Spanish Medical Interpreter and Translator
Kayla Pratte
Spanish Medical Interpreter and Translator at St. Lukes Health System
About the Position
St Luke’s Health system is a hospital and outpatient network of healthcare facilities that are committed to quality care of the diverse communities they serve. As a Spanish Medical Interpreter/Translator, you will have the opportunity to ensure that everyone on the medical team is on the same page via translation of English into Spanish and Spanish back into English. The medical team that you will serve includes but is not limited to the patient, patient family members, attending physicians, nurses, physical therapists, social workers, and other crucial roles within the hospital system. With the growing population of Spanish-speaking habitants in the Boise and surrounding area, medical translators are desperately needed to provide fluidity to the care of these patients. Being able to properly relay complex medical information to patients and facilitate the addressing of questions is a crucial part of holistic care that is central to the mission of St. Lukes.
Something I learned in this career exploration is that beyond having proficiency in Spanish, additional hours of medical interpretation training are a requirement. This training helps to ensure that translators are competent and confident in medical jargon. Medical interpreters are a vital role to ensure that healthcare is accessible and exceptional to people of all cultures and walks of life.
Question & Answer
How did you find this position?
This position was found via a Google search for Spanish medical translators. The site that posted the job listing was www.get.it.
What are the minimum qualifications?
The minimum qualifications include having a high school diploma or equivalent degree. They also want candidates to have 2 years of relevant experience and 40 hours of professional medical interpreter training. The 2 years of relevant experience are already covered for language majors, which is very exciting and a great jumpstart. By graduation, language majors will already have a portfolio put together showcasing all of their acquired language skills throughout the years of studying. The additional 40 hours of medical interpreter training will help emphasize important medical jargon to future interpreters. The last requirement that St. Luke’s asks for is the successful completion of a language assessment exam.
What are the preferred qualifications and skills relevant to language majors?
Some preferred qualifications of potential candidates include organizational skills, technology skills, interpersonal skills, and a flexible schedule. Interpersonal skills are particularly relevant to language majors because the basis of language is to build connections. As a medical interpreter, it is crucial to not only be able to successfully translate what is being said, but also read the temperature of the room, address any and all confusion, and facilitate a safe and comfortable environment both culturally and in general.
What are some other skills that are important for success in this field?
Critical thinking skills are very important for success for this position. The entire job is based on critical thinking as translation requires putting one language into another efficiently. Additionally, having the ability to integrate ideas/information across settings and contexts is the basis of being a medical interpreter.
What might be helpful for a language major to prepare for this field or position?
Experience in the medical field would be helpful to further prepare a language major for this position. Understanding the ins and outs of typical processes and routines for both inpatient and outpatient healthcare settings would provide a sense of understanding. The medical interpreter would better understand what the hospital staff and patient is going through. Additionally, the language major will have to complete the required training for better preparation for this position.
How is proficiency in another language useful or important in this position?
Language proficiency is essentially what this job is. The healthcare team and the patient rely on the translator to effectively communicate what the other one is saying so that care can be administered with holistic intention.
How is the ability to communicate and work with people from different cultural backgrounds useful or important in this position?
There are all kinds of different people in the hospital for all kinds of reasons. Everyone has a different cultural story and being aware and respectful of those differences is crucial to do this job well. A part of the medical translator’s job aside from the actual translation is to help medical staff understand cultural differences, so being knowledgeable about different Spanish-speaking cultures is extremely helpful to the medical team. Additionally, as a translator, it’s important to understand differences in the ways that Spanish is spoken in different countries.
What benefits are offered with this position?
The position with St. Lukes offers several benefits including various health insurance coverage, access to massage therapy, access to free counseling sessions, as well as formal training and opportunities for career advancement.
About the author
name: Kayla Pratte
institution: Boise State University
I am currently a junior at Boise State University due to graduate in May 2026. I am double majoring in Kinesiology with a Rehabilitative Sciences Emphasis and Spanish. I am planning on attending grad school to obtain a DPT degree after graduating at Boise State. Before coming to Boise State, I had never studied Spanish, but after working in several healthcare settings, I recognized the need to be able to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients. Language is often a major and detrimental barrier for a lot of people in the Boise area with regards to their health, and I am passionate about working towards bridging this gap. I love language learning and am grateful for the opportunity to pursue a Spanish degree! This knowledge and experience will help me to be a PT who can reach a broader scope of patients.
