It's safe to say that Devan Sutaria made the most of his time as a student-athlete at Drew University.
 
A Biochemistry major, he conducted cancer research spanning all four years at The Forest, culminating in a passed honors thesis. A Dean's List student, he earned numerous academic accolades along the way and graduated with a 3.93 GPA.
 
As an athlete, he bounced back from a career-ending injury as a baseball pitcher and picked up a brand-new sport in tennis, eventually working his way into the starting lineup.
 
Additionally, he served as sports editor of The Drew Acorn, Drew's student newspaper, and was a representative for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
 
But his greatest impact was felt hundreds of miles away in Central America.
 
Following his freshman year, Sutaria started a chapter of Global Medical Brigades to lead medical missions to under-served, under-resourced communities in rural Panama.
 
Sutaria successfully led efforts to raise $40,000 over two years, resulting in two brigades in May 2024 and May 2025 that delivered quality medical, dental, and pharmaceutical care to over 400 patients across four different Panamanian communities. He recently took the time to reflect on his incredible experience.
 
How did you initially arrive at the idea to start the chapter of Global Medical Brigades?
In the summer after my freshman year at Drew, I knew I wanted to start an initiative within the healthcare equity sphere that could accomplish something far bigger than any individual effort. When I first decided to pursue a career in medicine as a kid, I appreciated how the most skilled healthcare workers were not only to help their patients feel better physically, but also mentally and emotionally in a sort of all-encompassing manner. Since then, I always had a passion for approaching healthcare with a holistic view, and a few weeks of research over the summer led me to Global Medical Brigades, the largest student-led movement for global health equity.
 
The organization prioritized that same holistic view of care, and I set up a call with them in early August to discuss opening a chapter to lead an entirely student-run medical brigade to rural, underserved communities in Panama. Also, a few months prior in March 2023, I tore my ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in my first ever collegiate start -- which posed a tremendous obstacle in the form of a surgery paired with 14 months of recovery -- but it also allowed me to allocate time to other endeavors, such as starting cancer research, working in a hospital, and (most valuably, in my opinion) starting a chapter of GMB.
 
Can you talk about your first trip?
The way the brigade was structured is that we spent the first day immersing ourselves in the Panamanian culture — attending local restaurants and traveling to Panama City — before traveling about three to four hours to our compound in the more rural areas, which is where we hosted our brigade. Our medical brigade itself spanned four days. The first day was spent conducting interviews in Spanish with a translator and learning the ins and outs of what the healthcare system is truly like, and hearing from the families we were about to treat for the following three days. We asked them questions on their lifestyles, histories, and overall impressions of their healthcare system, often finding that it poses an immense amount of difficulties and strain in the forms of expenses, travel, and accessibility. We spent the next three days in two different communities, rotating between several different stations at the local elementary school, which they were kind enough to shut down in order for us to host our brigade. Our stations consisted of an intake station (where we obtained their personal information, insurance coverage, and their primary reason for attending our clinic), triage station (where we took their vitals such as heart rate, respiratory rate, blood, pressure, height, and weight), medical and dental stations (shadowing local physicians and dentists, and even assisting with some procedures, such as tooth extractions, cleanings, etc), "Charla" (where we gave informational presentations to the kids about sustainable health practices, ranging from topics like brushing your teeth and washing your hands to what chronic diseases and illnesses are and how to prevent them), and finally pharmacy (where we assisted a local pharmacist in the distribution of patients' medications that were prescribed to them in the medical/dental station).
 
How was the experience similar or different the second time?
While the first medical mission was filled with amazing memories and connections, returning for the second year is to this day the most rewarding, fulfilling experience I've ever had. I don't even think it's a stretch to call it one of the highlights of my life in terms of how profound and impact it had on me and the other volunteers who joined me. It also helped that I felt more of a sense of a calmness and collectedness having already led one brigade. Across both years, we assisted over 400 Panamanians. Just hearing the stories of how difficult it was for them to get access to quality care, many of them breaking down into tears or even giving us offerings as a thank you. To this day, I wear a necklace around my neck that one of the patients there made for me. 
 
It would be difficult to name every volunteer who came on both brigades, as the final tally would result in over 35 students. But I would like to highlight Nadia Porchetta, who played two years for the Drew field hockey team, and Jazshua Andes for being my co-vice presidents and being an amazing help both before the brigades, as well as during them. I would also shout out Emily Shirk, a four-year member of the Drew women's volleyball team and also a captain for her senior year, and Kiana Massey. Together, the five of us were the only members to attend both years. What were the most rewarding aspects of this experience, and how do you feel that it changed you?
What I loved most about this trip, as hard as it is to narrow it down to just a few things, was that it truly transcended any other pre-health experience I've been a part of or heard of. I never tried to limit this experience just to the science majors at Drew, and we even had some people join us who were of other majors and interests, but just shared an enthusiasm and willingness to help those in need. Over the course of each brigade, you really start to realize that you are not there for the communities, but instead with them. It brought me back to my first-ever motivating factors as to why I wanted to pursue a career in this field: not solely to prescribe medicines and perform procedures, but to put smiles on the faces of those who need it most while just doing everything we can to optimize their health, longevity, and happiness. There's truly nothing like it.
 
Do you think you will stay involved with medical missions in the future?
Without a shadow of a doubt, I cannot wait to attend my next medical mission. I am about to start medical school at Robert Wood Johnson, and one of the cool opportunities they offer is two weeks at the end of your first year that they leave completely empty, and they actually encourage you to go on a medical mission, after you have gained more medical education and expertise. As memorable as the experience was just going as a volunteer, I can only imagine how much more fulfilling it will be to return as a medical professional, and be in more of a position to help.
 
How important was it for you to be such an active member of the campus community and beyond during your time at Drew?
From the moment I started at Drew, I knew I wanted to leave an impact extending beyond just a classroom or the athletic department. I came in expecting to be a four-year baseball player, but that got thrown off track after my injury. At that moment, I remember feeling helpless, but it actually lit a fire in me to engage in as many opportunities across campus while still making a sizable impact in each of them. Though the baseball door closed, it opened up avenues in tennis, being the sports editor for the university newspaper, Global Medical Brigades, cancer research and honors thesis, and really honing in on the academic side of being a pre-med student as well. I met great people all along the journey, and I became a much more diverse, open-minded individual because of it.
 
Can you touch on your athletic experience at Drew? How were you able to balance being a student-athlete with all of the other many activities in which you participated?
My athletic journey is not something I ever could have predicted, but it's also one I wouldn't trade for anything, as cliche as that sounds. I was never quite the same pitcher as I was before my injury, but Tennis Coach Geoffrey Diehl allowed me to walk on, and the choice to switch from baseball (a sport I'd played all my life) to tennis (a sport I'd never played before) ended up being one of the greatest decisions of my life. Beyond just having the privilege to contribute as a starter to a team that made the Landmark Conference semifinals, I learned what it means to adapt in the face of adversity, work harder than ever before to improve at a new sport, and learn how leadership and communication styles differ between a team sport in baseball to an individual (but still a team sport) in tennis. There are lessons and bonds I'll cherish forever in both sports, but there was something special about pushing myself past my limits to thrive in a new environment that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.
 
Balancing school, athletics, Global Medical Brigades, and all the other extracurriculars was never easy, but I was fortunate enough to truly enjoy and appreciate all the different aspects of what I was a part of. There were a lot of nights that I just couldn't wait to let my head hit the pillow, but I never remember dreading the activities I was a part of. My best advice to anyone is to not treat anything like items on a to-do list that have to get checked off, but instead try to genuinely join activities and experiences that will transform you for the better. That way, everyday feels like a privilege.