The Medical Interpreter training is actually a community and medical interpreter training combined teaches student how to interpret in community and medical setting.

A Medical Interpreter specifically facilitates communication between the medical and healthcare staff and a patient with limited or no English proficiency.  They provide accurate interpretation and translation of critical medical information in direct service to physicians and/or other health care providers who are seeing patients.

Being bilingual is often confused with being an interpreter.  While a person must be bilingual to be an interpreter, interpreting is its own skillset.  Being a bilingual does not automatically make someone an interpreter as it requires a certain level of education to acquire the necessary methods, skills, and accuracy. The Medical Interpreter training teaches students how to be an interpreter.

Yes, you must pass a Language Proficiency Assessment to determine your fluency in both English and another language before you are eligible for the training. When you register for the Medical Interpreter training, you will be contacted about the Language Proficiency Assessment, so please register well before the start of the training. The price for the language assessment is built into the Medical Interpreter training price.

Yes, Medical Interpreters are typically hired by healthcare institutions as an independent contractor or as full-time staff. Community Interpreters can be hired by health service organizations or other social services.

According to the US Bureau of Statistics, as of May 2018, the average annual wage of an interpreter was $49,930 and it is projected to grow 18% from 2016 to 2026. This is higher than the average 7% growth rate for all the other occupations.

In Connecticut, to be a certified to be a Medical Interpreter, a person much complete a minimum 40 hours of training from a reviewed trainer. A person then must take and pass an exam from CCHI (Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters) or from NBCMI (National Board for Certified Medical Interpreters). The Health Education Center Medical and Community Interpreter training has been reviewed by IMIA (International Medical Interpreters Association).  A certificate from the Health Education Center in Medical and Community Interpreting meets the educational requirements to become a certified medical interpreter and prepares students for the certification exam.  The certification exam is not part of the training. For legal reasons, many healthcare institutions require a Medical Interpreter to be certified.

The requirements to get certified by CCHI or NBCMI are:

• Be 18 years or older
• Hold a high school diploma or equivalent
• Demonstrate proof of bilingualism (the Language Proficiency Assessment given at the start of the training meets this requirement)
• Have a certificate for professional training in community and medical interpreting of at least 40 hours (the Community and Medical Interpreter training taught by the Health Education Center, meets this requirement)