Medical Interpreting

The Medical Interpreting certificate was created to prepare students for 1) to be successful at passing the National certification exam for healthcare interpreters; and 2) prepare students for a career in healthcare interpreting. During their coursework, students will learn the four basic skills of interpreting: 1) communication conduit; 2) meaning broker; 3) cultural broker; and 4) healthcare advocate. After successfully obtaining the certificate, students will be able to 1) meet all the qualifications to take the National Certification Exam; and 2) they would be qualified to interpret for healthcare providers and limited English proficient patients.  

CA=10

to prepare students for a 1) to be successful at passing the National certification exam for healthcare interpreters; and 2) prepare students a career in healthcare interpreting.  

The primary goals of the Medical Interpreting Program are to provide quality courses for:

1) Students wishing to obtain the Certificate of Achievement in Medical Interpreting, which will open opportunities for students who want to join the workforce in the careers of freelance interpreters for Worker’s Compensation and other private clinic interpreting assignments or full/part-time staff hospital interpreters with benefits. Courses include an Orientation to Healthcare and Legal Interpretation with an assessment of the student’s language strengths and weaknesses and an overview course of the three modes of interpretation, consecutive, simultaneous and sight, as well as the code of ethics and responsibilities of the profession. The program considers the differences between the U.S. and other countries’ legal and health systems; the linguistic, cultural and professional expectations in the field, and explores vocational opportunities in different areas.

2) Students wishing to fulfill their pre-requisite training to qualify for the National Healthcare Interpreter Certificate exams in any language. Students who are ready to become certified healthcare interpreters and require the 40-hour pre-requisite training to qualify for the National Healthcare Interpreter Certificate exams, would complete LCI 201B An Introduction to Medical Interpreting - 4 Units. This course will include all the materials required for the national certification exam and additional practice activities.

3) Current nationally or state certified interpreters in any language who would like to take any number of elective courses to enhance their skills and earn the required Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for certification renewal. Elective courses will be repeatable.

All classes will be provided online. See a counselor for more information.

Program Outcomes

• Demonstrate healthcare interpreting ethics and standards of practice.
• Create and apply effective terminology, skills, and self-assessments tools and criteria to adequately prepare in the healthcare environment.

 2.        Catalog Description

The Medical Interpreting certificate was created to prepare students for a 1) to be successful at passing the National certification exam for healthcare interpreters; and 2) prepare students for a career in healthcare interpreting. During their coursework, students will learn the four basic skills of interpreting: 1) communication conduit; 2) meaning broker; 3) cultural broker; and 4) healthcare advocate. After successfully obtaining the certificate, students will be able to 1) meet all the qualifications to take the National Certification Exam; and 2) they would be qualified to interpret for healthcare providers and limited English proficient patients. 

Item 4.            Master Planning

The curriculum exposes students to the primary mode of interpreting in healthcare (consecutive). It will allow members of the community to finish in one year and will open opportunities for students to join the workforce in the careers of healthcare interpreters.

In addition, particular courses fulfill the pre-requisite training for students to sit for the national healthcare interpreting certification exams and provides additional coursework for continuing educational units (CEUs), as required by the national and state certifying bodies, to maintain certification. These courses are offered to students and interpreters with any language combinations.

Item 5.            Enrollment and Completer Projections

Interest in this Medical Interpreting Certificate Program is expected to be modest at first and grow quickly through marketing efforts to bring this program into broader community awareness.  Enrollment and completion of the Medical Interpreting Certificate Program are projected to be at least 10 per year after inaugural first two years of this program.

Item 6.            Place of Program in Curriculum/Similar Programs

• There is not active inventory records that need to be changed in connection with the approval of the proposed program.  
• This program does not replace any existing program on the college’s inventory. 
• There is no other interpretation or translation program in the district.

Item 7.            Similar Programs at Other Colleges in Service Area

Healthcare Interpreting Certificate at City College of San Francisco has very inflexible enrollment criteria and only accepts students interested in completing the 1-year certificate program.

The Laney program is different in that it offers coursework for multiple target audiences:

• Students interested in a 1-year certificate program.
• Students only interested in the required 40+ hours of training to qualify for the national healthcare interpreting certification exam (CCHIcertification.org)
• Students who already have national certification and require continuing education units to maintain/renew their certification status.
• Students who have attempted the national certification examination and desire additional preparation courses to successfully complete the certification exam.

to prepare students for a 1) to be successful at passing the National certification exam for healthcare interpreters; and 2) prepare students a career in healthcare interpreting.  

City College of San Francisco: CA in Healthcare Interpreting; Beth Freedman; Department chair; bfreedma@ccsf.edu; 415-452-5570; emailed and called them; as of 5/24/24 no reply