The untold stories of medical interpreters: 

As a provider of medical interpretation, Monterey Language Services launched an initiative series to explore emotional and professional challenges that medical interpreters face. Please see our previous introduction to the series here.

How Was Everything Started and Created?

We reached out to quite a lot of CCHI certified medical interpreters who we admire. Even though not surprisingly the dedicated interpreters graciously shared their most heartfelt stories, we were amazed by how insightful and emotional depth issues were brought to us. We are genuinely moved by the stories.

In each video below, we picked some of the most awesome quotes (see description below) that blew us away. We believe this series is something sincere and original that comes straight from the deep down of the dedicated medical interpreters.

These videos are worth sharing. They are designed to raise awareness and appreciation of the essential elements that medical interpreters face every day. Please feel welcome to share them with your circles of networks.

The Series Will Be On-going

We feel that medical interpretation involves so many elements and there is always a heavy emotional toll that stays with us. To vent and to share is something meaningful and powerful to make us a better medical interpreter.

If you have stories to tell, please continue to share them with us and we will write original scripts and create videos to share with everyone!

Why We Created This Series

The idea behind this project was to honor the dedication, emotional strength, and cultural intelligence of medical interpreters. This series is not a textbook style of what a medical interpreter is all about. We wanted to share the professional and emotional stories that most people don’t often hear about.

Imagine standing in a room, listening to a doctor deliver life-altering news – a cancer diagnosis, a difficult prognosis, or the devastating reality of a loved one’s passing. This is the reality for medical interpreters. We are constantly exposed to human suffering, fear, and grief.

The video series dives deep into these less-talked-about challenges. You’ll hear directly from interpreters as we share our most poignant, sometimes frustrating, and even heartwarming experiences. You’ll gain a new appreciation for the incredible skill, empathy, and resilience required to do this vital work as medical interpreters!

The Video Series Includes:

1. Medical Interpreters Are Unsung Heroes
   Interpreters are the fragile bridge between fear and clarity; science and the human heart.
   https://youtu.be/F96UhMM4dxo
2. Vicarious Trauma
   An interpreter needs to explain to their family in their own language that their loved one’s neck CT scan showed a tumor, and the airway’s become compressed, making the need for a tracheostomy immediately necessary.
   https://youtu.be/mtEv8NEShZU
3. Emotional Roles
   A medical appointment isn’t just about tests or results; it’s about emotions.
   https://youtu.be/uwEd-QuWeLU
4. Cultural Bridges
   In the Middle East, never tell a patient bad news directly. They will call you cruel, ruthless, and culturally insensitive!
   https://youtu.be/9vBcyzMpjic
5. Body Language
   It’s not just about translating the words; it’s about reading the room!
   https://youtu.be/CoDmBd9HtRs
6. Palliative Care
   It’s like someone dimmed the harsh fluorescent lights and made space for us to breathe.
   https://youtu.be/IrC6b0WFzEU
7. Mastering Patience
   Everyone has a story and understanding is the key!
   https://youtu.be/GNaUkZc4EKY
8. Subconscious Vicarious Trauma
   Let’s talk about something that most interpreters don’t get trained for!
   https://youtu.be/ItqtznXgNRo
9. Not Knowing
   Peace doesn’t always come from knowing. Sometimes, it comes from letting go.
   https://youtu.be/-1gIPcH1GsQ
10. Interpreting Grief
    The most powerful thing to do is to feel. When you honor your emotions, you are more equipped to serve others.
    Link: https://youtu.be/BoEcPFVeEnY
11. On Interpreting Life and Death
    In knowing death, I honor life as a medical interpreter.
    Link: https://youtu.be/Tgw6bgKtqEg
12. Small Kindness
    If we fully accept that life is short, what can we do differently?
    Link: https://youtu.be/XPBTiwBPOqU

Medical terminology comes on top. Medical interpretation requires a strong understanding of medical terminology in both the source and target languages. It is important to know the meaning of medical terms and jargon in order to accurately convey information. If an interpreter doesn’t understand a word, he or she should ask for a simpler explanation, so that the conversation between the doctor and the patient is flawless.

In addition, it’s best to always use clear and concise language when interpreting medical information. Using straightforward, easy to understand language will help ensure that the patient understands the information being provided. Do your best to avoid medical jargon or technical terms that the patient may not be familiar with. But if you do end up having to use it, be sure you understand what it means so you can explain it if necessary.

That being said, be sure to be in the know-how of how the medical field works. Whether it’s of internal medicine, neurology, radiology, pediatrics, cardiology, outpatient surgery, gastroenterology, urology, intensive care, orthopedics, physical therapy, community health, emergency, gynecology and more, an interpreter should be prepared and understand each specialty. This can help you as an interpreter to better understand the medical information being provided and to accurately convey it to the patient.

There are a lot of cultures out there that deal with medical visits differently. You may have  mastered the source and target languages in the medical field, but you also need to be culturally sensitive and can bridge the gap between the two cultures you are interpreting in. Something important beyond what is being said, the interpreter should serve as an advocate to bring that underlining meaning out to all parties involved. This can help the doctor and the patient understand each other better. Medical interpretation is unique in this sense. To communicate fully in order to provide and receive the best treatment.

As an interpreter, you should always keep whatever occurs in the appointment confidential. Medical interpreters should always respect the confidentiality of the patient and not share any personal or medical information without the patient’s consent or unless required by law. A medical interpreter should always remain impartial and avoid giving personal opinions or advice to the patient regarding make their own decisions and conclusions.

Medical interpretation is a valuable service to the community. It’s a very rewarding experience for us at Monterey Language Services. We have a great sense of helping others by providing medical interpretation to LEP (Limited English Proficiency) patients. Our goal is to put their mind at ease that their words are being understood, and they are understanding the words being said to them as well. This is what we call the essence of medical interpretation.

1. Choose the right interpreter: Effective interpretation starts by choosing the right interpreter. Ensure that the interpreter has the necessary skills and experience to interpret accurately between the languages involved. Consider their expertise in the subject matter and their cultural sensitivity as well, as these factors can greatly impact the accuracy of the interpretation.
2. Provide background information: Background information such as subject matter, names and titles of participants, context and purpose of the event can greatly help with the accuracy of the interpretation. The more information interpreters have before the event, the better their performance will be. To provide and gather background information is considered a necessity in the interpretation process. To be exact, the interpretation process starts before the event itself.
3. Create favorable environment: Ensure that the interpreter has a clear line of sight and sound to all participants in the conversation. Experienced clients usually treat interpreters with courtesy and thoughtfulness in order to provide a favorable environment for the interpreter to work in. The goal is to help the interpreter enhance their performance and ensure that the interpretation is as accurate as possible.
4. Speak clearly and at a moderate pace: Interpreters must be able to understand the language they are interpreting. Speaking clearly and at a moderate pace can help the interpreter accurately convey the intended message. Avoid using overly complex language, because it can reduce the processing time in interpreter’s brain, help the interpreter render interpretation in an easy and smooth way.
5. Avoid distractions: Interpreters must concentrate to accurately convey both the content and tone of a conversation. Any distractions or interruptions can disrupt the flow of the interpretation process and impact interpretation in a negative way. For instance, if video interferes with audio output, then refrain from asking interpreters to appear on video. Asking interpreters to be on video usually is more distracting than not to be on video. Also avoid any activities that may be distracting, such as talking on the phone or texting.
6. Provide feedback: If there is any confusion or misunderstanding during the interpretation process, it is important to provide feedback to the interpreter. Collaboration rather than confrontation is more conducive to the outcome you would like to achieve in a communication event.

A Real Life Example

The book “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down,” written by Anne Fadiman, describes the cultural and medical misunderstandings that occurred between a Hmong refugee family and the American healthcare system.  Lia suffered severe epilepsy, which causes frequent seizures. Hmong people believe that seizures happen because a spirit catches the person, whereas American doctors identified the imbalance of chemicals as the cause of seizures. Without any medical interpreters, the family could only rely on the help of relatives for informal interpretation. While American doctors prescribed appropriate medicine for Lia, the family never gave Lia the right dosage because they did not understand the doctors’ instructions. Moreover, the Hmong community felt skeptical of modern medicine. As the cultural misunderstanding and confusion continued, Lia’s condition worsened.

Lessons Learned

Imagine how differently Lia’s life would turn out if a qualified medical interpreter was in place. Language skills are the basic expertise a medical interpreter should possess, but a professional interpreter should also have a rich understanding of both cultures. In addition, the interpreter should be respectful and sensible towards cultural behaviors, which can easily lead to misunderstanding between the medical providers and the families. When such occasion rises, the interpreter should react quickly and notify each party (usually with: “interpreter explanation”) and then explain the behavior as a result of cultural practices. For instance, doctors may not able to understand why family member cannot make important decisions on the spot. The interpreter should explain to the doctors that in some cultures, family members need to get together in order to make important decisions.

In the complex environment of healthcare settings, medical interpreters should be not only the communicator of different parties but also the bridge of different cultures.

Monterey Language Services strives to provide the highest quality of translation and interpretation services. Please feel free to contact us for more information.