Medical Interpreter Certificate Training - Q & A
1) Why should I choose your Medical Interpreter Certificate Training Program?
2) How much does the Medical Interpreter Certificate Training program cost?
Please see all upcoming courses and prices on our "Upcoming Courses" page here >>>
3) When will the next Medical Interpreter Training session start?
We start new courses every 2 months. If you would like to receive regular updates about upcoming courses please sign up for our newsletter here:
4) Where will the Medical Interpreter Certificate course be held?
Our training locations may change for every session.
To see the address of the next training please go to the "Upcoming Courses" page here >>>
5) How can I register for the Medical Interpreter Certificate Training course?
HOW TO REGISTER:
STEP 1
Register online and pay $50 non-refundable registration fee online to reserve a seat in the course.
PLEASE NOTE: Your registration is not valid without the $50 registration fee.
STEP 2
After you register online and pay a $50 registration fee, a language coach will contact you by email or by phone to schedule a 15-min phone Language Assessment Test with you. All the tests are usually scheduled 2 weeks before the course starts.
STEP 3
If you pass the pre-test you will need to pay your course fee before you start the program. You can pay your course fee online through your student account, call the office to pay with a credit card on the phone or send a check or a money order to our office address (below):
Office Address:
Interpreter Training Programs
Student Support Team
2001 Beacon Street, Suite 105
Boston, MA 02135
STEP 4
Anatomy and Physiology books that you will need for this course are listed on the Reading List page.
6) Who can attend the Medical Interpreter Certificate Training ?
Anyone who finished high school and is bilingual in English and another language and successfully completed language assessment test. No degree is required.
No experience in the medical field or prerequisite courses are required.
7) Will I receive a Medical Interpreter Certificate after completing the Medical Interpreter training?
If you attend all the classes, complete the program and successfully pass the Final Assessment Test you will receive a Certificate of Completion of a Medical Interpreter Training Program. You will be able to apply for a job with this certificate at any hospital.
Our 60-hour program also provides you with the knowledge and skills that you need to take the National Board Exam as a requirement for earning your Certified Medical Interpreter credential – CMI.
Some hospitals require only the Certificate of Completion, but some also require applicants to take the National Board Exam. After completing our training you will be prepared and equipped to take that exam.
8) Who is going to teach this Medical Interpreter Training course?
The program consists of 3 parts:
- Medical Interpreter Core Competency (delivered in English; it covers basic concepts and strategies);
- Anatomy and Physiology (delivered in English)
- Language coaching (it includes language practice and role-plays in the target language)
We have a team of professional trainers, medical interpreters and clinicians who have years of experience.
The Core Competency part is taught by a lead trainer and a professional Medical interpreter (Inna Persits, M.S., M.Ed.) who taught for many years at Boston University.
Anatomy and physiology is taught by an experienced instructor who is a professional clinician.
Language coaching and role-plays in the target language are offered by experienced medical interpreters who are native speakers of the target language.
9) Which dialect of Arabic language is used for Language Practice in the Medical Interpreter Certificate Training course?
The language classes are delivered in Modern Standard Arabic. Our Arabic trainer is very professional and experienced and also knows the difference between variations of Arabic language that people speak in different countries. We had students from Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco and other Arabic-speaking countries.
10) What happens if I fail the Language Assessment Pre-test?
In order to attend the course you have to be able to speak fluently English and the Target language and you have to pass the test. If you don't pass it this time, you can register for the next session and try to pass it again.
11) How can I prepare for the language Assessment Pre-Test?
To be accepted into the program, applicants must pass an Oral Language Assessment Pre-Test and demonstrate fluency and literacy skills in English and the target language.
The test will be administered orally on the phone by our Language coach. You will have to interpret sentences from English into the Target Language and from the Target Language into English.
To prepare for the test students usually get a medical English/Target Language dictionary and study names of body parts, internal organs and main illnesses.
Our Language coach will call you or email you to schedule the oral phone test with you after we receive your Application and your registration fee. We usually start testing students 3 weeks before the course start date.
12) Do you offer any financial aid?
Sorry, we do not offer any financial aid. Students are required to pay the full fee prior to the first class.
13) Can you help me get a job in the Medical Interpreting field?
No, we do not provide job placement services (and no other company will be able to do
that for you), because all hospitals have their own requirements, application
rules, interview procedures and their own Language Assessment tests and we can't
influence them.
However, because we are a Language Agency and provide language services to
healthcare companies and hospitals, we often get requests from them for medical
interpreters and we usually recommend our best students.
14) Where can I get the Medical Interpreting internship?
A 15-hour internship at a healthcare facility under the supervision of a trained interpreter is recommended (but not required). Students are supposed to arrange their internships themselves. They usually apply for internships at local hospitals.
15) Is there any demand for medical interpreters in my target language?
To find an answer to this question please check most popular job search websites to see job listings for medical interpreters in your target language. That’s the only way to find out if there is any demand for your target language in this area.
We recommend the following websites: indeed.com, monster.com, craigslist.org.
16) Are payment plans available for Medical Interpreting course?
For students who are unable pay the course fee in full prior to the first class we offer the following option: you can pay 50% of the course fee weeks before the course starts to reserve a seat in the course and 50% on the first day of the course.
The registration fee ($50) should be paid with one payment.
You can make these payments with a check, a money order, credit card or cash.
17) What languages are offered in the Medical Interpreter Certificate Training course?
The Medical Interpreter Certificate Training course is offered in: Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese Chinese.
Not every language is offered at a specific session. We require a minimum of five participants in a language group in order to offer the course in that language.
18) Can I take the Medical Interpreter Certificate Training course if it is not offered in my Target language?
You can take the Reduced Version of the course.
The main course consists of 3 parts: Interpreter’s Core Competencies, Anatomy and Physiology and Language Practice in the Target Language.
The Reduced Version of the course consists of 2 parts (Interpreter’s Core Competencies AND Anatomy and Physiology) without the 3rd part (which is Language Practice). The Reduced Version of the course is 40 hours total.
As a part of your homework you will receive Medical Terminology lists (that you will need to translate with a dictionary at home) and Role Plays that you will practice on your own. A 15-hour internship at a healthcare facility under the supervision of a trained interpreter of your target language is recommended after the course.
If you decide to take the Reduced Version of the course you won’t have to pay the full course fee. You will receive a 50% discount off the course fee. Before you start you will need to take a Free ESL test (English as a Second language).
If you complete the Reduced version of the course and pass the final test you will receive the Medical Interpreter Training Course Letter of Attendance.
19) Can I get a Medical Interpreter Certificate in 2 languages?
Yes, but not at the same time, because you won't be able to sit in two language groups at the same time. You can choose one language, complete your program and then take only the language Part of the program with the next course to get a Certificate in the second language. You won't have to pay the same price again. the course fee in this case will be prorated for you.
20) Can you help me get a student visa?
Sorry, we can't help you get a visa. Our course is a part time program and you need to be a full time student to be able to get a student visa.
21) Do you have any discounts for healthcare workers?
No, unfortunately we don't offer any discounts for healthcare workers. We don't have any sponsors, so the price is the same for everyone.
To read more about online Medical Interpreter Training click here >>>
If you would like to receive more information about our programs please request more INFO here.
If you have any questions please contact:
Student Support Team at (617) 277-1990.