How to become a certified medical interpreter: CCHI vs NBCMI 

Marlon! OMG! Your comment is so thoughtful! THANK YOU! I wanted to start this because whenever I was looking for information about this career or about other colleagues' experiences I could not really find much so I'm happy you are finding it useful. Thanks for being here!

I'm so glad! Thank you!

Thank you, Claudia!

Hi, Sara! That's awesome! Thanks for sharing this!

Thank you so much 😊 I’m glad you liked it!!!

Thanks so much, Desmond! Your words are very encouraging for me to make more videos!

Nice! I'm happy to hear that. Best of luck with the test!

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for being here!

Gracias, Pedro 🤗

Wanda! Thank you so much for your kind comments and for your support!

Hi just a question I’ve been trying to become a medical interpreter but can’t find an accredited school if you don’t mind me asking where did u get ur cert ?

HI Ruby. Not sure where you live but I live in the SF Bay Area. Pre COVID went in person throufh City College of San Francisco. I believe it's all online now. It's a 2 semester program called the Healthcare Certificate Program. Good luck. @@rubyzaleta7299

¡Hola, Diego! ¡Muchas gracias!

Thank you for your kind words! I’m glad it was helpful 🤗

Glad it was helpful! Thank you!

My experience with them was great! Best of luck!

Thank you for being part of this community and always showing your support. It means a lot to me!

@@Interprepedia your welcome Rosa, I love your channel and look forward to new content. Im looking into studying to become a Medical Interpreter soon and shift career paths. un saludo guapa, cuidate.

Gracias, Beatriz 🤗 it makes me happy to hear that

Hi! Thanks for being here! I'm glad it helped!

Thanks, Gemma!

Glad it was helpful!

Nice! I’m glad to hear that, Claude! Good luck!

Mari! Gracias! 🤗

You are so welcome 🤗 Thank you for your support!

Thank you! Cheers!

Thanks for watching! You’re so welcome!

Thank you, Tatiana! I'm glad you found it helpful 😊

Thank you! Glad you found it useful!

Glad you liked it!

Hi, Olivia! That's a tough one 🤯 I would definitely need to ask for clarification from the patient because it could mean so many different things 😵 A video with the most crazy words I've had to interpret! OMG! That's a great idea!

Thank you Gilda! You can definitely master your simultaneous interpretation skills, it just takes lots and lots of practice. My tip to improve is to do just that, practice a lot, even if you do so with scenarios that are meant for consecutive interpretation. If they are not too fast (

Thank you, Mohamed!

¡Hola! Bienvenido al canal y muchas gracias por estar aquí. Excelente sugerencia. Voy a trabajar en eso pero por ahora, te comparto este enlace a una página que tiene algunos recursos sobre el tema: bit.ly/39R2fR2 - Espero que te sea útil por el momento 🤗

OMG! That's wonderful! 🎉 CONGRATULATIONS 🎉

Congradulations. What did you use to study?

@@sotoalexandra57 RU-vid, this channel, Interpret your world channel, took a note taking online course, interpretrain. Practice with friends, took a bridge the gap 40 hour course and Medline Plus medical website, spanish/English. Plenty of help out there. Best of luck.

@@Interprepedia thank you!

@@NELSONG12 Thank you! 🙌

Hi! Thank you so much for your comment. I have some experience in translation as I worked for a big translation company for about four years. The whole process and my experience are a bit of a long story to share in a comment but I will make sure to make a video about it. Stay tuned!

Thank you, Stefany! In my case, I studied overseas in a Spanish-speaking country so I didn’t have to take a language proficiency test in Spanish, only in English (TOEFL). One thing I like about CCHI is that if you’ve spent time working or studying in a country where they speak your foreign language, that could suffice to proof proficiency but they actually don’t list a specific testing entity. The NBCMI lists ACTFL and Parrot. I hope this helps and good luck 😉

Hi, Len! Thanks for sharing your comment. I am happy to hear that you found someone to help you through the process because it can be overwhelming. I share the same point of view regarding the ethics part of the written test but do your best, read the questions very carefully because sometimes one word can give you a clue about the correct answer (especially those with all, none, always or never), and use your best judgment after studying the standards of practice. Good luck!

That is absolutely right, Natalie. Thank you!

Hi! Thanks so much! I have both certifications at the moment and so far none of my clients seem to favor one over the other, so in my experience it hasn't been a disadvantage. I haven't seen a difference at all. I hope this helps!

Thank you, Jesus!!! I appreciate your kind comment!

Hi, Erika! In my experience, no, I haven't found a prospective client/employer who prefers one certification over the other. Both are equally accepted nation-wide. Thank you for your support and for being here!

That's awesome! As far as I know, there isn't a specific time limit for that. Good luck!

Hi! It's hard to recommend a specific course because there are many great ones out there. Have you checked out the other video I made where I share tips on how to choose a medical training program? If not, here's the link to it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6rQIyw4O4aA.html

¡Hola, Adilenne! Muchas gracias por visitar el canal y compartir tu pregunta. Por supuesto que puedes conseguir esa meta. Ahora hay un sinnúmero de cursos disponibles en línea para cumplir con los requisitos de capacitación que exigen los programas de certificación. En mi canal hay un video en el que comparto consejos sobre cómo elegir uno de esos cursos dependiendo de tú situación. Si estás basada en los EE. UU. puedes optar por la certificación de NBCMI o CCHI. Si estás en el extranjero, puedes optar por NBCMI porque ofrece la posibilidad de tomar los exámenes en línea. En mi opinión y en base a mi experiencia, este sería un paso esencial para incursionar en la interpretación médica. Mucho éxito y déjame saber si tienes alguna otra pregunta.

Hi Shanti! Thank you for your kind words. There are so many options it's hard to narrow them down because a lot of things come into play when it comes to choosing the right resources for you. I have a video about this in the channel (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6rQIyw4O4aA.html) and also you can check out CCHI's list of approved prerequisite programs for your reference: cchicertification.org/prerequisite-programs/

My pleasure! I don’t have one but if you search on quizlet.com I’m sure you’ll find several. Good luck!

@@Interprepedia Thank you. Yes I have found some .

Hi, Helen! Excellent question! You can take the written exam and opt for the CoreCHI or Hub-CMI credentials. These are available for any language pair.

Hi, Kharly! I can only speak from personal experience. I took a course with Transinterpreting and it was the right one for me at the time but I hope other colleagues can pitch in and share their feedback too. Thank you for being here!

Hi, Jean! In the NBCMI test, the 12 scenarios took about 25-30 minutes to complete. You also have to sight translate two passages from English > foreign language which take about 10 minutes. Good luck!

Hi Ivan! I totally agree with you. NBCMI seems to be your best bet and no, there are no specific requirements that apply to overseas candidates as far as I know.

Hi! The amount of info online can certainly be overwhelming. You can start the registration process with CCHI but you won't be eligible to take the written exam until after you complete the 40-hr course because it's a prerequisite. I would like to invite you to watch this video I made with tips on how to choose a training: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6rQIyw4O4aA.html

Thank you, Karla!

What kind of books, articles, etc do you recommend to prepare/practice for this exames specialty scenarios to practice ethical and roles of an interpreter ? Thank You

@@elisaarangel2905 yes PLEASE

Hi, Elisa! Great question! Any training program for medical interpreters should cover this in detail, but if you’re looking for scenarios and role plays, here are some recommendations: * The Community Interpreter - An International Workbook of Activities and Role Plays * California Standards for Healthcare Interpreters - Appendix B (p. 54) has some examples: www.chiaonline.org/Resources/Documents/CHIA%20Standards/standards_chia.pdf * ATA Presentation about ethical dilemmas: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-R8vsZ8u4_iw.html I hope this helps!

Hello, nada! Check this out. I hope this helps and good luck! * The Community Interpreter - An International Workbook of Activities and Role Plays * California Standards for Healthcare Interpreters - Appendix B (p. 54) has some examples: www.chiaonline.org/Resources/Documents/CHIA%20Standards/standards_chia.pdf * ATA Presentation about ethical dilemmas: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-R8vsZ8u4_iw.html

Hi, Tun Lin! Great question! A letter of explanation stating the time you spent living (working or studying) in a country where that language is spoken should suffice but as always, I suggest reaching out to CCHI directly just to make sure.

Thanks! I'd say CCHI since as far as I know, NBCMI does not offer the full certification for Arabic interpreters.

Hi, Silvana!!! 👋 There are many online training programa accepted by NBCMI so it’s hard to give you a direct answer. Normally the ones that have been pre approved advertise that information in the course description. When in doubt, you can always contact NBCMI directly, just to double-check. They usually reply quickly.

Question… if your already getting certified through NBCMI, would you still need to go through an online program? I thought NBCMI website provided all that.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Hey! Technically, yes, ideally you'd get some training and a certification to apply for jobs, although, to be fully honest, in some circumstances it doesn't always work in that order. I can't really say in general what is the demand for French interpreters but I have several colleagues who are French interpreters and they stay busy if they work with multiple clients, and they do specially well if they can interpret in French Creole and Haitian Creole as well. Good luck and thank you for stopping by!

Hi Anna! Thanks for reaching out! There are so many courses it's hard for me to recommend one, but I made a video with tips on how to choose the best one for you, check it out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6rQIyw4O4aA.html The time it takes to cover the course varies. Some courses are online but not self-paced. They have an instructor that will schedule classes, so the time it takes to complete will depend entirely on that. Other courses are self-paced, and if you are determined and take classes for about 8 hrs a day, you could finish it within a week! Most courses I've taken do have a lot of information. Sometimes it feels like you're drinking out of a firehose, honestly, but the key is to take in what you can and then make sure you organize the information so you can review it after the course is done at your own pace so you can really learn it.

Hi! I sure do! I made a video with some recommendations on how to narrow down the best option for you (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6rQIyw4O4aA.html) because there are different courses to cover different needs so it's a very personal choice. I hope it helps!

Hi!! I think anyone, from any part of the world or language combination can have that opportunity. Nowadays, there are many online training programs, and many programs that are called “language neutral” because they are in English only. It may not be the ideal situation because you may need to do additional research to translate terms into another language, but there’s still a lot of value in those trainings. Follow your dreams! Don’t give up!

Hi! There are so many opportunities it's hard to cover them in a simple reply. To summarize I can share that opportunities range from remote telephonic/video interpreters handling general calls (utilities, customer service, etc.), interpreters working in the medical, judicial or educational fields both remote, and in-person, as freelancers or employees, interpreters working in international conferences, the UN, the DOS, etc....

Hi! No problem! Ask away! So, I'm a little confused... CCHI and NBCMI offer certification programs where you have to take a written and oral test. For these tests, I believe you can't use an iPad Pro; you must use a computer. Now, you mention a class, so I'm not sure if what you mean is if you can use the iPad for that 40-hr class that you have to take in order to certify... if so, I guess that would depend on the school that is teaching the class so I'm not sure. Feel free to reach back if this doesn't clarify your question. Best of luck!

Hola, Angelica! Thank you for sharing your question. Yes, NBCMI accepts Transinterpreting's course and they recently upgraded from 40 to 60 hours 😀 Here's the updated one: www.transinterpreting.com/60-hour-healthcare-training

Hello! 👋 I'm glad you liked it and congratulations on making a decision to become a medical interpreter. It's a great career and sometimes I feel I'd pay to do what I do 😁 Many of us come from other career paths and started interpreting without formal experience so you are not alone. To answer your question, I feel the more we study, the better we will be, plus this is a career where you never stop studying and learning, even after certifying. Now, having said that, many 40-hr programs will prepare you well enough to pass the certification exam if they offer a combination of theory and practice so you can learn ethics and standards of practice, medical vocabulary, and concepts plus interpreting technique with practice scenarios. Best of luck and share in the comments if you have more questions!

@@Interprepedia thank you so much!! I am now more motivated to give it a try. I am paying for everything my self my parents aren’t helping with any of it because they feel as if I won’t be able to make it a job. May I ask what training program you recommended? Your videos have definitely helped me more than any other videos here on RU-vid. I’d love to see more of your content!

I'm very happy for you, use this momentum to keep going. I understand it tough for others to believe in something that hasn't materialized. This can be a lucrative career but like any other, it takes some time and effort to take off. There are great training programs out there, but I can only speak based on my experience which was with Transinterpreting and it was great. Visit this link (tinyurl.com/y5k6njkb) and scroll down. You'll find a detailed list of courses where you can do some shopping around to compare the most renowned programs. You'll do great!!!

I am wondering where can I do the training in order to get the certificate? Thank you so much! This video is very informative and I am very grateful for it

Hello! The video I am working on (coming up in a few days) is just about that 😉 Stay tuned!

Hi Jackie! 👋 As far as I know, CCHI and NBCMI are nationally recognized but I have seen many job/contract listings that include the DSHS certification as accepted for job qualification purposes. Ultimately it may depend on the company or agency offering the position but I think getting one of the two national certifications would benefit you 👌

Hi! The renewal is $300. You don't have to do everything again but you do have to comply with their continuing education requirements within the renewal period.

Thank you I appreciate it . Am so sorry for the bother but I actually have one more question. Really hope u see it…. Well I was wondering if I can use my iPad Pro that hs a magic keyboard for the class of CCHI or NBCMI ?. I heard of course that you can use computers but I don’t know if the iPad Pro I have that looks just like a laptop will be fine for me to use .

Hi Yessica! Yes, that is the process for the NBCMI certification. I wish I could tell you the 40 hr training is enough to pass all the exams but that is not always the case. For example, for the oral exam you need to be really good at taking notes and have good interpreting technique (not just knowing the vocabulary) so if your course doesn't include a strong practice component, you may need to find additional resources or classes to work on that. I want to make a video explaining this in further detail. Stay tuned.

Thank you, Veronica! I appreciate your support. There are so many great schools out there that is hard to make a recommendation. I personally chose Transinterpreting because I was looking for an online delivery and a combination of live classes and recorded classes. I had experience and other training so that was a great fit for me. Other schools offer in-person classes which some prefer, other schools offer a combination of classes based on ethics/standards of practice, medical terminology and interpreting skills. This is a list provided by IMIA that could be a good starting point: www.imiaweb.org/education/trainingnotices.asp?SearchType=precertification

You sure can! NBCMI offers the option to certify from the comfort of your home so that would be a way to do it if you are outside of the US!

Hi Sthefany! It depends. For example, I don't have a diploma from a school in an English-speaking country so I had to prove my English proficiency by taking one of the approved tests, in my case I had taken the TOEFL, but there are others. Now, if on the contrary, let's stay you grew up in the USA and learned Spanish from your parents. If you have a diploma from a school in the USA that already proves your proficiency in English, so you'd have to take one of the approved tests to prove your proficiency in Spanish. I hope this helps and wasn't too confusing. Thanks so much for sharing your question!

Hi, Carlos! There are a couple of RU-vid channels that I know of that have a lot of great practices (Interpret Your World is one of them). Most of those practices are actually harder than the actual exam. If you can handle those, you will do great in the test. Best of luck!

Hi! The course I took with Transinterpreting a few years ago is no longer available but they now have upgraded the course to a 60-hr one and here is that link: www.transinterpreting.com/60-hr-healthcare-interpreter-training-self-paced-neutral

Hi Joan! As fas as I know, you can complete the entire certification process through NBCMI even if you live overseas. It is a nationally-recognized credential in the US but I know - based on other colleagues' experience - that other countries recognize the credential as well, especially if they don't have one of their own. I hope this helps!

Thanks, Maria! Of course, there are many great courses out there. A lot depends on what you are looking for in terms of delivery (online vs in person), content (some are language-specific, others focus more on extensive vocab, others offer a combination of vocab + skills training) and ultimately price. I took Transinterpreting's 40-hr course a couple of years ago and it was the right one for me. I'd recommend taking a look at this references posted by NBCMI: tinyurl.com/y68pyfnq. About sight translation, my advice would be to make sure you know vocabulary by heart first and foremost. Then get your hands on as many documents as you can (consents, discharge instructions, test results like ultrasound reports) in both working languages and record yourself as you sight translate them until you feel your delivery is smooth + accurate. Good luck!!!

@@Interprepedia The hospital where I work has a qualified spanish medical interpreter program service for their LEP. I got qualified on this program and I realized that this is my passion. I love helping my LEP. This is why I would like to get the nationwide certification. I found your channel the other day and I was thrilled. Keep up posting your excellent informative videos. Thanks for your time.

That sounds wonderful, Maria! You are setting yourself up for success in this beautiful profession. Thank you for your encouraging words 🙏 🤗

Hi, Walter! The written exam for the medical/healthcare interpreter certification is in English only. Good luck!

Hi Gary! Keep studying and don't feel discouraged. Just recently I took a written test for the federal certification. I took a practice test and I failed it and I was feeling pretty defeated but when I took the actual test, I passed. Sometimes practice tests can be harder than the real ones or sometimes the questions are not properly formulated and those things can lead to scores that don't predict how well we'll do in the real test.

Likewise, how difficult is it to find work upon completion of a certification? Thanks

Hi! Thanks for reaching out! I can't tell you how much work is available for this certification, but what I can tell you is that having the certification opened a lot of doors for me and helped me have priority for assignments over non-certified interpreters. It's not only a validation of your skills but also a great marketing tool if used correctly. In my experience, being able to work from Mexico would totally depend on your employer or clients. Some are okay with that but others may require you to be in the US.

¡Hola, Jesus! Pues hay un montón que son muy buenos pero solo puedo hablar por experiencia propia. Yo hice un curso con Transinterpreting - de hecho, he hecho varios cursos con ellos - y en mi caso fue el adecuado.

@@Interprepedia Muchísimas gracias Rosa🙏

Hi Jenny! Thanks for stopping by! Wow! You have a great background that will certainly be helpful if you want to pursue a career as a medical interpreter. I believe at least some of your training and experience will count to meet the requirements for the certifications but as always, your best bet is to email each organization to check on that. Be sure to have dates, certificates of completion or diplomas if you have them, and an account of how many hours of training you took for each. Best of luck!

@@Interprepedia Rosa please advise what sort of schools have this course ? If it’s a college, do I apply as continuing education? And are there other institutions that offer this program. And what is the program called ? I see medical interpreter and healthcare interpreter. What is the difference. Thanks so much. I tried emailing you but the email address came back as incorrect. 💕

Hi, Jenny! There are courses offered at a college level and other short courses offered as +40-hour training programs. They are usually called "Medical Interpreter Training" or "Healthcare Interpreter Training" (terms used interchangeably but the meaning is the same) - Get in touch at www.rosaospina.com. Have you seen this video where I offer tips and information about these courses? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6rQIyw4O4aA.html

Hi! From what I understand, we have to renew our credentials to prove that we comply with the continuing education requirement. We don't have to repeat the same process (no tests again). For the renewal, we have to submit proof of the classes and courses we took during the time we've been certified to maintain our skills and pay the renewal fee.

Hi! Yes! There sure are!

Hi, Norma! There are so many options! Anything from 40-hr online courses to college-level classes, online, in-person, live, recorded--- so many options! I actually made a video with tips on how to choose the right program for you, check it out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6rQIyw4O4aA.html

Hi! If you're strong in simultaneous interpretation, I would definitely recommend CCHI since their oral exam is the only one that has a simultaneous interpretation component. Best of luck!

Thanks!@@Interprepedia

Hi! Yes, there are online options too! Good luck!

Hola, Abib 👋 Excelente pregunta. Te entiendo perfectamente pues sé lo difícil que puede ser mandar a apostillar documentos emitidos en nuestros países cuando vivimos en el extranjero. Al revisar los requisitos de la NBCMI y CCHI no veo que especifiquen que los papeles tengan que estar apostillados, simplemente traducidos al inglés. Quizá esto pueda facilitarte el proceso si ya tienes el diploma en tu poder o si puedes pedirle a alguien en Venezuela que te lo consiga y te lo envíe. ¡Mucha suerte!

Interprepedia Muchas gracias 🙏🏻 Realmente espero poder hacer esto!

Hi, Paul! Great question! As far as I know, they may approve certain college-level classes as part of the prerequisites but they have to be relevant or related to medical interpreting. However, even if they approve the classes as part of your training, it does not offset the cost of the actual testing. Check out this link where NBCMI is offering a scholarship, and the deadline to apply is on August 15 so you are still on time: tinyurl.com/wzt429yv. Best of luck and thanks for being here!

Great question! Although there’s not a comprehensive list, both CCHI and NBCMI have lists of some of the courses that are approved by them.

Hi Esther! Great question. I'm based in the USA, but I've met many colleagues based overseas who have become certified through these US entities because in many countries they don't offer something similar and it opens up opportunities to work for US clients.

Hi, Jeffrey! I totally get it because many of us started that way. Send me an email and we can chat 📨 www.rosaospina.com

Awsome! Thank you