Spanish Medical Interpreting Program

• The test evaluates oral and reading proficiency in English and Spanish.
• It can only be taken once per academic year.
• There is no cost to take the test.
• You do not need to be a CBC student to take the test. 
• Read the information in the Entrance Test Orientation Canvas Class to familiarize yourself with the entrance test. 
• The last step in this Canvas class is to schedule your entrance test.
• Entrance tests are administered in-person, on our Pasco campus.

Dates will vary per calendar year, by a day or two, current dates will be listed in the Entrance Test Orientation Canvas Class.  Generally they will be:

• May 1 to June 30, and
• Aug.15 to Sept. 1

To be accepted into the program each fall quarter, you must schedule an entrance test during these testing dates.

Students are accepted into the program based on the score achieved in the entrance test. Please be patient as it may take several weeks to grade the tests. You will be notified of the entrance test results via the email address you provide on the application form. Accepted students will receive an email outlining the next steps to start the program such as applying to become a CBC student and course registration. 

If you do not pass the entrance test, the evaluators will specify if you should improve your English or Spanish proficiency. We encourage you to check-out our suggestions for improving language proficiency, take classes if you can, and to apply again the following year.

We do not have any booklets or materials to study for the entrance test. You do not need to study medical terminology in particular, as this will be taught during the program.

As you will work bi-directionally between your A and B languages, you need to have native or near-native abilities in both English and Spanish.

Applicants should be as fluent as possible in reading and speaking both English and Spanish with good grammar, pronunciation, and a wide range of vocabulary. 

Here are some suggestions to improve your language proficiency. If you feel less fluent in one of these languages, focus on that language:

Read every day.

• In particular in your nonnative language.
• Read high-quality online newspapers and articles, or any well-written material that will help broaden your general knowledge and vocabulary.

Listen to audiobooks in both languages.

Watch TV news and listen to radio news and podcasts, such as TED talks, on current events in both languages.

• Listen and analyze what you hear and/or read.
• Make lists of new vocabulary terms you hear and/or read.

Live in a country where your nonnative language is spoken.

• At least six months to a year is recommended.
• Live with and/or frequently interact with native speakers of your nonnative language.
• Practice speaking with friends, family and community members in both of your languages.
• Take content-related classes in your nonnative language.
• Work in a setting that requires high-level use of your nonnative language.

Become computer savvy.

• Familiarize yourself with online navigation, search engines and electronic dictionaries.
• Learn to use advanced functions of Word and Excel, such as spellcheck in both languages.

Be prepared for lifelong learning and be patient.

• Bringing your language skills up to the level required of a professional interpreter is not a task that can be accomplished quickly. However, with a combination of determination and hard work, you can succeed in this challenging field.

To become a certified medical interpreter you must pass either the state or the national certification exams. The coursework in the program prepares students for both options. However, the CBC certificate for the Spanish Medical Interpreter Program is not a substitute for state or national certification. 

Washington State DSHS (Department of Social and Health Services) certified medical interpreters are certified to interpret in Washington State only. If you wish to work in other states including Oregon, you must become nationally certified.

Nationally certified medical interpreters can interpret anywhere in the US, including OPI (over the phone interpreting) and VRI (video remote interpreting) in all states. 

Please note that CBC’s Spanish Medical Interpreter Program prepares students in the career of oral interpreting, not as written translators. Although translation and interpretation have a lot in common, the practice of each profession requires different skill sets and professional certifications.

There are two national certifying organizations for healthcare interpreters, and both require that applicants complete a minimum 40-hour training program.

The Spanish Medical Interpreter Program satisfies this requirement and provides a much more comprehensive training than a 40-hour training program.

The State DSHS test has no requirements other than being 18 years old. However, the pass rate is very low.  This is because without any training in interpreting skills, ethics, and medical terminology, it is very difficult to successfully pass the test. It would be comparable to taking a welding certification test without any training on how to be a welder.

A certified interpreter is a professional interpreter who is certified as competent by an accredited professional organization or government entity through rigorous testing based on appropriate and consistent criteria that have been used in developing valid and reliable tests.

Interpreters who have had limited training or have taken a screening test administered by an employing health, interpreter or referral agency are not considered certified. Someone who possesses a "Certificate of Attendance" or a "Certificate of Completion" from a training program is not considered to be certified. The CBC certificate in Spanish Medical Interpreting is not a substitute for state or national certification.

A freelance interpreter is a language professional who is self-employed and works independently with a range of clients, rather than being employed by a single healthcare facility or organization. Freelance interpreters do much of the same work as in-house interpreters, however the work is more flexible, which, depending on your goals and family commitments, can be an advantage.

If you want to freelance, it is important to understand how to set-up and run your own business, and this is something that students will learn in the program.

The program prepares you to enter the interpreting industry as a freelance or in-house interpreter or language professional. The language industry is booming and evolving fast, on a global and local scale. Certified healthcare interpreters are needed in virtually every healthcare facility, with Spanish being the most in-demand language. It’s true that during the pandemic the demand for remote interpreting has increased, but there will always be a need for high-quality on-site interpreters when accurate, nuanced communication really matters.

Translation and interpretation agencies, also called language service providers (LSPs), hire freelance interpreters to provide language services across multiple languages and locations. If you want to work as a freelance interpreter, you will sign up with either one or more agencies. 

Healthcare facilities (such as clinics, hospitals etc.) hire in-house and per-diem interpreters to provide on-site interpreting, combined with remote interpreting services across multiple languages. 

The field of healthcare interpretation is still a young profession, and as a result, there is sometimes confusion about its basic aspects. Even though we often hear these two terms used interchangeably, the fields of translation and interpretation are actually different professions, each requiring specialized training, skills and certifications. 

Each profession focuses on a different mode of communication. A translator renders the written word from one language to another. An interpreter renders the spoken or signed word from one language to another. Many language professionals work as both interpreters and translators, while others focus on only one.

You will probably pick up interpreting skills quickly if you have most of the following qualities: a wide range of vocabulary in English and Spanish and you do not have any problems switching from one language to the other; you are an active listener; you are clear and articulate when you speak; you do not mind speaking in public, even if it can be stressful; you are resourceful and able to think quickly on your feet; you are naturally curious; you love analyzing languages, and you are a fast learner.

Near-native listening comprehension and strong speaking proficiency in both your working languages are a must. Knowledge of or experience in the medical field are not required, but they are a plus!

Courses Taught: First-Year Spanish and Spanish Medical Interpreting

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School of Arts, Humanities and Communication, Spanish Medical Interpreter Program

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