BRIDGING THE GAP
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Acceptable Forms of Language Proficiency?
Participants must be bilingual in English and at least one other language and proof of proficiency in both languages is required to enroll in the class. Proof of proficiency can be copies of any one of the following documents a high school diploma or equivalent or university college degree from a school using the assessed language or languages.
Five years of verified professional experience working in the languages being assessed. State or federal court interpreter certification. And lastly, oral language exam results with scores equivalent to ACTFL advanced mid-level or an ILR level 2.
Will I Receive a Certificate or a Certification? What's the Difference?
Upon successfully attending all 40 hours of the Bridging the Gap or BTG professional Medical Interpreter training, there will be a final exam and the participant must pass with a 70% or greater. Once that happens, you will then receive a certificate of successful completion. That means you're now a trained medical interpreter.
In order to become a certified medical interpreter, participants who successfully complete the course should take and pass a national certification exam through either the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters known as NBCMI, or through the Certification Commission for Health Care Interpreters known as CCHI. This certificate is actually the largest prerequisite for those interested in becoming a nationally certified medical interpreter.
We cover this information in the curriculum as well to make sure you have the information you need to make that a reality.
Is There a Final Exam?
Yes. At the end of the 40 hour Bridging the Gap or BTG curriculum, there is a 50 question final exam, 25 questions are interpreter skill specific, and 25 questions are medical terminology. But don't be nervous. I'm pleased to inform you that InterSys, LLC has a 100% success rate. That's right. All the participants that we've trained to date have successfully passed the final exam.
We've trained over 100 medical interpreters in the last 12 months alone. Just to give you an idea. Now, in the rare event that you were to fail on the first attempt, you are granted a retake, a second attempt to pass. So we have full confidence that you'll be just as successful as our long list of attendees to date.
What are my Employment Options After Completing the Course?
What are my employment options post graduating the class? So you've received your certificate of completion and you're now a trained medical interpreter. You have several options. We also discuss this during the curriculum, by the way. But you can, one, be an employee of a hospital as a staff interpreter or a clinic working full time or part time. Your other option is that you can be an independent contractor working for yourself, setting your own schedule, which would be considered as a 1099 contractor.
Whether it's being an employee or self-employed, your options are open to you and you will be able to use this skill set that you will acquire upon completion of this course as you see fit.