The market for medical translators and interpreters is complex and highly diverse. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be over 83,000 new jobs for medical translators and interpreters created by 2020. Translation and interpretation services are gaining greater importance as global expansion becomes widespread throughout the healthcare industry.
Medical translation and interpretation requires high-level precision and excellence, with little room for error. If you want to hire a medical translator or interpreter for your healthcare business, be sure to evaluate all of your alternatives and request background information to ensure you are hiring an individual or a company that is reputable and knowledgeable.
With every industry there are highs and lows, however the medical translation industry is unique in that there is a large volume of competition and no national standard for quality for medical translations. Add to those factors the stress of accuracy and quick turnaround that you often find in the industry and it can create a lot of confusion for someone who needs high quality services.
Here are just a few common myths in the industry, and the information healthcare companies need to know when looking for medical translators and interpreters:
Myth #1: All it takes to become a translator or interpreter is knowledge of two languages!
If you have really good writing skills, does that make you a professional writer? Not necessarily. Similarly, a person’s ability to speak and write in multiple languages does not necessarily qualify that person to be a medical translator or interpreter. Often native speakers fail translation and interpretation assessments. Translation requires extensive knowledge of specialized vocabulary, highly developed research skills, strong project management and time management skills, as well as a highly detailed and process oriented personality. Interpretation requires excellent memory skills, strong shorthand skills, the ability to juggle thoughts and concepts in multiple languages at once, and strong communication abilities. All of these items need to be coupled with robust language skills in order to succeed as a medical translator or interpreter.
Myth #2: You Need a Degree in Medicine to Be a Medical Interpreter
Having a degree in the field of medicine is undoubtedly very useful and an added advantage; however, from a practical standpoint not every translator or interpreter can complete medical school. Also, a medical degree is a huge investment for someone who wants to work in bridging languages as opposed to practicing medicine. Therefore, having a medical degree is certainly not a requirement and many medical translators do not have a medical degree or medical background. What medical interpreters and translators do need is several years of experience working in medical facilities as well as extensive knowledge of medical terminology and jargon in both their source and target language pairs.
Myth #3: Machine Translation is Disrupting Human Translation
Easy to believe but hard to deny! Yes, this is a myth. The rise of machine translation is indirectly generating a stronger demand for human translation. Machine translation has several advantages, including that it easily accessible and very inexpensive. However, even the most perfect translation software is far from being accurate as machines consistently fail to express the implications of genuine human language. This myth is entirely untrue in the medical industry due to the very complex nature of risk and liability in the industry, as well as specialized medical terminology that most machine translation software does not program into their memory banks.
Are you in Search Of High Quality Medical Translators or Interpreters?
Niki’s Int’l Ltd. is an international interpretation, translation, and translation agency with nearly 20 years of experience across various industries worldwide. The purpose of our agency is to provide clear and concise communication between you and your clients within any medium. Niki’s Int’l Ltd. has courteous and professional staff that is available 24/7 to help you with any language needs.
Visit www.nilservices.com today! Or call 1-877-567-8449 for assistance, 24 hours a day.