Why Are Boston Spanish Medical Interpreters In High Demand?
Those with a Spanish Medical Interpreter Certification, specifically with a medical background, are in high demand in Boston.
Why?
37.7% of the residents in Boston speak a language other than English according to census data – do you know one of the top languages?
Spanish
Overall Massachusetts boasts a large population of Spanish speakers originating from countries including:
- The Dominican Republic (81,841 individuals)
- El Salvador (35,176 individuals)
- Guatemala (29,430 individuals)
- Colombia (21,959 individuals)
- Mexico (14,238 individuals)
- Honduras (10,366 individuals)
- Peru (7,106 individuals)
- Ecuador (6,534 individuals)
- Venezuela (4,227 individuals)
- Spain (4,007 individuals)
Various countries of origin mean a variety of Spanish dialects spoken.
For example, in Spain alone there’s Castilian Spanish, Andalusian, and Murcian. Then there are the various Latin American Spanish dialects such as those spoken in Mexico (referred to as Mexican Spanish), Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and Bolivia (referred to as Andean Spanish), and that in Argentina and Uruguay (known as Roplatense Spanish).
Needless to say, individuals with a Spanish Medical interpreter certification are needed in order to allow Limited English Proficient Spanish speakers from around the world, access to vital services in Massachusetts - especially healthcare.
Boston is home to some of the top medical institutions in the world, and doctors and nurses need to be able to interact with their Spanish speaking patients. Spanish medical interpreters can help them do just that – acting as a linguistic and cultural bridge between patients of different cultural backgrounds and medical professionals.
To become a Spanish medical interpreter, individuals should pursue training classes that can serve as prerequisite experience for gaining a Spanish Medical interpreter certification. That being said – what does a Spanish medical interpreter do?
What Does a Spanish Medical Interpreter Do?
A Spanish medical interpreter does two things:
- Relays spoken information between English speaking medical staff and Spanish speaking patients.
- Helps ease cultural barriers that exist when it comes to providing or receiving medical care.
Medical interpreters are familiar with complex medical terminology and subjects in both Spanish and English, to allow them to provide clear and accurate communication between their listeners.
They must be fluent in both English and the patient’s dialect of Spanish in order to provide precise interpretation. Not only is this important in terms of efficiency, it also carries ethical weight as the risk of health complications is increased when an un-trained, un-professional, and non-fluent medical interpreter is used.
Spanish medical interpreters can expect to work in a variety of settings including:
- Doctor’s offices
- Emergency rooms
- Hospitals
- Clinics
While sight translation may be performed, it is not common for Spanish medical interpreters to provide translations of patient medical documents or records.
Spanish Medical Interpreter Certification
Many times Spanish interpreters will pursue medical interpreter certification to further their employment prospects.
This is achieved through an Examination given by the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters. To sit for this exam, individuals must complete a pre-requisite of 40 hours of interpreter training or experience.
How Can Language Connections Help Me Get A Spanish Medical Interpreter Certification?
Language Connections offers a 60 hour, 7 week Medical Interpreter Certificate Training Program in Boston for those interested in pursuing the national board exam. Within this program, we offer classes specifically for Spanish interpreter training.
Our medical interpreter classes cover the fundamentals of interpreting, the interpreter’s code of ethics, medical terminology and human anatomy. Upon finishing our course, students receive a certification of completion which can serve as proof of training for the board exam, or for other employment opportunities.
Our Advanced Medical Interpreter training course, open to students upon completion of our Fundamentals of Medical Interpreting program, specifically prepares participants to take the board examination, as well as provides them with further medical knowledge that will be useful in the field.
All classes are taught by professional medical interpreters, and class sizes remain small to encourage one on one time between students and teachers.
Want to get started on achieving your Spanish interpreter certification today? Register for our next upcoming medical interpreter training course!
