Many people are not sure how a medical translator is different from a medical interpreter. While both interpretation and translation jobs assist with communications in the healthcare field, the difference between the two jobs is how they are accomplished. Medical translators and interpreters both work in the healthcare industry, have a strong command of medical terminology, possess great language proficiency, and do careful, professional work to ensure patient safety. Those are the similarities between medical interpreters and translators. The difference between medical translation and interpretation lies in how this work is done.
Medical interpreters help people who speak diverse languages bridge the communication gap in a healthcare setting. Often done in person but also by phone or video, an interpreter hears Person A speak and then repeats that speech in Person B’s language. When Person B responds in their own language, the interpreter then repeats Person B’s speech in Person A’s language. This happens in real time, as the interpreter acts as a live facilitator of communication between two people via the spoken word.
A translator, on the other hand, generally works with written content, and delivers a translated document or set of documents in a batch. A translator’s work is typically not done face to face but rather at a computer.
The table below lists the main ways the two job roles of medical interpreter or translator are performed differently.
| Skills | Tools | Opportunities | Compensation | |
| Medical Translator | Languages, translation, familiarity with medicine and local culture. | Translation software, medical dictionaries | Language service agencies, hospitals, clinics, pharmaceutical companies. | 2000 to 4500 euros, pounds or dollars per month |
| Medical interpreter | Languages, translation, knowledge of medicine, local culture, communication. | Headphones, microphones, simultaneous translation software, medical dictionaries | Hospitals, clinics, medical offices, government organizations | 1500 to 5000 euros, pounds or dollars per month |
What is a medical interpreter?
A detailed understanding of what a medical interpreter does every day will help to clarify how interpretation differs from translation. A professional medical interpreter is a linguistic and medical specialist who makes communication possible in a healthcare setting involving two or more people who speak disparate languages and who may have diverse cultural backgrounds. Interpreters usually work in a hospital or some other type of healthcare context.
There are three different modes an interpreter can use when interpreting:
- Simultaneous: the interpreter translates for the listener or listeners what a speaker is saying in a foreign language, doing so essentially simultaneously so that the speaker does not need to pause.
- Consecutive: the interpreter takes notes during a speech in a foreign language and then verbally translates that speech in its entirety.
- Chuchotage: while someone speaks in a foreign language, the interpreter whispers their translation into the listener’s ear.
An interpreter at the top of his or her game must be fluent in two languages and, what’s more, can focus on the intended significance and nuance of what is said and can translate it on the fly with maximum accuracy and a mindfulness of cultural differences. An interpreter, then, differs from a translator by enabling communication as a real-time mediator between different participants.
Examples of events that call for an interpreter include:
- Conversations
- Speeches
- Medical visits
- Video or in-person conferences
- Interventions
- Oral reports or notes spoken by doctors and other medical workers.
A medical interpreter may work in any of the following ways:
- In person or remotely
- For companies, government agencies or private organizations
- As a freelancer or as an employee, or perhaps in collaboration with an interpretation/translation services agency
An interpreter plays a role in determining the successful functioning of medicine and healthcare by enabling precise comprehension among providers and patients who speak different languages. An interpreter overcomes language barriers to permit communication about care, treatments, diagnoses, prognoses, and more. Any misunderstandings or failures to convey complete information can lead to undesirable outcomes or even legal implications.
What is a medical translator?
A medical translator works on pharmaceutical and/or healthcare related materials. This type of translation involves producing translated medical documents and written text of all kinds, such as:
- Medical records
- Medical research papers
- Regulatory documents
- Clinical trial reports and correspondence
- Scientific publications
- Hospital discharge letters
- Informed consent forms
- Medical glossaries
- Health insurance documents
- Insurance claims and claim forms
- Medical histories of patients
- Test results and medical analyses
- Patient information brochures and package inserts
- Content for medical/pharmaceutical websites
- User manuals for medical devices
- Medical and vaccination certificates
- Informational documents for the public, for patients and for healthcare staff and doctors
- International guidelines for medical devices and procedures
A medical translator handles some of the most complicated types of translation. Read further to understand the reasons for this.
What are the key responsibilities of a medical interpreter?
Medical interpreters need an advanced level of language competence, adeptness in speaking and listening, medical expertise, and above all, better than average people skills and sensitivity. A medical interpreter needs to have:
- An exceptional grasp of the vocabulary in their medical specialty
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to perform negotiation and diplomacy
- Intimate knowledge of the two cultures involved
A medical interpreter must be able to work in close contact with doctors, clinical staff and patients in circumstances that can include high stakes, stress, pain and emergencies. Because of this, a medical interpreter needs to find a delicate balance between having empathy for the human beings involved and avoiding too much emotional engagement with the events.
Some of the duties and responsibilities of the typical medical interpreter can include:
- Conveying information between patients and healthcare providers to make sure all parties understand the medical context and how best to perform treatments and procedures
- Providing guidance on filling out medical records, documents, and forms
- Consulting on written communications, email messages, articles, regulations, etc.
- Extending support to people who speak another language and come from another culture, sometimes in emergency situations
- Scrupulously preserving the privacy and confidentiality of any information they handle
What are the key responsibilities of a medical translator?
The responsibilities of a skilled medical translator are considerable. This job requires not just linguistic and medical knowledge but also the ability to handle—professionally and accurately—many sensitive documents related to people’s health and scientific research. Rephrasing and commentary must be avoided in a medical translator’s work converting one language to another. Instead, it requires a true-blue, accurate medical translation with an understanding of the medical setting and cultural backdrop. Unlike translations of everyday documents or general correspondence, translations in the medical field must remain staunchly faithful to each term, letter, and bit of punctuation in the original. The medical field encompasses countless specialties and subspecialties, meaning that these professionals can have varying areas of expertise and knowledge of different subsets of medical terms. Regardless of the specifics, medical translators often must be able to:
- Understand technical material and reproduce it in another language
- Comprehend medical terminology in both languages involved
- Comply with international standards (EMA, FDA, ISO 17100).
- Localize documents for the intended audience
Continuing education is, of course, essential for medical translators, because they must stay up to date on the shifting technology and practices in health care. They must also be familiar with the popular and medical cultures surrounding the target language. Additionally, some medical documents will be used by medical professionals and staff, while other documents are directed at patients. Naturally, this means that the tone must be suitable for the end user of the translated material.
What are the skills required for a medical interpreter?
Becoming a professional medical interpreter involves extensive linguistic gifts, robust communication capabilities, and other special skill sets such as familiarity with medical terminology, treatment options, and health trends. A medical interpreter must have strong listening and comprehension skills, careful attention to detail, in-depth proficiency in languages and the related cultures, be able to understand and translate medical terminology, an aptitude for writing quickly and the ability to translate spoken language instantly. In addition, a medical interpreter will convey confidential patient information and will obtain knowledge of proprietary research and practices, so they must be meticulously sensitive to patient and corporate privacy issues.
A medical interpreter should have a resume or CV that includes:
- A degree in languages from an accredited institution, or having completed a three-year course in Language Mediation Sciences
- One or more diplomas or certificates in medical interpreting and interpreter training programs
Healthcare interpreters, like translators, need to be well-versed in the constant evolution in medical science and need to participate in continuing education, whether of the in-person or online variety, including university courses in medical specialties. And, as with translators, registries, certifying bodies, and national boards of certifications for interpreters vary from country to country.
What are the skills required for a medical translator?
Medical translators work with written information and, as such, need to be highly proficient at reading and writing in at least two languages. To become a medical translator, a linguist must boast significant knowledge, experience, and competencies, such as the following:
- Multilingualism: Superb fluency in their native language and great fluency in at least one other language
- Special education or training in scientific/medical translation
- A degree in at least one of the following: translation, languages and literature, or medical-related specialties
- Relevant professional certifications (American Translators Association [ATA] medical certification, a master’s degree in medical translation, etc.)
- Significant experience or education in the field of medicine and/or pharmaceuticals
If you intend to work providing medical translation services, you should pay great attention to detail and a thorough knowledge of cultures. Your translation training and education should be appropriate for the medical specialty or specialties you will focus on in your translation career.
What are the common tools used in medical interpretation?
A medical interpreter who practices simultaneous interpretation will need to be able to use:
- High-quality headphones
- Microphones
- Monitors
- Consoles
For those practicing consecutive interpretation, you may be successful simply using a pen and a pad of paper, but you may well find it easier to use a computer tablet and an audio or audiovisual recorder. As with medical translation, you will definitely want to acquire and maintain suitable glossaries as well as medical reference books.
In addition to a proficiency in employing the tools mentioned above, a medical interpreter’s most important instrument is their voice. Not unlike musicians who sing, a medical interpreter should be well aware of the various techniques and exercises used to enhance vocal tonality and to modulate the voice as needed. Also like singers, medical interpreters should be vigilant against voice ailments like dysphonia, aphonia, vocal fry and vocal cord nodules. To prevent these disorders, you should practice suitable exercises to help you use proper posture and habitually do well-supported breathing.
Medical translators and medical interpreters compete similarly to some degree with technological advances in computing and software. Medical interpreters specifically should consider certain factors that make it difficult for software to equal human interpretation. Interpreters should be aware that:
- Properly qualified and experienced professional interpreters can achieve far greater precision in their work than special interpretation software can.
- A human interpreter has the intuitive ability to skip over repetitions, pauses, and filler sounds or interjections.
- Human sensitivity for health concerns far outstrips the capability of even the most advanced interpretation software.
What are the common tools used in medical translation?
A medical translator must be familiar with the commonly used technology available to assist the translator, like the following:
- Computer-assisted translation or CAT tools (e.g., SDL Trados, MemoQ).
- Glossaries and terminology databases (e.g., IATE, MedDRA).
For medical translators as for medical interpreters, one cannot wholly entrust an unedited translation to any software tool without close human oversight. Machine translation can never replace a skilled professional translator, especially when human health hangs in the balance. Software errors can also harm your image and reputation as a professional medical translator.
Where do medical interpreters work?
The workplace of a medical interpreter may be a hospital, a clinic, a medical office, or a translation/interpretation agency. Freelance medical interpreters provide services at conferences or other medical events, or may be hired from time to time by individuals working in the healthcare industry. Interpretation is most often done in person, especially for hospital work or events, but online interpretation may also take place.
Where do medical translators work?
A medical translator can do contract or piecework as a freelancer or may be employed by a translation agency, a healthcare institution of any size, or a pharmaceutical company. Except for translators employed full-time by a translation agency, medical translators set their own schedules and can almost always do translation work online from any location. This is quite different from the work of a medical interpreter, who usually interacts with people directly at a predetermined time and primarily in person, handling back-and-forth communication between two or more people who speak different languages. In contrast, a medical translator performs translations in much larger units, working to meet the necessary deadlines rather than communicating in real time,
How much does a medical interpreter make vs. a medical translator?
Fortunately, there is plenty of work available to both medical translators and medical interpreters. The compensation for this work will vary as determined by several elements for both types of professionals.
To take one example, a general translator in Italy earned approximately €1500 per month in 2024, on average. Translators in the healthcare industry typically earn more than other types of translators, so their income could possibly be two or three times that of the translator without this specialization. The exact salary for a medical translator or interpreter may be higher or lower depending on:
- The nation or city where they work
- The specific languages at their command
- Their years of experience
- The specific medical specialty or field in question
- Whether they work freelance or for an agency
There are tradeoffs to the issue of going freelance versus working for an agency. As you might suspect, freelance translators need not share their income to support an agency’s overhead, but the other side of that coin is that they must also take full responsibility for each project and, perhaps most significantly, they must find their own clients. A translator who works for a translation agency earns their pay as a percentage of what their employer charges. That translator, however, gains some stability and certain benefits from working for an agency.
Healthcare interpreters can expect an average monthly income in the neighborhood of €1500. Here, too, there are variables with a great impact on income, such as the medical field or specialty, years of experience, and the choice between freelancing and employment with an agency or facility.
To sum up this article, medical interpreters and medical translators are two professions that demand accuracy, dedication, much experience, and continual training. Both professions require considerable responsibility and great skill and credentials, while having the potential to be quite profitable.
Also read: How much do medical translation cost?
