Page 18 - The Medical Interprete
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THE MEDICAL INTERPRETER

                      Training


                                              Even if you have worked as an interpreter for several years, you should
                                              still meet the minimum local standards for obtaining training in medical
                                              interpreting. In general, in the United States, most training programs for
                                              medical interpreting are given outside institutions of higher education.


                                              Such training programs range in length from a few hours to a few days.
                                              Most often you will receive a certificate at the end of the program.
                                              Hold on to it; a certificate for community, court, general or medical
                                              interpreting is a valuable credential. For medical interpreting you
                                              should hold a certificate stating that the training was for community
                                              and/or medical interpreting. You might also need proof that you have
                                              studied medical terminology as part of your program.


                  In some cases, instead of a certificate you might get a signed letter that confirms your attendance
                  at the program. Whether it is a letter or a certificate, this credential should show your successful
                  completion of the course. “Successful completion” usually means you took a written exam and/or
                  an oral exam of your interpreting skills. If you lose that credential, request a new one, scan it and
                  keep the electronic copy so that you never lose it again. It will be important for your career.


                  A certificate of attendance is not as valuable as a certificate of completion that shows you passed a
                  written and/or oral test, but it is still important.



                      Higher education


                  If you have a degree in any subject from an institution of
                  higher education, such as a university or a community
                  college, that degree is also a relevant credential. In some
                  cases, for example, that credential might exempt you
                  from taking language proficiency testing for a certain
                  language. Some organizations might also require that
                  you hold a degree to obtain employment, for example,
                  as a staff interpreter at a hospital.


                  In addition to a general degree in higher education, some
                  universities and colleges today offer certificate programs or degrees in general interpreting or in
                  community, legal and/or medical interpreting.


                  Most U.S. university or college programs in healthcare interpreting are not degrees but courses
                  or certificate programs. In other words, most of them are short one- or two-semester programs.
                  However, some courses are part of undergraduate degree programs in interpreting or interpreting and
                  translation, and some are part of master’s programs in general, community or healthcare interpreting.


                  Interpreting programs in higher education in the United States and elsewhere are often combined
                  with translation studies.

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