Medical Interpreter Certificate Bridges Language Skills Gap

According to a 2017 report by the New American Economy Research Fund, there is a growing demand for bilingual talent across the country. Among the industries in high need for Spanish, Chinese and Arabic fluency as the desired skill is the healthcare industry. The report found there is a strong demand for bilingual workers that can communicate and serve patients.

Program Manager Brittany Crosby of KSU’s College of Continuing and Professional Education said the Medical Interpreter certificate bridges the gap between the healthcare industry and the diverse patients it serves.

“It’s no doubt our global economy requires bilingual skills,” Crosby said. “When it comes to the healthcare industry, these foreign language skills are crucial for the patient’s overall health and wellbeing. Medical interpreters serve an important role in the healthcare industry. They are a bridge between the patient and the medical professionals.”

For more than five years, the Medical Interpreter certificate program has trained and prepared bilingual students, who speak Spanish and English, to serve the community with their skills. The ten-week program offers hands-on instruction, teaching students’ ethics, medical terminology, linguistic and interpreter skills, and focuses on aspects of Hispanic culture related to healthcare.

Recent graduate Dora Aguirre said the program helped her advance her bilingual skills into a career serving others. “[I can] help others that are limited in the language,” Aguirre said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity… my kids are my motivation.”

Students in the Medical Interpreter certificate program at KSU are taught by a Certified Medical Interpreter. Alicia Morales has served as the instructor for the program since 2015. She had previous experience in bilingual editing and work with the United Nations.

“It’s important that we offer programs like these to meet the demand of our evolving workforce,” Crosby said. “Not only does this program bridge the skills gap, but it also provides an opportunity to work in the field helping others.”

For more information on the Medical Interpreter Certificate program or other healthcare programs at KSU’s College of Continuing and Professional Education, call 470-578-6765, email ccpe@kennesaw.edu or visit ccpe.kennesaw.edu.