About this course
What you’ll learn
This course equips participants to serve as professional medical interpreters and prepares them with the theoretic, linguistic and procedural backgrounds necessary to comply with the Medical Interpreting Standards of Practice. Topics covered include:
- Medical Interpreting Standards of Practice
- Ethics of Interpreting
- Healthcare interpreting terminology in English and Spanish
- Spanish/English linguistics skills
- Analysis of the healthcare provider environment and issues regarding Latino/Hispanic healthcare
- Development of integrated interpreter skills
- Understanding the cultural aspects of Latino/Hispanic healthcare
Who should attend?
This course is designed for adults and will include medically explicit discussion of topics that are of an adult nature, including but not limited to body parts and bodily functions, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. The class is open to students 18 years of age and up.
The course will be valuable to:
- Nurses, physicians, pharmacists, front office staff, receptionists, dieticians, laboratory technicians, social workers, etc. who are bilingual in English and Spanish
- Interpreters and translators who are entering or currently employed in the medical field or healthcare settings, such as hospitals, physicians’ offices, pharmacies, rehabilitation clinics, etc.
- Individuals seeking employment in the medical field or in a healthcare setting
- Individuals seeking their first professional interpreting certificate
Continuing Education Information
Successful graduates will earn a Digital Certificate of Program Completion and be awarded 4.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) (Opens in a new window) upon successfully completing the course.
Requirements & policies
Accommodations
The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education is committed to providing equal access to continuing education programs for students living with permanent or temporary disabilities. Learn more about the program accommodations (Opens in a new window).
Schedule
Wednesdays, 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. ET (9:00 p.m. on last two Wednesdays)
Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET
During the Live Online course, you will meet each week on Wednesdays & Saturdays in the virtual classroom. Additional assignments required include readings, online quizzes, and discussion board posts. Books will be mailed, and online course access will be sent one week before the first class session.
Fees & funding information
The fees increase on July 1, 2025.
Certification
Currently, the professional standards for Medical Interpreters recommend that Medical Interpreters have a minimum of 40-hours of educational training (which our course meets). If you are interested in becoming a Nationally Certified Medical Interpreter, please visit The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (Opens in a new window) or the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (Opens in a new window).
Prerequisites
- Fluency in both English and Spanish is strongly recommended for those seeking to take the course. If a participant does not meet the language requirement, no refund of previously paid course fee will be given.
- No prior medical interpreting experience required.
- Before the first session, you will receive access to the online UGA learning system (UGA eLC), where you will complete the assignments.
Attendance
In order to receive the Certificate of Program Completion, participants must:
- Attend and participate in 90% of the class sessions.
- Complete all online assignments, include quizzes and discussion posts.
- Score 70% or better on both the oral and written final exams.
Details are subject to change.
People
Instructor
Scott King has been the lead instructor for the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education’s Spanish/English Medical Interpreter Certificate course since 2004. He is the Title III, English Learner, and Migrant Education Coordinator with the Barrow County School System. Mr. King has extensive experience in clinical settings in the Healthcare field and has worked as a consultant with hospitals and other healthcare organizations for almost 20 years as they serve the Hispanic/Latino community. He has a Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish (for Teachers) from the College of Education at Georgia State University and has completed many workshops and training seminars in applied linguistics and psycholinguistics during his career as an educator of Modern Languages.
Contact us + FAQs
FAQ
View the most frequent questions asked by our learners
Cancellation Policies
View our cancellation policies
Financial and Military Assistance
Find out which programs are eligible for assistance
See what our students say
“From this class I take that I’m now competent to fulfill a role as a trained medical interpreter. I not only possess the knowledge but also the skills to be a proficient interpreter in a competitive field. I also like the fact that this course taught me that I am capable of learn and understand terms that seemed complicated and it has given me confidence in myself.”
Participant
Spring 2024
“The course was extremely beneficial and affordable. As a graduate student, I was able to efficiently work this course into my schedule without feeling overwhelmed. The material was up-to-date and relevant, and I feel prepared to enter the workforce as a Spanish Medical Interpreter because of this course.”
Participant
Summer 2023
“I have never studied or work in the medical field, and I didn’t know what to expect but the course was easy to understand, a lot of interaction. It help me to get to know the basics in the medical interpretation field and now I want to learn more. The instructor was amazing. I definitely loved the course.”
Participant
Fall 2022
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