2010-2011

Medical Interpreter 
Technical Diploma — Downtown Milwaukee Campus

Program Code: 30-538-1

This curriculum goes into effect as of summer 2010.

Overview — Medical Interpreter is a two-semester technical diploma program in the School of Health Sciences. It is designed to prepare you to qualify for employment as a Medical Interpreter for patients and healthcare providers in a healthcare setting.

Career Outlook — The Medical Interpreter program prepares you to provide consecutive medical interpretation services for patients having limited English proficiency, and for families whose primary language is not English. Interpreters are skilled in interpretation, as well as the nonverbal communication and nuances of various dialects and subcultures. Healthcare providers are challenged by the demand to provide health care in the language of the patient or client and the relatively small number of professional health care interpreters. The increasing need for professional medical interpreters can be attributed to our changing demographics, the need to provide quality of care through effective communication, the demands of cost efficiency, patient satisfaction and the federal law requiring interpreter services. For additional career information, visit www.ncihc.org. 

Program Learning Outcomes — Upon your graduation, employers will expect you to be able to:

• Aurally comprehend spoken English and Spanish
• Construct syntactically correct sentences (both oral and written) in both Spanish and English
• Correctly utilize medical terminology in both English and Spanish
• Comprehend written materials in both English and Spanish
• Render sight translations from either English to Spanish or Spanish to English

Preparation for Admission — This program admits students through a petition selection process:

What is the petitioning process? (PDF)
Am I ready to petition? (PDF)
Petition Packet (PDF)

Personal attributes that will contribute to success as a medical interpreter include: effective bilingual communication and interpersonal skills; conscientious work habits as related to punctuality and attendance; empathy and the ability to work with patients having limited English proficiency; and the ability to work efficiently and accurately under pressure.

Possible Careers:

Medical Interpreter
Medical Translator

Related Programs:

Medical Assistant
Health Unit Coordinator
Practical Nursing

For more information, call 414-297-MATC.

All credits in this diploma must be earned at MATC with a 2.0 GPA or better. 

Curriculum effective 2010-11.

Hours per Week: r = related, s = shop, c = clinical

Program curriculum requirements are subject to change.

‡ Prerequisite required.

For course descriptions, class times, locations or to register online, visit INFOnline