The MiTio Blog

The Medical Interpreting and Translating Institute Online (MiTio), today announced the close of $20mm in growth financing to drive the expansion of their Income Share Agreement program. MiTio is the nation’s oldest medical interpreter training program, and the first in the country to offer Income Share Agreements. The capital will allow MiTio to increase access to its training program and provide bilingual students the training necessary to secure a role in the certified medical interpreter industry, projected to grow 20% by 2029 - five times faster than average. Income Share Agreements demonstrate MiTio’s dedication to student success by providing outcomes-aligned financing while simultaneously opening its high-quality education and upward career mobility opportunity to low-income bilingual individuals across the United States.

If you’re interested in working as a medical interpreter, preparing for certification is a crucial part of landing a job. Here, we’ll explain the tests, explore more about the two certification bodies in the United States, and provide a list of resources to help you study and prepare.

As a medical interpreter, you’ll have a direct impact on patient care for people who do not speak English as their native language. You could work in various environments, ranging from a hospital setting to doctor’s offices, long-term care facilities, and more. You may work directly for the health care facility, or you may be hired by a third-party who will dispatch you to the facility where you are needed. 

If you’re fluent in English and one or more other foreign languages, you could use your skills to improve patient care at a hospital. While many healthcare professionals may take a Spanish course, it's often not enough to get past the basics, negatively affecting patient care.

Being a medical interpreter is an important position to bridge the gap between medical professionals and their patients. When you work as a medical interpreter, you’ll be called in to communicate medical diagnoses and instructions, to patients and their families, and to relay news to families about their loved one’s condition, prognosis, and care.

Doctors, nurses, other health professionals, the patients and their families all rely on you for accuracy and the ability to convey information in a sensitive and compassionate manner.

Looking to become a certified medical interpreter in California? We at Mitio will show you how. 

When you decide to earn your certification to work as a medical interpreter, and start researching employment, you’ll soon realize that there are jobs available in many different medical settings. While most medical interpreting jobs have similar basic education requirements, specialized training programs help you build the knowledge you need to get certified - and get hired.

Some employers require only a high school diploma or GED plus interpreter certification from the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) , while others expect applicants to have a bachelor’s degree as well. Most require related experience in a healthcare setting.

Medical terminology is difficult to understand and constantly evolving. In order to stay on top of the field and administer the best possible care, health care practitioners constantly update their knowledge. Medical interpreters are also expected to understand medical language and medical concepts and to keep their knowledge current.