Are Portuguese Medical Interpreters needed in the Boston area?
Are you considering obtaining a Portuguese Medical interpreter certification? Are you interested in working in the Medical field? Do you want to help people using your language skills?
If you answered yes to either of those questions, you may want to consider enrolling in a medical interpreter certification course. Portuguese medical interpreters are in relatively high demand in Boston area hospitals, meaning there are a variety of job opportunities for individuals in this field.
The Portuguese Language In Boston
As of 2015, Portuguese was the 5th most spoken, non-English language in Boston. With a population of 61,232 tracing roots back to Brazil, and 43,037 to Portugal, it’s no wonder that medical providers are seeking the help of professional medical interpreters who speak Portuguese.
As the Portuguese language differs between Brazil and Portugal, medical interpreters will be needed to interpret for each dialect. Medical terminology between the two languages can be very different, and if a Brazilian patient is unfamiliar with the European Portuguese term, medical complications can arise.
It can also be problematic if the interpreter is unfamiliar with the patient’s terminology, and as such gives the doctor or nurse incorrect information regarding their health.
Having a Portuguese interpreter certification specifically for Brazilian Portuguese or European Portuguese thus becomes extremely important to avoid health risks.
What Does A Portuguese Medical Interpreter Do?
Portuguese medical interpreters will primarily be responsible for two things:
- Relaying spoken information in English and Portuguese between medical staff and limited English proficient (LEP) patients.
- Helping to ease cultural barriers to medicine that may exist between American healthcare methods, and those of the patient’s culture.
In order to work effectively as a Portuguese medical interpreter, one must know complex medical terminology in both English and Portuguese. It is also important that the interpreter is able to explain these concepts to the patient, in case he or she is unfamiliar with them.
As such, in order to gain a Portuguese interpreter certification, one must dedicate time to studying medical terminology and concepts, and comprehending them in both English and Portuguese.
It should go without saying that a Portuguese interpreter also needs to be fluent in both English and Portuguese – again to mitigate health complications arising from mis-interpretations.
A Portuguese medical interpreter can expect to work in a variety of settings including:
- Doctor’s offices
- Emergency rooms
- Hospitals
- Clinics
While translation is a separate skill from interpreting, at times a Portuguese medical interpreter may be asked to sight translate certain medical forms for LEP patients.
Portuguese Interpreter Certification
In order to become a certified interpreter, Portuguese speakers must pass an Examination given by the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters. In order to be eligible to sit for the exam individuals must have 40 hours of training or experience.
Many Portuguese interpreters choose to pursue a medical certification to make them more competitive in the job market, though it is not a requirement at all healthcare facilities.
How Can Language Connections Help Me Get A Portuguese Medical Interpreter Certification?
As mentioned above, in order to be eligible for the medical interpreter certification exam, students must have at least 40 hours of training or experience.
Language Connections offers a 60 hour, 7 week Medical Interpreter Certificate Training Program in Boston. Upon completion of the course, students will have basic knowledge of:
- The interpreters’ code of ethics
- Medical terminology
- Human anatomy
- Basic skills of interpreting
With this knowledge and training time, students are able to pursue the national board examination. If a student chooses not to pursue Portuguese interpreter certification, he or she can still use the certification of completion obtained when students pass Language Connections’ course to pursue other employment opportunities.
Our interpreter training classes are all small in size, and taught by practicing Portuguese medical interpreters, giving students access to real life advice and scenarios.
We also offer Advanced Medical Interpreter training, available to students upon completion of our Fundamentals of Medical Interpreting course. This program is specifically designed to help prepare students to take the board examination, and provides them with more advanced medical knowledge.
So if the job of a Portuguese medical interpreter sounds right for you check out our Medical Interpreter training Boston courses, and get started on your way to becoming an in-demand, certified medical interpreter today!
Get the necessary, in person training in order to become a competent professional interpreter. Register now for one of our interpreter training programs: Medical Interpreter Training, Legal Interpreter Training or Community & Business Interpreter Training.
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Contact us for more information:
Phone:(617) 277-1990
Email: support@languageconnections.com
