Medical Interpreter Training Module

Date of Review: June, 2019

This resource is a collection of modules that introduces the basics of medical interpreting including best practice guidelines, common pitfalls and offers a host of thoughtful examples underlining each of these. This is offered through the University’s Department of Medicine and is geared mostly to professional interpreters however there is relevant material in here for health professional students who typically do not get a deep look at best ways to care for patients who speak a different language or time spent on best practices of interpreter use. The modules are essentially YouTube videos and I think the video entitled guidelines for HCW (health care workers) and interpreters is the most applicable to health professional students. In this video, professional interpreters give a number of tips to providers and interpreters as well as examples supporting these best practices. I think this would be useful material for any clinical care curricula preparing students for clinical encounters. There is a self-assessment at the end but the focus is on knowledge mainly around the importance of professionally trained interpreters. The video ends with a case highlighting the pitfalls in interpretation and reinforces the importance of this skill. The introductory video is also helpful in providing evidence around benefits and harms of professional interpretation with a helpful example about the doctor’s role and importance in refugee resettlement. Overall, I think this could be easily integrated into the early clinical or preclinical training. –Ashti Doobay-Persaud, MD, NCEAS

Corresponding Author’s Email:

PhiladelphiaACETaskForce@gmail.com

Institution:

University of Minnesota

Source of the Curriculum/Resource:

Online

Level of Learner Assessment:

Knowledge Acquisition (MCQ, IRAT, GRAT)