Medical Interpreter & Medical Translator: 3 Key Differences

Medical interpreter or medical translator? If we told you these are separate professions requiring different training, would you believe us? These days, folks may not be aware because these terms have been used interchangeably. When you compare the two professions from a macro perspective, there are quite a few similarities. They both help people communicate, they both increase language accessibility, and they both require a mastery in both languages. For the bilingual adult looking for a career change, that person would have to complete 2 different language training courses if they want to work as BOTH a medical interpreter AND a medical translator. So what is the difference?

"Okay, so what is a medical interpreter?"

A medical interpreter is a bilingual adult who works with spoken conversation. They go to medical appointments with their LEP (Limited English Proficient) clients because the doctor speaks English and the patient does not. The medical interpreter is in the room either physically or remotely, relaying conversation between the doctor and patient in real-time.

"What does medical interpreter training consist of?"

They must have completed a medical interpreting training program that teaches essential techniques, skills and vocabulary for prospective medical language interpreters. They must be intimately familiar with medical terminology in both languages, understand different situations require different interpreting approaches, as well as anatomy and physiology in both languages.

Prospective students must be aware that other medical interpreter programs provide a different level of quality. For example, all of our students receive 100% LIVE instruction ✅ through our video conferencing technology. Our expert instructors✅ have real-world experience and create online interpreter training programs that are unique and engaging✅. We even provide additional advanced medical interpreter training for those students who want to pursue their medical interpreters license and receive additional training that will be on their licensing exam. With a team of real medical interpreters to teach you, and the ability to take your education as far as you want to with advanced medical interpreting training - our courses go above and beyond the competition.

"How is medical interpreter training different from medical translating?"

Medical translating deals with written documents. Think medical records, patient consent forms, and any literature or document a doctor gives a patient. Where medical interpreters deal with verbal communication, medical translators deal with written communication. They implement essential strategies and utilize fundamental technology to assist them. A translating certificate course is a vital first step towards becoming a medical translator.

Our online translator classes are taught by expert instructors ✅ who have real-world experience in their interpreting specialty. They have worked hard to make fully remote online courses that are unique and engaging ✅ using a hands-on approach that is unparalleled by the competition. If you or someone you know is interested in our online Medical Interpreter Training Programs with live instruction✅, our fully remote yet real time classes ✅ are offered in Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Farsi, French, Hindi, Korean, Somali, Urdu, Ukrainian languages online and onsite.