ProfessionalInterpreter,

I'm a

What it Really Means to be a Medical Interpreter.

interpreterdevelopment.com

By: Rashelle LeCaptain

Not a Helper!

Identity

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In a national battle to be seen as talented professionals, you have tobelieve that you are a professional. So before we go any farther I’dlike to make one thing clear:Medical Interpreters are not helpers.

When you’re interpreting for a doctor and his patient, you aren’thelping. You are providing a service. That service is helpful. Youaren’t doing anyone a favor when you’re working. You are aprofessional that was called on to do a job. A very specific job. Ifyou don’t see yourself as anything other than a helper, no one elsewill either.

Connecting Cultures

What is a Medical Interpreter?You are NOT a helper!

Narrative

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Words are very powerful, and how we describe ourselves becomesour reality. Helpers are willing to do anything to help anyone. Therearen’t clear guidelines or expectations as to what they can orcannot do. This is why it’s important to believe that you are aprofessional medical interpreter. You are a talent, and people needyour services.

Now granted, the definition of professional interpreter is still beingshaped. But if you don’t start believing in yourself now you will findyourself in an uphill battle later.

You don’t need a degree to be an exceptional interpreter. Youdon’t need formal education to be a good one. What you do needis fluency.

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Your NarrativeWhy is this so important?

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands,that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his

language, that goes to his heart."

~ Nelson Mandela

Fluency

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The fluency I’m talking about is more than vocabulary or sentencestructure. It is the ability to think, dream, sing and love in anotherlanguage. You feel it.

When you’re fluent you can share your feelings - joy, anger, passion,delight. It goes well beyond the words 'good, fine, yes, no.' Fluencymeans you understand. It means you can analyze a situation, get toknow someone with ease. You can empathize, sympathize andlearn from someone at their most basic level of being.

We are Medical Interpreters and we are professionals. Fluency isour foundation, our essential core. You must speak withouthesitation and maintain the integrity of a message in two languagesat the same time. Exceptional interpreters know that everythingelse they do is built on fluency.

Fluency is dynamic, rich, demanding. It challenges you. It makesyou want more. You will find joy and success as a medicalinterpreter when you have this kind of fluency in more than onelanguage. Anything less and you will grow tired with frustration andstress. If you are fluent, we invite you to pursue this most amazingcareer.

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The foundation for a strong home.More than Words

Humility

4Connecting Cultures

Once you think of yourself as an expert, you no longer are. Why? Because you will stop learning from others. You will have met yourthreshold for acceptance of ideas that are not your own.

We must be humble, striving each day to do better, to be better. Humility is the foundation of respect. When you respect someone,you recognize their strengths and abilities to do something great.

Medical interpreting requires humility as much as it does fluency. Humility allows us to recognize boundaries. We can respect thevulnerability of the people we serve. We operate in a way thatmakes people trust our abilities and integrity.

Some people can be fluent, but they can’t be humble. They don’tknow how to find that place of vulnerability within themselveswithout breaking down their walls of confidence.

They haven’t learned how to incorporate their humanity into thework they do.

HumilityThe foundation of respect, integrity and trust

"Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself thanof other people, nor does it mean having a

low opinion of your own gifts."

- William Temple

Experience

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If you want to interpret with confidence, you have to develop yourskills beyond textbooks, roleplays and classroom discussion.

How well you handle any circumstance can can only be measured inreal life, in real time.

Training gives you classroomskills. A good starting point tobe sure. But it doesn’t give youreal-world experience. Realworld experience comes later,once you’ve had a chance toput your classroom-acquiredskills to test at the patient’sbedside.

Even still, you can find yourselfin a quite a pickle if you’refaced with making a decisionon something that wasn’tcovered in the classroom.

Field ExperienceThe real test happens bedside

Collaborate

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As a medical interpreter, you will never work alone. The mere workyou do depends on your ability to work with others.

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Yes, things can go as planned. When everything does happen asplanned, however, it's more the exception than the rule.

Knowing how to think through a problem on the fly is a must. Youhave to make decisions with confidence and know why you madethat choice.

Medical interpreters handle pressure and stress with grace andintegrity. They enjoy being around and respect, people of all kinds. Learning is a part of our being - we enjoy learning for learning'ssake.

Most importantly, you must be confident in your professionalabilities, while remaining humble. The arrogant need not apply.

But this is not on yourtime and terms. Oh, no. Your work is done oneveryone else’s time andterms. Don’t expect aneat, precise assignmentyou can complete at yourleisure.

Dynamic ComplexitiesKeeping it together in the midst of chaos.

A New Way

7Connecting Cultures

Medical interpreters need to continually develop and grow theirtalent.

They need to know how to ask the right questions that lead togrowth. They need to know how to find resources and evaluate theircredibility. They need to be smart consumers when navigating themarket of interpreter education products and services.

They need a path and a guide to help them develop beyond theskills learned in initial training.

Grow Your Professional TalentsTaking the journey with confidence.

Thank You

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Connecting Cultures has spent over a decade pushing theboundaries of medical interpreter training and leading interpretersof all languages beyond the basics of medical vocabulary andinterpreting theory.

We explore the nitty gritty of medical interpreting, the dynamicand unpredictable nature of healthcare and on-the-job challengesall interpreters face.

Connecting Cultures Interpreter Development students build uponthe skills they've already attained and leave exuding a renewedconfidence and passion for their work.

For more information about interpreter education, visit us atwww.interpreterdevelopment.com

Come grow with us!Training, development and coaching for healthcare interpreters