It is an excellent way to get into the healthcare industry and make an impact on the lives of others by becoming a certified medical translation specialist in Chicago. You will be responsible to translate medical documents and communicate with patients and their healthcare providers. This vital job requires a keen eye for detail, great communication skills, fluency in English and other languages. Here are some steps to help you get certified as a Chicago medical translator.
Step 1 – Complete your Undergraduate Degree
Your first step to becoming a certified medical translation in Chicago, is to finish your undergraduate degree. Although there is no requirement to be a medical translator, most employers prefer applicants with at least a bachelor’s in translation, interpretation or another related field like linguistics, communications, or linguistics. Employers will also consider candidates who have degrees in other areas as well as work experience.
Step 2: Get Relevant Work Experience
Although a degree is important, employers will want to see relevant work experience before hiring you as a medical translation specialist. Interning or volunteering with translation agencies is a great way to gain relevant work experience. Part-time and full-time positions can be found with organizations or companies that need bilingual or multilingual employees. Relevant work experience will make you more appealing to potential employers. It will also allow you to sharpen your translation skills and build your portfolio.
Step 3 – Get Certified as a Medical Translator
After completing your undergraduate degree, and having gained some work experience, you are ready to start the process of becoming a certified medical translator. You can take the American Translators Association’s Medical Translation Certification Examination. This exam tests three areas: medical terminology knowledge, translation accuracy, cultural competence, and language proficiency. You must have at minimum two years’ experience in professional translation or the equivalent of 4,000 hours classroom instruction in medical transcription to be eligible for this exam. Non-members pay $600 and members $450 respectively.
Once you have passed the exam, you need to submit an application in order to be certified. This includes official transcripts from your undergraduate program and documentation about your professional translation experience. After your application is reviewed and approved by the American Translators Association, you will become a certified medical translator!
It’s a great way for you to get into the healthcare industry and make an impact on the lives of others by becoming a certified medical translator in Chicago. These steps will help you become a certified medical translator.
