Thursday, November 23, 2017

Status Update 1 - Become a certified Spanish medical interpreter

As you may know, I'm studying to become a certified Spanish medical interpreter (and fundraising to help pay for the prerequisite 40-hours course). 

A language gap between Spanish-speaking patients and their doctors in the US calls for more medical interpreters. 

That is one driving motive to raise the funds for the courses and classes that begin in January.

From time to time, I will give you an update of my progress on the road to certification as a Spanish medical interpreter.


GoGetFunding for Spanish Medical Interpretation


I opened an account on GoGetFunding to help pay for the certification courses and exams as well as upgrade my computer.

My goal is $6,000 and the campaign runs till January 8.

That means there are only 46 days to go and so far I've raised - $0!

Your help of any amount can helps narrow the language gap between Limited English-speaking patients and medical staff in hospitals and clinics.


Study Progress: Human Anatomy and Physiology


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

For medical interpreters, there is also a certification process to ensure the highest fidelity to medical standards and professional ethics.

Plus, the subject matter is not academic - but a matter of life and death - that patients receive adequate medical care as soon as possible.

A part of becoming a certified Spanish medical  interpreter is of course - medical terminology.

In the medical field, that involves three distinct vocabularies:

       1. Anatomy
       2. Physiology
       3. Disease and Conditions

       
Anatomy is the study of the structure of body parts and their relationships to one another

Physiology is the study of the function of the
body’s structural machinery

Common Diseases and Conditions are of course ailments afflicting the body.

Then, there are other considerations as well.

There are layman terms for scientific parts of the body.

For example, the trachea is commonly known as the windpipe among non-medical professionals.

Then there is Spanish.

So, anyone studying to be a medical interpreter has to be skillful managing three languages at a time!

I used Google to find a syllabus of medical terminology to follow in my home study.

Now, with this syllabus as a road map, I can methodically study the different parts of anatomy and physiology.

Then I can translate the English to Spanish (and verify the terms).

As a certified translator, that is not difficult at all.

So, between my own study and translation, I can reinforce my medical vocabulary.

Besides a syllabus, there is a plethora of quality medical information online to focus on a particular part of the body.

For example, I created this short listing from a presentation about the Respiratory System.

You may download the full table of terms here.


So as you can see, I am doing my part to prepare for the medical courses and certification exams in January.

Could you help me pay for these courses and exams?

Thank you! (Please tweet this article to your friends!)

Sound understanding of the role of the healthcare interpreter as a professional

Translators and interpreters are professionals just like nurses and doctors.

The valuable language link they provide - whether in texts for translators or conversations for interpreters - bridge the linguistic gap around the world.

Countless sacrifice, time, and training have been expended not just to learn a new language, but to know how to translate and to interpret.

In a hospital or clinic, a medical interpreter plays a special role to help close the language gap between patients and their doctors.

Education, experience, and certifications are not only for medical personnel, but translators and interpreters as well.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this entire post!

It is heartening to know you are interested in the quest of a certified translator to become a certified Spanish medical interpreter.

Your help can close the language gap between Limited English-speaking patients and medical staff when you help me become a medical interpreter.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Thank you for your donation today.

p.s. You can help when you simply tweet this article to your friends

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