Medical Interpreter Training Program
Requirements
Registration Policy
Annual Qualification Assessment
Training
Schedule
Contact Us
Contact a Medical Interpreter
Language Access Resources
Clinical Reference Systems
     Health Topics
     Adult Health Advisor
     Pediatric Advisor
     Temas de Salud
     El Consejero Adulto
     El Consejero Pediatrico
Regional Programs
Area Health Education Centers
Rural Hospital Program
UAMS

Medical Interpreter Training Program

Addressing the growing need for interpreters in the state of Arkansas, UAMS Regional Programs are establishing two training programs:

  • Medical Interpreter Certificate Program (click link to learn more)
    Comprehensive training which consists of two integrated  components:
    a 40 hour Beyond Communication Limits
    Course and 8 hour Practical Skills Course provided together.
     
  • Non-Medical Interpreting Program (click link to learn more)
    A 16 hour curriculum provides basic knowledge necessary for bilingual staff members to facilitate communication in  assisting Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients and other groups of personnel to explain and provide non-medical information.

The aim of both programs is to teach how best to ensure clear communication, professional boundaries, be culturally competent, and advocate when appropriate.

In addition to the Medical Interpreter Training Program, students may wish to take Basic Medical Terminology, provided by the College of Health Related Professions (CHRP), Department of Health Information Management. Click here for a brief description and a link to the CHRP Basic Medical Terminology site.

For more information about the program, please click here for contact information.

Training Dates and Locations (click red hyperlink to jump to contact email):

Location Dates Contact Flyer
Little Rock April 5-10, 2010 April Flyer

* Requires Adobe Acrobat reader

Medical Interpreter Certificate Program

Beyond Communication Limits (BCL) and UAMS Practical Skills Course (PSC)

BCL & PSC is a UAMS comprehensive curriculum for training health care interpreters. It has been developed, written and compiled by experienced UAMS interpreters who participated in the Bridging the Gap trainings, medical providers, and representatives fro different UAMS programs and projects.

The program helps "Beyond Communication Limits" in communication between a health care provider and LEP patients. It is a 40-hour course for health care interpreters of any non - English language. Incorporated into BCL program additional 8 hour Practical Skills Course becomes an integral part of the medical interpreter training program and takes place at the UAMS Clinical Skills Center. This component of the program  hones medical interpreter skills and abilities to facilitate communication in a health care setting. It also employs a real and active health care environment.

Curriculum

  • Interpreter's Roles

  • National Code of Ethics and National Standards of Practice

  • Modes of Interpreting

  • Managing the Flow of Communication

  • Memory Development

  • Sight Translation

  • Biomedical Culture

  • Anatomy, Physiology, Common Problems and Specialists, Medical Procedures

  • Culture and Cultural Competency in Medical Interpreting

  • Communication Skills and Advocacy

  • Professional Development

Training Methods

Includes lectures by expert instructors based on a trainee-centered approach. Group discussions, tutorials, brainstorming, discussion of case studies, video discussions, sight translation, role playing, drills and quizzes, pre-tests and post-tests. Trainees also use web resources to research and discover information.

Class material: a medical interpreting manual, medical glossaries, a guide to common medications, National Council on Interpreting in Health Care papers and documents; class handouts

Skills and professional development sessions with physicians are part of the training.

Certificate of Successful Completion

Participants, upon completion of the program, with a final test score of 80% or better coupled with their day-to-day practical skills assessment, receive a Certificate of Completion. To set a professional accent UAMS staff medical interpreters get a "Certified Medical Interpreter" Card. The Card helps identify a trained interpreter, and implies the individual's capacity to perform a particular set of skills up to National Standards of Practice.

Anyone who fails the final test of the training program may have two extra attempts to re-take the test to be eligible to receive a certificate. The candidate needs to pay another test fee of $50.00 per attempt.

Lost Certificates

If you lose your certificate and need to have another one printed:

Submit your written request accompanied by a $5.00 non-refundable reprint fee payable to Regional Programs to:

UAMS
Attention: Medical Interpreter Training Program
4301 W. Markham, #599
Little Rock, AR 72205

Reprints of certificates could take up to 6 weeks to process.

 Non-Medical  Interpreting Program

The UAMS Regional Programs develops curriculum to provide a bilingual medical and non-medical staff with the basic knowledge and skills. This training is ideal for bilingual staff persons who are proficient enough in both conversational languages and could assist medical and non-medical personnel to communicate at their place of employment with LEP patients, their friends, and family dealing only with non-medical matters. Formal training of a diverse staff in the techniques, methods, ethics, and standards of interpreting will ensure the quality of services and set the boundaries for their points of contact.

 Curriculum:

  • Background of Interpretation

  • Professional Ethics and Boundaries

  •  Modes and Techniques of Interpreting

  • Different Types of the Encounter

  • Positioning

  • Cultural Understanding

  • Communication Skills

  • Professional Standards of Performance

Certificate of Participation

Supplemental Interpreting participants, upon completion of the program, with a final test score of 80% or better coupled with their day-to-day practical skills assessment, receive a Certificate of Participation.

NOTE: High language skills (speaking and understanding speech) in both languages is a prerequisite for anyone wishing to serve as an interpreter. The screening for language skills is the first step in assessing the competence of an interpreter candidate for either medical or non-medical training programs.

 

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

If you are experiencing technical problems with any of the Regional Program sites, or see an error, please contact our support center at 1-800-547-8680. Please record any error messages with the name of the page, date you saw the error, and a description of the error. You may also email technical problems by to send a detailed email message.


Notice of Privacy Practices