Healthcare Interpreting vs Translating & Your Future Career

Healthcare interpreting is a very different career than working as a medical translator. And while "interpreter" and "translator" are often used interchangeably, they are very different careers. At the core, a medical interpreter is someone who converts spoken conversation from one language to another; whereas a medical translator works with written texts. Both of these language professionals provide essential services for people who don't speak the common language- but they require different skill sets. In the United States, most clients will be working with people who are Limited English Proficient (LEP) but the work is required in every country that welcomes foreigners.

Healthcare interpreting training in the United States

Bilingual adults who aspire to work as a language provider, should seriously consider a medical interpreter training course. Our expert instructors will conduct each class LIVE through our video conferencing platform, that brings the classroom to your living room. We structure our courses this way to provide students with the highest quality online learning experience possible.

Delivered in English, your healthcare interpreter instructors will cover essential concepts, skills and strategies. Basic anatomy & physiology, foundational industry terminology and language coaching in real-time do more for our students than similar competing companies can. Simply because our online medical interpreter program is comprehensive, and centers the learner in our approach.

Interpreting is a skill. Hearing conversation in English, and converting it into another language for your client in the moment is a hard thing to do. Not only does it have to be immediate, but it must be correct and it must be precise. Bilingual adults who aspire to work in the medical fields must hold themselves to a higher standard, because one simple mistranslation could have a serious impact on your client who is relying on you to advocate for them. Should students desire to pursue official certification through their state, we offer an accelerated & advanced medical interpreting course that will prepare you to take your state licensing exam.

Healthcare translating training in the United States

Healthcare translating on the other hand, is different. Working with written texts, medical translators can find work helping LEP (Limited English Proficient) patients access and understand documents. Where interpreters rely on things like body language and facial expressions, translators use texts and context clues to translate information from one language to another.

Translator training for the healthcare industry requires a similar foundation of understanding. You must understand a certain level of medical terminology, basic anatomy and physiology functions, procedures and "doctor speak." But it requires vastly different approaches to translating documents than interpreting conversations does. That's why our translation and localization training is separate- because there is more that goes into interpreting and translating than simply knowing two languages. Both are skills that require different trainings in order to provide a high quality service for those in need.

Molly Romano Remote Copywriter

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