Medical Interpreting – Berkshire AHEC

Medical Interpreter Training

The goal of the Medical Interpreter Training Program is to promote access to healthcare by facilitating and enhancing the communication between patient and provider during a healthcare encounter.

The Medical Interpreter Training (MIT) Program for spoken language interpreters offers a training in which fluently bilingual individuals develop the skills necessary to facilitate effective and reliable interpretation in the clinical setting. The goal of this course is to provide the students with principles, methods, and competencies (both knowledge and skills-based) essential in the delivery of effective, reliable, and comprehensive spoken language interpreting in the clinical and human service field. This course develops a theoretical and practical understanding of the multiple roles of the interpreter as well as the related ethical, cultural, and linguistic challenges in this evolving field. The course explores contemporary issues in the field of medical interpretation including immigration trends, legal mandates, and certification.

QUALIFYING CRITERIA:
In order to be considered for admission into the MIT participants must:

Be 18 years of age or older, and have a high school diploma or GED
Be fluently bilingual in a spoken language (be able to speak, read and write in English and target language when applicable)
Successfully pass the language assessment test with a score of 75 or higher. The test includes an evaluation of both written and oral proficiency in English and the target language. The language assessment test will be administered during orientation.
Please see orientation dates below.

ADMISSION:
In addition to a completed application and pre-registration form, applicants must pass a language assessment to be considered for acceptance in Fundamentals of Medical Interpreting.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION:
Students who complete the course and pass the final assessment receive a certificate of completion.

2023 Spring Course: January – April 2023 ~ Live via Zoom Meeting and In Person (Berkshire Community College)

Berkshire AHEC is offering a “Fundamentals of Medical Interpreting” for bilingual and multilingual individuals in Western Massachusetts.

The components of the program include practical applications of fundamental interpreting skills, effective communication in the triad (client-provider-interpreter), listening and memory skills, comprehensive medical terminology in target languages, human anatomy and physiology vital to effective medical interpreting, and methods of interpreting in special settings. Role playing and medical terminology are incorporated into each session.

A certificate of completion is provided upon completing the course and passing the final exam.

ASSESSMENT & CLASS DATES – January 5, 2023 and January 12, 2023 @ 6:00 pm EST and January 7, 2023 @ 8:30 am EST

All registrants must attend an assessment session in order to be eligible for enrollment.

Link will be provided 2 days prior to date. Please download Zoom 48 hours prior to this training.

CLASSES BEGIN	CLASSES END	LOCATION	ADDRESS
January 19, 2023 Thursday 6:00 – 9:00 PM Saturday 8:30 – 11:30 AM	April 1, 2023 6:00 – 9:00 PM	Zoom Meeting Livestream	Link details will be provided upon acceptance to the program

CLASSES BEGIN

CLASSES END

LOCATION

ADDRESS

January 19, 2023

Thursday 6:00 – 9:00 PM

Saturday 8:30 – 11:30 AM

April 1, 2023
6:00 – 9:00 PM

Zoom Meeting Livestream

Link details will be provided upon acceptance to the program

Fall 2022 Flyer: MIT-2023-Spring-Flyer
Fall Schedule: MIT_Schedule_SPRING_2023

Language Assessment Fee: $50.00
Non-Refundable Fee

Pre-registration is required at www.berkshireahec.org

January 5, 2023 @ 6:00 pm EST via Zoom meeting / January 7, 2023 @ 8:30 AM via Zoom meeting /January 12, 2023 @6:00 PM via Zoom meeting

Registration: Click on “Register Here” link on the left, follow the prompts to register for all trainings.

Medical Interpreter Training Continuing Education Workshops

Interpreting Challenges vs. Challenging the Interpreter: From Interruptions to Rare Medical terminology January 21, 2023 @ 10:30 AM -1:30 PM EST

Flyer: Interpreter Challenges w/Alvaro Vergara

REGISTER HERE

The job of the medical interpreter offers multiple challenges. The interpreter is constantly adapting to and facing those challenges head on without warning. From maintaining register to finding the appropriate meaning, to understanding the cultural implications behind words, the interpreter is constantly striving for accuracy to render the best possible interpretation despite those multiple challenges.

This workshop presents actual case studies and will allow participants to be part of those challenges via live scenarios (Spanish <> English) and discussion of the possible options to have a successful outcome and maintain the clinical importance of the session.

Scenarios presented will vary depending on time allotted.

Online through ZOOM Platform
(Zoom link will be provided one day prior to the workshop after successful registration and payment)

Interpreting for Cancer Care – March 18, 2023 @ 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM EST

Flyer: Interpreting for Cancer Care

REGISTER HERE

What is this? Cancer care can be a complex process involving multidisciplinary teams and a variety of diagnostic procedures and treatment options. When interpreting in cancer care, interpreters may encounter highly specialized vocabulary, explanations of complex concepts and procedures, not to mention difficult to pronounce medication names. Communication between a cancer care team and a LEP patient may be further complicated by cultural differences in understanding what cancer is and in expectations of what happens when a patient is diagnosed with cancer. Interpreters need to be aware of the language they might encounter in a cancer care appointments as well as challenges specific to interpreting in oncological settings.

This 4-hour workshop will provide an overview of cancer as a group of diseases, common oncology terms, types of cancer and related anatomy and physiology, symptomatology, diagnostic procedures, common treatments and their side effects as well as challenges that interpreters face when interpreting for cancer care. The participants will be provided with handouts which will include a copy of the PowerPoint Presentation, a glossary, written practice and role-playing exercises. The workshop will be interactive and allow the participants to review the material through group activities and oral interpreting practice.

Online through ZOOM Platform
(Zoom link will be provided one day prior to the workshop after successful registration and payment)

Advance Medical Interpreting for National Certification – April 11, 2023 through April 27, 2023 @ 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST

Flyer: National Cert Prep Course

REGISTER HERE

Course overview:

This 18-Hour workshop will provide detail explanation on how to prepare for the national certification. The components of the training include comprehensive information on the code of ethics, standard of practice, CLAS Standards, the roles, and responsibilities of the interpreter, HIPPA, and Medical Terminology. Be able to understand the various illnesses, as well as symptoms characteristic of each body system, understand the terms from English to target language and have the ability to define each term. These are vital to the preparation for the NBCMI & CCHI National Certification written exams. A test of your knowledge assessment will be provided at the beginning of the session and a final assessment will be provided to familiarize the student with the format of the written certification exam.

This 15-Hour workshop will provide detail explanation on how to prepare for the national certification. The components of the training include comprehensive information on the code of ethics, standard of practice, CLAS Standards, the roles, and responsibilities of the interpreter, HIPPA, and Medical Terminology. Be able to understand the various illnesses, as well as symptoms characteristic of each body system, understand the terms from English to target language and have the ability to define each term. These are vital to the preparation for the NBCMI & CCHI National Certification written exams. A test of your knowledge assessment will be provided at the beginning of the session and a final assessment will be provided to familiarize the student with the format of the written certification exam.

Online through ZOOM Platform
(Zoom link will be provided one day prior to the workshop after successful registration and payment)

Build and Improve your Trainer Skills

ONLINE COURSE Date TBD