I wanted to be a healthcare interpreter. I knew two languages, and I was ready to go! When I started looking into how to “become an interpreter”, my excitement turned into total confusion. I felt like I couldn’t find a concrete answer on what was required to be a professional interpreter. I looked at online courses, university courses, YouTube videos. I saw information about becoming certified. Did I have to be certified to work?
The short answer is that you may not need to be certified to interpret in healthcare. However, many places will require you to get certified within a certain amount of time of being employed. I decided to start my journey by applying at two hospitals that did not require certification. I had no experience and no training, but I had just come back to the States from living in Spain and my Spanish was on point! The process was the same for both hospitals. First was an interview, and second would have been a language test if I had advanced to that stage, which I did not. My ego was bruised, but I was actually very lucky!
Those failed interviews led to me applying for an interpreter position at Connecting Cultures. After a successful language screening (was finally able to show off my mad language skills) and several follow-up interviews, I was hired! My first day at the company was orientation. On day two, we dove straight into the training program. At Connecting Cultures each new employee, regardless of their previous healthcare or interpreting experience, goes through a comprehensive training period comprised of classroom instruction and supervised field work. This is a big deal (and a little intense)!
The first part of training consisted of interpreting theory, which focused on how to think like an interpreter. It covered a wide range of topics from company-specific protocols and key interpreting skills and techniques all the way to the explanation of ethics and standards of practice, all of which serve as the foundation for making critical decisions while in the field.
The second part of training was dedicated to acting like an interpreter. Shadowing experienced interpreters, and then being shadowed by experienced interpreters proved to be an excellent training tool. This process allows for observation and instruction while in an authentic setting, as well as assurance that interpreters are ready to be working on their own. The result of these two training modules is consistent and confident interpreters who know their professional role and excel in their professional performance.
None of this is to say that you can’t be a good interpreter without a class like this. If I had found a job somewhere else, I might have been able to wing it. I’d like to think I’m a fast learner, and I might have become a good interpreter or even a great one, just learning as I went! I also might have made a lot of mistakes that could have been easily avoided by studying. Interpreting programs are designed to give you the essential skills needed for becoming a successful interpreter! If I had not completed mine, it would have taken me a lot longer to reach the level I’m at now after just two years with this company. Likewise, I would not have met the requirements to apply for certification.
There are many different classes out there for interpreters. Some are for beginners and offer a global look at interpreting. Others are for more advanced interpreters. They look at more specialized topics and many of them fulfill continuing education credits. None of them will give you ALL the answers, but hopefully all of them will teach you how to continue growing as an interpreter. Meanwhile, these classes are helping to create and maintain standards for interpreters in healthcare. When there is consistency throughout the profession, both providers and patients will better understand how to work with interpreters, and consequently with each other. And that is a worthwhile investment!