Medical Interpretation

Medical interpretation is my wheelhouse. I hold my certification in medical interpretation through the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters and over 90% of the appointments for which I interpret are medical in nature. I grew up with a congenital disorder and a mother who worked as a nurse, so much of my early formation not only inclined me towards, but also prepared me for, a career in healthcare.

Going Above and Beyond

To become certified nationally as a medical interpreter, you are required to first prove your proficiency in both languages, then take a minimum of 40 hours of training as an interpreter. I currently have over 10 years of experience speaking Spanish, received my Bachelor’s in Foreign Language with a concentration in Spanish, and also completed the 27-credit SETI (Spanish-English Translation and Interpretation) program. The SETI program is the only program of its kind in Virginia as it is the only university-level interpretation/translation program in the state taught by a federally certified (legal) interpreter. In addition to this, I completed over 160 hours of practical experience in my internship during my senior year in 2016. This means instead of completing a mere 40 hours of training, I completed over ten times that amount before embarking on my journey as a medical interpreter.

To become certified you are required to take a minimum of 40 hours of training… I completed over ten times that amount before embarking on my journey as a medical interpreter

Medical Specialties

I have worked as an interpreter since 2016 in the following medical specialties (specialties in bold are specialties in which I have the most experience):

Anesthesiology	Maxillofacial Surgery	Pediatric Medicine
Cardiac Surgery	Neonatology	Physical & Occupational Therapy
Cardiology	Nephrology	Primary Care
Dermatology	Nuclear Medicine	Radiology
Diabetes Education	Oncology	Rheumatology
Endocrinology	Ophthalmology	Sleep Medicine
Gastroenterology	Orthopedic Surgery	Urology
General Surgery	Orthopedics	Vascular Surgery
Geriatric Medicine	Otolaryngology	Women’s Health
Gynecological Surgery	Pediatric Intensive Care
Infectious Disease	Pediatric Neurology

Where I Work

As an independent contractor, I primarily work through interpreting agencies, but occasionally work directly with physician’s offices. This puts me mostly in hospitals in the greater Richmond area that use contract interpreters. Occasionally hospitals that have interpreting staff will also use contract interpreters when demand is high, but often use contract interpreters for their specialty offices that are not on the main hospital campus. If I am not in a hospital or a specialty office associated with a hospital, I am usually at an independent physician’s office either through one of my agencies or on my own. I also volunteer through local nonprofits as a medical interpreter for primary care or specialty appointments.