masks. One student, Charlotte Tisch, called museums like the Barnes Foundation and the University of Pennsylvania Museum to ask for respirators, gloves, and masks. The POHPS effort quickly collected several thousand pieces of PPE from the local community.
Other initiatives that POHPS has spearheaded include information dissemination and wellness initiatives. To address misinformation, POHPS compiles educational materials for public and health professional students in multiple languages, sending out information blasts in daily newsletters. POHPS is also working with Dr. Zarraga, an emergency medicine resident, on regular video updates on his experience in the emergency room and the state of COVID-19 crisis in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, for wellness initiatives, POHPS posts regular discussions to promote connection, socialization, and normalization during this abnormal time of social distancing.
For his key takeaway, Fathy states that the platform of choice is critical. The Facebook group was great for getting people on board, but not the best for regular updates or general requests. Thus, POHPS has moved towards a website platform (POHPS.org). If you are interested in getting involved with community volunteer efforts, check out the website.
