Page 17 - The Medical Interprete
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1.2
Medical SECTION
Interpreter Credentials
LEARNING Overview
OBJECTIVE 1.2 A credential shows one’s ability to carry out a certain job or task.
It can be proof of one’s qualifications. Although many credentials
After completing this exist for medical interpreters, they often lead to confusion. For
section, you will be able to: example, many interpreters do not understand the difference
List and compare between a certificate and certification.
interpreter credentials,
including certificates and This section examines what you need to know about credentials for
medical interpreters and which credentials are important to obtain.
certification.
Learning Content
Basic credentials for interpreters
Types of credentials
The United States has a number of credentials for interpreters,
DEFINITION including national and/or state certification for medical, court
Communicative autonomy and ASL interpreters. The common types of credentials that an
Credential
interpreter should keep in his or her portfolio include proof of:
A quality, skill, or experience that • Education
makes a person suited to do a job. • Training
• Language proficiency testing
A document which shows that • Skills testing
a person is qualified to do a • Certification
particular job.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary At a very basic level, medical and other community interpreters
in the United States should be able to produce:
• Proof of age (18 years of age or older).
• A high school diploma or equivalent. 7
• Proof of bilingualism, such as a language proficiency test
certificate.
• Proof of training: in the United States, the widely accepted
minimum is 40 hours of training in healthcare interpreting.
7 An “equivalent” might be a U.S. General Educational Development (GED)
diploma or a secondary studies diploma from another country.
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