How to Become a Medical Translation Specialist
Medical translation specialists, also called health care interpreters, play a vital role in health care delivery for patients with limited English proficiency. Without help communicating with their doctors, nurses, lab technicians or other health care providers, these patients would find it almost impossible to receive quality medical care. There is no national standard for education or certification for medical translation specialists. But because medical translation experts provide such a crucial service, and because errors in understanding and communication can pose grave risk to a patient's health, proper training and preparation will not only help you get a better job, it could also be a matter of life or death for the patients who will one day depend upon you.
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Instructions
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Develop fluency in at least two languages. To be a successful medical translation specialist, you will need to understand nuances in meaning in the native languages of the patients and the health care providers you will be working with. You will also need to understand medical terminology in both languages. Standards for language proficiency are thus much higher than some other types of translation work. Although it is not required, a certificate proving language proficiency in your target language will make you more appealing to prospective employers. The American Translators Association, for example, provides certification in 24 language combinations involving English for its members, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor statistics. Some employers, such as Massachusetts General Hospital, will also require applicants to pass their own proficiency tests to qualify for jobs.
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Take a training course from a recognized institution. Several private institutions and two- or four-year colleges offer programs that prepare students for the specific set of demands that will be made on them as medical interpreters. These programs teach interpreting skills and provide introductions to medical terminology and concepts. The International Medical Interpreters Association provides a list of medical translation training programs on its website.
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Volunteer. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor statistics, many translation and interpretation agencies will consider only applicants who have three to five years experience in the field. You can develop this experience through paid or unpaid internships at hospitals or clinics or by offering your services to the American Red Cross during a crisis through the American Translators Association.
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