Aligning student‐led initiatives and Incident Command System resources in a pandemic

Abstract

Removed from classrooms and clinics amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health professions students have answered the call to fulfil alternative roles by rapidly mobilising to address health system and community-identified needs in innovative ways. 1 Many institutions, including the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), have formally recognised student roles by adding service learning requirements to adapted curricula. Although the crisis has spurred an explosion of student-led volunteer initiatives, many risk operating beyond the protection of their academic institution and could bolster their efficacy by harnessing institutional resources.