Medical Interpreting: Making the most out of your bi/multilinguality as a Pre-Med
- Nadine Gil Cardoso
- Nov 25
- 3 min read
Written by: Nadine Gil Cardoso
Position, Member Since: General Member, Joined Fall 2025
Major & Track: Psychology + Biology Double Major w/ Health Professions Minor, Pre-Med
Current Year: 2nd Year
As the first person to speak perfect English in my family, I have always been the one to look to during doctor’s appointments. Whether it was for my parents or myself, I acted as an unofficial interpreter for most of my life after immigrating to the U.S. If you were an immigrant child or were born to immigrant parents who didn’t speak English very well, this was probably you, too. However, while convenient, asking your child to interpret for you is not always the most efficient. This is especially true when it comes to medical settings, where doctors can use high-register terms that a ten-year-old who has recently graduated from ESOL doesn’t understand.
This is where older you can come in to help families going through the same struggles right now. As a fully licensed and trained medical interpreter, you can help families who lack English proficiency by interpreting in hospital or clinical settings, contracted by an official agency, or as a freelance interpreter.
I myself am currently training to become a nationally certified medical interpreter. I’m first going through a 40-hour class on medical interpreting. Note, this 40-hour class does not teach language proficiency in the language I’m trying to interpret; you’re going to have to be fully fluent in the language you want to interpret before you join any classes.
If you are proficient in that language, then, congratulations! You can practice interpreting with either a 16 or 40-hour course, though 40-hour courses are preferred as they are more in depth. You can also go for gold by becoming fully nationally certified. This not only opens the door for more formal interpreting opportunities with agencies, but also grants you a cool title you can put on your CV or resume when you’re applying to med schools. Plus, you only have to get re-certified every 5 years (NBCMI).
As for the process of certification, first, you’re going to need to take a 40-hour course like the one I’m taking. You’re also going to have to prove proficiency in that language you want to interpret for, which can come in the form of tests you can do online (NBCMI). Once you’re ready, there’s a test you need to take. The test is in two parts: written and oral, which you don’t have to take at the same time. It’s all very flexible, but a little pricey. For example, the course I’m currently taking cost me $400, but in my opinion, it’s worth every penny. I’ve learned very valuable practices and guidelines that made me realize just how bad my interpreting was for my parents as a child. The exam also costs around $500, but considering this profession makes $25 an hour, it’s a good return for a side gig to help you pay for school (NBCMI, ZipRecruiter).
If you’re still not convinced, another great perk of interpreting (other than helping people in your community) is the fact that you can count your interpreting hours as clinical hours. Many organizations recognize interpreting as clinical experience because you come in direct contact with patients and even facilitate their receiving care. You’re also showing that you have cultural awareness, as you’re involved with patients from different backgrounds, perhaps wildly different from yours, but connecting them with the use of language (InGenius Prep).
Overall, medical interpreting is a noble profession that can carry over into your practicing years as a physician. Think about how good a patient would feel about you being their doctor, as you can speak to them in their own language. If you’re tired of interpreting after a childhood full of it, that’s understandable. But if you think you can help, even if the language you want to interpret for isn’t your first language, as long as you’re fluent, you can and should pursue certification and bridge the barriers many immigrant families face against healthcare. Also, you can give their kids a break.
References (in order of appearance):
https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Medical-Interpreter-Salary--in-Florida https://ingeniusprep.com/blog/how-to-get-clinical-experience-for-med-school/
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