80-hr Medical Interpretation Course – Self-Paced
ALTA's 80-hour Breaking Boundaries in Healthcare® Medical Interpreter Training is a fully online, self-paced program for bilingual people who want to begin or grow a career in healthcare interpreting. Inside, you'll complete about 80 hours of training that prepares you for real-world interpreting in clinics, hospitals, emergency departments, and community health settings.
The program satisfies the 40-hour prerequisite for the CCHI and NBCMI national certification exams, and doubles that training with advanced practice, weekly coaching in your language, and eight months of access to keep building after the coursework ends.
What you will learn in this course
The training doubles the standard 40 hours, pairing core theory with advanced practice so you're ready for the exam and for real assignments. Topics include:
- Health disparities and the impact on patient care
- Interpreter Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
- Interpreter roles, modes, and decision-making
- Cultural competency and the basics of the human body
- Note-taking, memory, and managing mental load
- Interpreting register and scripts for sticky situations
- Psychiatric interviews and Demand Control Schema
- Self-care and sustaining a long interpreting career
- Preparing for national certification with our Oral Exam Prep Course
You will also practice with a coach who speaks your language, working through the situations you'll actually face on the job.
Kate Dzubinski
Kate Dzubinski grew up speaking four languages and majored in Linguistics and Psychology. She completed her 40-hour medical interpreter training in 2014, is certified through the NBCMI and CCHI, and has worked as a hospital staff interpreter since 2015.
Stephanie Wiley Cork
Stephanie holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. She completed her 40-hour medical interpreter training in 2011 and is certified through the NBCMI and CCHI. Her work experience includes contract interpreting and staff interpreting at a level 1 trauma center. She has worked with ALTA in interpreter education since 2016.
Nicole Tavarez
Nicole holds a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration. She completed her 40-hour training in 2016 and became certified with the NBCMI in 2017. Nicole has developed medical interpretation training materials and curriculum for interpreters at a level 1 trauma center, as well as a separate training program for clinical staff focused on the importance of language access.
Gerardo Perez
Gerardo began working as an interpreter in 2010 and has also been a language access department manager, leading a team of 30 interpreters. The majority of his interpreting career has been spent at a level 1 trauma center and teaching hospital.
Charles O'Donnell
Charles has been working as a freelance interpreter and translator in the Atlanta area since 2013. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Georgia and a Breaking Boundaries in Healthcare certificate.
I have completed and passed the 40 hour medical interpreter training by Alta Lang Services, and let me tell you it is conducted very professionally.
I took the 40-hour self-paced medical interpreter training. It was straightforward and easy to understand.
80-hr Medical Interpretation Course – Self-Paced
$1050
Most interpreters stop at the required 40 hours. Our 80-hour course doubles your training with advanced terminology and deeper practice, so you’re prepared for the national exam and for your first day on the job. Currently available for Arabic, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese students only.
ALTA's 80-hour Breaking Boundaries in Healthcare® Medical Interpreter Training is a fully online, self-paced program for bilingual people who want to begin or grow a career in healthcare interpreting. Inside, you'll complete about 80 hours of training that prepares you for real-world interpreting in clinics, hospitals, emergency departments, and community health settings.
The program satisfies the 40-hour prerequisite for the CCHI and NBCMI national certification exams, and doubles that training with advanced practice, weekly coaching in your language, and eight months of access to keep building after the coursework ends.
What you will learn in this course
The training doubles the standard 40 hours, pairing core theory with advanced practice so you're ready for the exam and for real assignments. Topics include:
- Health disparities and the impact on patient care
- Interpreter Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
- Interpreter roles, modes, and decision-making
- Cultural competency and the basics of the human body
- Note-taking, memory, and managing mental load
- Interpreting register and scripts for sticky situations
- Psychiatric interviews and Demand Control Schema
- Self-care and sustaining a long interpreting career
- Preparing for national certification with our Oral Exam Prep Course
You will also practice with a coach who speaks your language, working through the situations you'll actually face on the job.
Kate Dzubinski
Kate Dzubinski grew up speaking four languages and majored in Linguistics and Psychology. She completed her 40-hour medical interpreter training in 2014, is certified through the NBCMI and CCHI, and has worked as a hospital staff interpreter since 2015.
Stephanie Wiley Cork
Stephanie holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. She completed her 40-hour medical interpreter training in 2011 and is certified through the NBCMI and CCHI. Her work experience includes contract interpreting and staff interpreting at a level 1 trauma center. She has worked with ALTA in interpreter education since 2016.
Nicole Tavarez
Nicole holds a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration. She completed her 40-hour training in 2016 and became certified with the NBCMI in 2017. Nicole has developed medical interpretation training materials and curriculum for interpreters at a level 1 trauma center, as well as a separate training program for clinical staff focused on the importance of language access.
Gerardo Perez
Gerardo began working as an interpreter in 2010 and has also been a language access department manager, leading a team of 30 interpreters. The majority of his interpreting career has been spent at a level 1 trauma center and teaching hospital.
Charles O'Donnell
Charles has been working as a freelance interpreter and translator in the Atlanta area since 2013. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Georgia and a Breaking Boundaries in Healthcare certificate.
Coaches
ALTA’s 40-hour self-paced Breaking Boundaries in Healthcare® Medical Interpreter Training is a nationally recognized, fully online program for bilingual individuals who want to begin or grow a career in healthcare interpreting. The course is self-guided, meaning there is no instructor teaching the lessons. You will log into your training portal and work through the curriculum independently, at the pace that works best for you.
Meet Your Instructors for Breaking Boundaries in Healthcare 2.0