medical interpreter?

[KittycooMD]

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Has anyone done any medical interpreting as in English to Spanish or to Chinese or any other language?
If we are fluent in a language how do we go about getting a job or volunteer position? I looked it up and the American Translators Association says you need to have worked TWO years translating before you can even take the exam to get certified. How can I work for those two years first?
Who go I call? Someone has got to have done this who wants to share 🙂

 

[DropkickMurphy]

I'm on the list for four different hospitals as a German translator- even though I am not fully fluent. None of them have required any certification or anything else from me other than a contact number and a willingness to help out.

 

[MossPoh]

It also depends on the type of translation. I mean there are people that go to intensive programs for a while to learn how to do the translation stuff like the UN uses...listening and speaking at the same time is pretty tough, along with the EXACT meaning not some paraphrased version. Um. Volunteering, translating courses, etc are about the only ways I can really think of getting experience. If you are talking translating papers and stuff then I'm sure there are companies more than willing to pay for an apt translator to do that. I have seen numerous jobs for stuff like software localization as well...but I doubt you are looking for full time jobs.
Dropkick..how much german have you had? lol Maybe I should consider putting myself on a list.

 

[Carmenita79]

I got certified as a Spanish Interpreter in my state (I think the rules for this vary by state and some states probably don't have rules). Here, you just have to pass an oral exam that covers general conversation, medical terminology (in both languages), interpreting ethics (common sense like the interpreter needs to be complete and accurate (everything in 1st person), the interpreter can not give their opinions, etc). As long as you pass the test, you don't have to have prior experience. Your state department of health might have more info.

 

[dr.z]

I'm at a hospital doing research. They sent us a memo regarding the knowledge of second language, and if we are willing to serve as a translator.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Dropkick..how much german have you had? lol Maybe I should consider putting myself on a list.

About two and a half years of speaking and four years of reading. Formally though, I've only only had three semesters at this point.

 

[viviaNN]

Hi~ I volunteer in CA and our hospital provided us the option of taking a 40 hour class that gave us a certificate (the course is like what Carmenita79 described for her exam). After that we are allowed to interpret for patients in the hospital. They did screen us for fluency, you have to at least be able to read the language because the teaching material was in the target language.

According to my instructor, you can take a test to become state certified, if you're interested in getting a better job that's what you should do, she also did say that it's just something you pay like 300 bucks to get and then 100 each year to keep. So~ your state may be different.

This is a relatively new field so there's no written standard. The organization that gave the class for MI for us was an insurance company call LA Care. Good luck in your search!

 

[KittycooMD]

I'm on the list for four different hospitals as a German translator- even though I am not fully fluent. None of them have required any certification or anything else from me other than a contact number and a willingness to help out.

DropKick: How did you get on these lists? Which department in a hospital should I call? Do you ever actually get calls to interpret? How often?

 

[Carmenita79]

DropKick: How did you get on these lists? Which department in a hospital should I call? Do you ever actually get calls to interpret? How often?

Do you live in DC? I noticed this children's hospital has an interpreting department, you may want to contact them and see what to do:
http://www.cnmc.org/dcchildrens/forparents/subservices/interpreter.aspx

 

[Booner]

I've volunteered as a Spanish interpreter at a free medical clinic for migrant workers. I got wind of the program through one of my professors, talked to the director who spoke with my professor and had a wonderful time helping patients. My advice if you'd like to volunteer without getting the certification would be to call around to any free/cheap clinics in your area and see if they have a need for a translator. Maybe you'll get to help them start a translation service if they don't already have one but have the need.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

DropKick: How did you get on these lists? Which department in a hospital should I call? Do you ever actually get calls to interpret? How often?

I actually was "recruited" by one of the EM docs. They had a patient who was a German national who was shouting at the nurses in German. I looked at the doc and go "He's saying his chest hurts." So I kind of stumbled across the role. After I was put on the call list for one hospital, other hospitals started asking me to do it. I've only been called maybe a half dozen times.

 

[MossPoh]

Heh. I had to help some German tourists out before..they were pretty surprised when it came out of my mouth. THe other night I tried to explain to my hostmother the concept of a "garbage disposal" and all that...not the easiest thing to explain though. She finally understood and then goes "So you dump all that in the ocean right?" ...Yea...trying to explain grinder pumps, treatment plant that it went to...not exactly the words I've learned by German lit and what not...