Brody student helps translate COVID-19 information for patients nationwide

In a nod to the spirit of the “Brody family”—a concept of closeness and commitment to service that bonds those in East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine—one student is helping families across the nation understand the COVID-19 pandemic in their native languages.

Mona Amin, a rising second-year Brody student, is one of about 150 medical students nationwide who helped produce the COVID-19 Health Literacy Project, a resource that translates information on the novel coronavirus into a variety of languages and helps advise patients on when and how to seek care. The resource can be found at www.covid19healthliteracyproject.com.

A 2017 ECU Honors College alumna and Early Assurance Scholar to Brody, Amin was enlisted by Pooja Chandrashekar, a first-year medical student at Harvard Medical School and founder of the COVID-19 Health Literacy Project.

“I was having a difficult time explaining COVID to my grandparents in their native language, Gujarati,” Amin said. “After finding an informative video, I shared it on my Instagram to help some of my Gujarati friends explain COVID to their families. One of my friends at Harvard Medical School loved the video and asked if I wanted to be a part of this health literacy initiative.”

The project quickly gained ground and expanded into a national coalition of more than 150 medical students representing over 35 institutions and 34 languages.

Amin immediately offered her knowledge and expertise in the project, working as part of the design team for the fact sheet geared toward children between 3 and 6 years old. She focused on creating graphics that are easy for audiences to understand. The information was then translated by other team members and reviewed for accuracy.

Rising second-year Brody School of Medicine student Mona Amin helped translate information on coronavirus into a variety of languages as part of a nationwide project.

“All of our materials are carefully reviewed and vetted by faculty members at Harvard Medical School, and are created in collaboration with Harvard Health Publishing,” Amin said.

Once the project was completed, the group shared the finished product with hospitals, universities, clinics and organizations that they felt would benefit from the information. They continue to share it nationwide.

Dr. Mary Catherine Turner, clinical associate professor in Brody’s Department of Pediatrics, said Amin and other Brody students embrace the school’s mission of improving health care for the people of eastern North Carolina. Projects like the Health Literacy Project reflect their ability and willingness to contribute to creative solutions to current crises.

“We see examples of this time and again with the many volunteer hours spent in the community during their demanding medical school curriculum and in mobilizing relief efforts in the aftermath of hurricanes,” Turner said, “and it is not at all surprising that in the midst of a pandemic, Brody students quickly identify ways to use their knowledge and skills to contribute to those beyond the medical school campus.”

Turner said Brody’s focus on diversity also lends itself to projects with a global impact.

“One of the many benefits of the concerted efforts to increase diversity among the student body is the ability of their collective talent to identify needs and solutions that might not have otherwise been readily apparent,” she said. “Individual students with the dedication and talent such as Mona Amin contributing to the passion for service displayed by the Brody School of Medicine make me extremely proud to be an alumna and a faculty member.”

Amin said the experience allowed her to reach out and contribute on a national and global scale in an area she was already committed to improving—communicating medical information to those who need it. It also allowed Amin, who grew up in Charlotte and is considering specializing in either women’s health or sports medicine, to continue growing and learning as a future health care provider.

“As a medical student, I am in an interesting space right now,” she said. “I know that someday I will be on the front lines, and it is easy to feel helpless while we continue our medical education from home. I know that several medical students across the country are stepping up to do what they can to help during this time whether it’s delivering food to health care workers, babysitting

for physicians while they are at work and more. In fact, Brody has created a spreadsheet of volunteer opportunities so that we can stay connected and help our community during this time.”

In the meantime, Amin is strengthening the family ties that root her to home and bridge her experience at Brody.

“I often help my parents with health care appointments for my grandparents, and it has truly taught me the importance of health literacy, especially when it comes to non-English speaking populations,” she said. “Although I was such a small part of a very large team, it feels great to know that these resources are being used locally in Greenville and all around the world.”

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