Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PREPARED FOR
Medical Interpreting Candidates
PREPARED BY
Voyce, Inc.
As an interpreter you are called upon to be the “Voyce” of those who cannot
speak for themselves. And that’s a job that we take very seriously! It is our
constant aim to provide our clients with the best service in the industry.
With that in mind, this training guide has been meticulously planned to help
you prepare for our Medical Assessment Test. Within these pages you will
find all of the information that you need in order to succeed!
MEDICAL ACRONYMS
You should be familiar with and able to use these terms in English and your target language. The Medical Terminology
that you will be assessed on will be pulled from this list.
⦁ Hear
⦁ Listen
⦁ Visualize
⦁ Understand
⦁ Recall
⦁ Retain
HEAR
Make sure that you are in a quiet room, with no distracting noises. Make sure that your
headset is on at a comfortable volume where you can really hear what is being said by
both the Provider and the LEP.
LISTEN
Listening requires concentration so that your brain is able to process meaning from the
information that you are being given. This requires focus and engagement. It requires
actively listening with a desire to comprehend.
VISUALIZE
The ability to visualize what you are listening to is a powerful tool. This engages more
neural pathways and aids in retention.
UNDERSTAND
Once you are listening intently, you begin to truly understand what is being
communicated. Understanding is vital to memory.
RETAIN
Once you understand you must retain what is said. This can be aided by note taking.
RECALL
This is when you get to use the skills you applied to interpret what was said.
While you cannot write down everything that is said, an experienced interpreter will be
sure to use their notes to retain the following:
● Unfamiliar Words
● Medication Names
● Numbers
● Dates
● Dosages
● Proper Names
When taking notes there are certain principles that are important to consider.
● Flow: Interpreter manages the flow of the call, making sure that
statements are not so long that it will become impossible to give a word
for word account. Remember, when you allow the Client or LEP to
speak for long stretches you will find yourself “SUMMARIZING” instead
the Client or LEP: “This is the interpreter. In order to provide you with
is being said.
clarifying. Ex: “This is the interpreter. I did not understand the name of
the street given by the LEP and will need to clarify with them.”
● Disclosure:: Interpreter discloses limitations and asks for needed
● term. Can you please clarify or spell the term so that the int. can look
it up?
● Impartiality: Interpreter refrains from counseling, advising, or
projecting personal biases, cultural practices or beliefs.
● Role Boundaries: Int refrains from advising. For ex: interpreter never
advises a patient on health care questions, but redirects the patient to
ask the provider.
OPI Impressions
When you are on an OPI (over the phone) call where the client cannot see your face,
your tone of voice makes all the difference in the world. One well known “trick” of the
customer service industry is to always smile when you speak! When you do so, your
voice sounds friendlier and more cheerful! It also creates a powerful sense of
connection and trust. Remember to smile! Especially when introducing yourself and
Customer Service/Pleasantries
It doesn’t take a lot to create a great impression. Simple words and phrases
such as, “certainly”, “I’d love to”, “absolutely”, “my pleasure”, “happy to help”
and even, “I am so sorry….” or “I understand that you are upset”, “thank you for
bringing this to my attention”, all go a long way to creating great relationships with
the parties you interact with daily. And don’t forget your please and thank you’s!
Client: “I’ve never used an interpreter before, I’m not sure I’m going to like
this!!”
Client: “Wow, that was a tough call! I’m sorry you had to hear all that
interpreter. But thanks for helping me!
These are just some of the ways that you can use your words to endear yourself to the
parties you serve, offer great customer service, and even defuse potentially tense
situations!
Appropriate Closing
How you close your interpretation session is just as important as how you open!! You
want the client to feel good for having used your services and to look forward to using
it again! The appropriate closing always includes a “Thank you for using our services”
at the end!
Interpreter: “Certainly!” “Thank you so much for using our services and
have a lovely day!” or, “Of course! Thank you for using our services and
have a great day!”
VRI Impression
More and more Interpreting services are entering the world of VRI (Video Remote
Interpreting). Studies suggest that 93% of all communication is non-verbal, and only
7% is made up of the words we speak! And this is where VRI shines! But when
Background
Your background matters! Please be mindful of the need to present yourself in a
professional manner. Here are some tips to help you navigate the world of VRI:
Lighting
People need to see you clearly -proper lighting is part of a professional appearance.
Remember to use the ‘Self View’ button to see what your lighting looks like. It is
important that you are well lit. You may need to experiment to get it right. And don’t
forget that having a bright light, or sunlight, coming from behind you can make you
look like you are in the shadows.
In-Frame
When on video you should be centered in the picture, looking directly into the camera.
Ideally your head, chest, and shoulders are in frame. And don’t forget about your
posture! Be attentive. Sit up straight and use good posture. Do not slump back or off
to the side. Also, Do not try to conceal an inappropriate background by getting so
close to the camera that all we see is your face. So let’s recap:
● Neutral background
● Proper lighting
● Clear picture
● Interpreter in frame
● Good posture
● TV / Radio
● Washer/Dryer/Dishwasher
● Spouse/children/roommates
● Pets
Voyce understands that some noises are outside of the interpreters control. These
include:
● Road noise
● Airplanes
● Neighbors Dogs
● Birds
● Lawn mowers
● Area construction
However, for all of these there are some steps you can take to reduce noise during your
calls. These include:
● Adjusting Microphone
● Low noise Oscillating Fan in background to create "white noise" to drown out
other noises
● White Noise Phone Apps (some free apps include TMSoft, White Noise Lite
and Chroma Doze)
So to recap some of the things that we have covered in the Impression and
Appearance section of this guide:
● How you speak to the client, the positive and kind words you use, go a
long way towards making the client feel that they are a priority, and
even helps you to defuse potentially tense situations.
● Your appearance affects your credibility - you must work from a Voyce
approved workspace
● Appearance - you must be in-frame at all times and use good posture
● Dress & Grooming - business casual attire (polo, collared shirt, dress
jacket, covered shoulders)
If you have any further questions or concerns regarding the topics covered during this
training session, please contact your Interpreter Manager or Training Coordinator!
the LEP relies on you to provide accurate information on dosing, medication names
speak in only 1-3 sentences. An interpreter must be able to recall and to take good
notes, and keep up with the clients. However, if the provider is speaking in extremely
long segments, it then becomes the job of the interpreter to control the flow! One
Medication Names
When servicing Pharmaceutical and Medical calls you will often come into contact with
medication names that are very difficult to understand, spell and pronounce. The LEP
relies on you to convey the name of their medications in an accurate way. Therefore, if
doctor/nurse to repeat, or even spell the medication name for you. This will allow you
Example 1:
Often when an interpreter cannot pronounce the name of a medication the tendency is
to “approximate”, rush, or mumble the name. But this serves no one. Instead try this
approach:
Interpreter; This is the interpreter. Could you please repeat the name of the
medication slowly?
If you still don’t understand, then it’s ok to request that the name be spelled.
Interpreter; This is the Interpreter speaking. How do you spell the name of
this medication?
Dosage
When relaying dosages to the LEP it is of the utmost importance that you are 100%
sure that you are interpreting accurately. For this reason, it is imperative that you
always repeat the dosage back to the pharmacist and clarify any easily confused
EXAMPLE #1:
Why is this wrong? Well, what if what you heard as 50mg is actually 15mg? You
could cause a lot of harm by giving a patient the wrong dosage! For this reason, the
correct way to interpret dosages is to always double check. On any number. But
especially numbers that can be easily confused such as 50 and 15, or 60 and 16, and
on and on.
Instructions
Pharmacy calls will often be full of “instructions” for the LEP. So, how do we put
Example 2:
Provider: I will need you to take 25mg of Omeprazole before each meal.
Provider: Yes.
You are now ready to Interpret! Remember, when interpreting for Pharmacy calls,
always confirm before you interpret!!
12. Zolpidem (generic for Ambien) 38. Atenolol (generic for Tenormin)
13. Hydrochlorothiazide (generic for 39. Cialis
Microzide) 40. Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
14. Furosemide (generic for Lasix) 41. Fluoxetine (generic for Prozac)
15. Metoprolol (generic for Lopressor) 42. Fenofibrate (generic for Tricor)
16. Pantoprazole (generic for Protonix) 43. Crestor
17. Gabapentin (generic for Neurontin) 44. Venlafaxine (generic for Effexor)
18. Amoxicillin (generic for Amoxil) 45. Ventolin
19. Prednisone (generic for Deltasone) 46. Amphetamine/Dextroamphetamine
20. Sertraline (generic for Zoloft) (generic for Adderall)
21. Tamsulosin (generic for Flomax) 47. Cyclobenzaprine (generic for Flexeril)
22. Fluticasone (generic for Flonase) 48. Trazodone (generic for Oleptro)
23. Pravastatin (generic for Pravachol) 49. Methylprednisolone (generic for
24. Tramadol (generic for Ultram) Medrol)
25. Montelukast (generic for Singulair) 50. Potassium Chloride (generic for Klor-
26. Escitalopram (generic for Lexapro) Con)
Conclusion
At Voyce, it is our hope that you will use this Study Guide as a valuable tool to assist
you in your growth as an interpreter! The job you do touches lives in ways both great
and small. To be the Voyce of those who cannot speak for themselves is a privilege
that none of us should take lightly! And at Voyce we are committed to our clients, our