Medical Interpreter (Spanish/English)

The Medical Interpreter training course prepares you to work in hospitals, medical offices and in any healthcare environment where a Spanish interpreter is needed. In addition, the Medical Interpreter training course prepares you to sit in any of the Medical Interpreting examinations available in the country. This course is language specific – Spanish/English.

You will acquire the three interpreting skills – simultaneous, consecutive and sight translation. You will learn the proper transfer of medical terminology into Spanish, divided into the different areas in a hospital and medical specialties. Intensive online interpreting laboratory practices are included in this training course.

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9 Months / 200 Course Hrs
Open Enrollment
Offered in partnership with your preferred school

Butler Community College

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Medical Interpreter (Spanish/English)

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Course code: GES165

What you will learn

  • Develop best practice interpreting techniques - simultaneous, consecutive and sight translation
  • Learn medical terminology in both Spanish and English and the corresponding transfer into the opposite language
  • Understand protocol when interpreting for a Spanish-speaking patient
  • Master the code of ethics of the medical interpreter
  • Study the necessary material to sit in any Spanish Medical Interpreter examination
  • Develop professionalism, accuracy, and a mastery of cross-cultural differences

How you will benefit

  • Prepare for a job as a certified or non-certified medical interpreter
  • Become ready to successfully take the medical interpreter certification exam
  • Master medical terminology in both Spanish and English and take these language skills to any medical-related job
  • Access the course's online laboratory to practice your skills

How the course is taught

  • Self-paced, online course
  • 9 Months to complete
  • Open enrollment, begin anytime
  • 200 course hours
  1. Introduction to Medical Interpretation I
    1. Medical Vocabulary – The Human Body
    2. Pre-anesthesia record form
    3. Medical Vocabulary – System and Senses
    4. Refusal to permit blood transfusion
    5. Medical Vocabulary – Signs and Symptoms
    6. Medical Condition form
    7. Intravenous Contrast Injection Consent
    8. Medical Vocabulary - Facilities and Staff
    9. Discharge Instructions
    10. Colloquialism
    11. Medical Vocabulary - Treatment Procedures, Instruments, Supplies and Medications
    12. Industrial Accidents - Workers' Compensation
    13. Medical Vocabulary - Pregnancy and Delivery
    14. Simultaneous Techniques
    15. Consecutive Techniques
    16. Interpreting Laboratory Practices
  2. Introduction to Medical Interpretation II
    1. Medical Vocabulary - Pediatric/Neonatal Care
    2. Medical Vocabulary - Family Planning
    3. Interpreting for Hospitals – Parents' Rights & Responsibilities
    4. Medical Vocabulary - Communicable Diseases
    5. Interpreting for Hospitals - Taking Care of Mom
    6. Interpreting for Hospitals - The "Baby Blues"
    7. Medical Vocabulary - Sexually Transmitted Diseases
    8. Interpreting for Hospitals - Consent for Cath Lab Procedure
    9. Medical Vocabulary - Dental Health
    10. Interpreting for Hospitals - Environmental History Form for Pediatric Asthma Patient
    11. Medical Vocabulary - Substance Abuse
    12. Interpreting for Hospitals - OSHA Required
    13. Idiomatic Expressions - English into Spanish
    14. Interpreting for Hospitals - Adult History Form
    15. Interpreting for Hospitals - Authorization for Use or Disclosure of Imaging Information
    16. Legal Terminology used in Medical Matters
    17. Interpreting for Hospitals - Advance Directive
    18. Interpreting Laboratory Practices
  3. Sight Translation for Medical Interpreters
    1. Principles of localization
    2. Re-structuring techniques
    3. Principles of reversibility and non-reversibility of Medical terms
    4. Interferences – Filtering syntactical and grammatical interferences
    5. Style in the delivery
    6. Exam taking techniques - Objective versus subjective grading
    7. Transferring of low, regular and high register documents into the opposite language
    8. Stability in the transfer
    9. Interpreting Laboratory Practices

Nestor Wagner

Nestor Wagner is a certified Court and Medical Interpreter who has been teaching interpreting courses since 1990. He has the highest pass rate of certified court interpreters in the nation. He has published several books in the interpreting community. Mr. Wagner is involved in the examination process for Immigration Interpreters and Analytical Linguists. He participates as speakers in national and international conferences on Criminal, Civil and Immigration Court terminology, advanced interpreting skills, and localization in the transfer of legal and non-legal terminology. Mr. Wagner holds a Master degree from the University of Washington.

Prerequisites:

You must speak English and Spanish fluently. There is no requirement regarding formal education in either Spanish or English. However, you must be able to speak English and Spanish without any hesitations.

You should be familiar with using a personal computer, mouse, and keyboard. You should be comfortable in a Windows or Mac environment, and have the ability to launch and close activities.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

  • This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

  • PC: Windows 8 or later.
  • Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader.
  • Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Yes, this course prepares you for any Medical Interpreter certification exam as a Spanish Medical Interpreter.

This course is open enrollment, so you can register and start the course as soon as you are ready. Access to your course can take 24-48 business hours.

This course is self-paced and open enrollment, so you can start when you want and finish at your own pace. When you register, you'll receive nine (9) months to complete the course.

The time allotted for course completion has been calculated based on the number of course hours. However, if you are unable to complete the course, contact the student advising team to see what options you may have available to work out a suitable completion date. Please note that an extension fee may be charged.

Our courses are designed to accommodate various learning preferences. Depending on the course structure, you may get different forms of support. Self-paced courses are designed to be user-friendly and independent, minimizing the need for external support. In courses with instructors, our direct platform support feature includes opportunities for questions, discussions, and remediation, with email and phone support available for select courses. Our student advising team is available to guide you on program requirements and administrative requests, but they do not provide assistance with course content. Our goal is to provide you with the necessary support for success, whether it's through self-paced exploration, direct communication, or guidance from our advising team.

Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion.

This course will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.

This course is non-credit, so it does not qualify for federal aid, FAFSA and Pell Grant. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses. Additionally, some students may qualify for financial assistance when they enroll, if they meet certain requirements. Financing is available from select schools. Learn more about financial assistance.

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