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Yes, if you are translating for patients.
Once per week, at least one hour. The exact number of hours does not matter; rather, your total length of commitment is more important.
I only speak english and italian.
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It's great experience! I'd do it a few hours per week. You'll get a lot of opportunities to translate for physicians which is great.
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I'd suggest trying to be there at least one day each week (not for the entire day but for a portion of the day). Ideally, you can make this a part of your regular schedule for at least a year. If you love it, keep going and do it for as long as you are able; the need is always there.
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....If you're doing TRANSLATING then it probably wouldn't count at all since you'll be in an office looking at documents all day. INTERPRETING is actually being in with the patient and doctor and speaking each language. My main source of volunteer hours was interpreting at a children's hospital. When I asked my pre-med advisor if I could instead count it towards patient exposure hours, I was told no, since I wasn't involved in the direct care of someone. At the time, I was angry but now I agree. As a tech, I'm hands on with patients and am a part of the healing process. As an interpreter, it was mostly a shadowing experience and I had no bearing on the outcome. I'm sure other schools will be different on their definition of "patient exposure" but, this was my experience.
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Yes, technically, "translating" means dealing with the written word while "interpreting" means dealing with verbal communication (or American Sign Language). In casual communications, many people don't distinguish between the two. I think most of us assumed that the OP meant that he would be interpreting during physician/patient interactions.
Schools may vary in what they consider clinical experience or "pateint exposure". Some schools (especially physician assistant programs) want to see provision of clinical care whereas some schools have a more liberal approach along the lines of my sig line, "If you can smell patients, it is a clinical experience."
I was also an interpreter at a free clinic and it was an absolutely amazing experience. I would beg to differ though, I would say that being instrumental in the communication between the patient and the doctor is absolutely going to contribute to the outcome of the encounter. Almost all of my clinical experience was in some way involved with interpreting/working in the clinic where I was an interpreter, and I think it was probably one of the strongest parts of my application when I applied.
