My quest to become a certified Spanish medical interpreter

For the last 9 years, I taught English in Latin America.

The time I spent from Colombia to Argentina to Brazil and finally back to Colombia was exhilarating.

I solidified my Spanish fluency and picked up some Portuguese along the way.

While there were many challenges from financial to health setbacks, I always held dear this phrase - ''Sigo adelante'' - I go forward.

Going Forward

So, now, at the tail end of 2017, I plan to go forward into the next year as a certified Spanish medical interpreter.

I am already a certified translator from Spanish and Portuguese to English. 

Florida International University, one of the handful of educational institutions that offer such a program in the United States, prepared me well to convert text from Spanish and Portuguese into English.

Of course, I had interpreting classes as well. It was just that I could not appreciate them enough at the time because my Spanish was not as strong as it is now.

Hint: If you are studying a second or third language  now, remember this one factoid - you need to LIVE in the country where the language is spoken to really dominate it.

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I follow my own advice that I give to my ESL students!

Now, I am ready to meet and surpass the challenge to become a medical interpreter.

Certified Medical Spanish Interpreter

Health care is already a sore subject in the United States for many reasons. 

Delivery of medical services has even grown more acute because of recent political chicanery.

Nevertheless, a trend I saw way back in 2000 while working in Washington, DC, has also reached a fever pitch now - the strong influence of the Spanish language in the US.

I actually took 4 years of Spanish in high school and learned a lot. 

Taking Spanish in high school for a long time seemed like a punchline for many, but it is big time serious right now.

While I minored in French at Florida State, I returned to Spanish learning after 9/11 in DC when I decided to become fluent by studying in Madrid, Spain in 2002.

While I am a certified translator  now, I now want to go a step further to be a certified Spanish medical interpreter.

I thought about becoming a certified legal interpreter, but I prefer medicine.

But, I need your donation to help me pay for the classes in January. I really do appreciate it!

Fundraising Quest

I need to start my certification classes in January, perhaps February at the latest. 

I am beginning to organize my studies of human anatomy and physiology which is only a part of challenge before me.

Another challenge is to pay for these certification classes and exams in January.



That is not much time between now and then. I have a $6,000 goal to reach!

I've started a GoGetFunding fundraising account to help me pay for the costs to become a certified Spanish medical interpreter. 

I really do appreciate it!

In this blog, I will keep you updated on my progress in my studies and why more Spanish interpreters are needed in our hospitals and clinics to help our family, friends, and neighbors.

Conclusion

I need to take Spanish medical certification classes in January and get a better computer to help me study.

In a later post, I will explain more about the serpentine certification process. In short, it is not a overnight project!

Please give what you can today to help. I really do appreciate it!

Thanks for reading this entire post!

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¡Muchas gracias!