Medical Interpreter Training – 40 Hour Certificate Program
Are you ready to become a certified medical interpreter? Grady’s Language Interpretive Services team can teach you the skills you need.
Join us for an upcoming Bridging the Gap (BTG) medical interpreter training course hosted by Grady’s Language Interpretive Services. Learn to use your language skills to help patients, families, and providers in a healthcare setting.
Bridging the Gap – Medical Interpreter Training
Bridging the Gap (BTG) professional medical interpreter training was the first 40-hour training program of its kind. The Cross Cultural Health Care Program developed the material and guidelines.
Participants who successfully complete the course and certification exam receive a signed and individually numbered certificate. The BTG course fulfills the 40-hour training prerequisite for those pursuing national certification.
Medical Interpreter Training Prerequisites
To apply, applicants must:
- Be age 18 or older
- Show proof of fluency in English and their working language or register for and pass a fluency exam(s)
Examples of proof of fluency include:
- A high school or post-secondary level diploma with classes conducted in either English or the language of service
- Successfully passing fluency exams from a reputable testing organization in English and the language of service
Send proof of fluency documents to [email protected] for approval or register for a fluency exam.
About Our Classes
Classes are online. We use Microsoft Teams. Participants must attend all 40 hours (with video and camera on) and pass the final exam to receive their 40-hour training certificate.
Topics covered in the class include:
- Basic interpreting skills, roles, and code of ethics
- Medical terminology
- Working in a healthcare setting
- The role of culture in interpreting
Upcoming Classes at Grady
Online weekend classes are back due to popular demand! Our next Bridging the Gap program runs from October 5, 2024 – October 27, 2024. The final exam is November 2, 2024.
Registration deadline: Friday, September 13, 2024.
Class times: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. (ET)
Class dates: Saturday and Sunday. Starting Saturday, October 5.
Class dates are:
- October 5, 2024
- October 6, 2024
- October 12, 2024
- October 13, 2024
- October 19, 2024
- October 20, 2024
- October 26, 2024
- October 27, 2024
- Final: November 2, 2024
You must attend all classes and pass your final exam to earn your certificate.
How to Register
Class size is limited. Acceptance is not guaranteed.
Step 1: Send Proof of Fluency to [email protected] and wait for an approval letter. If you need proof of fluency, register for a fluency exam. You need approved proof of fluency – by document or fluency exam – before you register for the class.
Step 2: Register for the Bridging the Gap course once you receive your proof of fluency approval letter. Do not register until you receive your official Grady Proof of Fluency approval letter.
Tuition and Fees
Fluency Exam(s): Fluency exams cost $75 per exam. If you do not earn a passing grade on the fluency exam, you must wait six months before you can retake the exam.
Training Cost: The 40-hour Bridging the Gap: Medical Interpreter Training course costs $550. Fees cover training, textbook, and course materials.
All fees are non-refundable.
Using Microsoft Teams
The Bridging the Gap Medical Interpretation Training course is a live class hosted in Microsoft Teams. All participants must have a computer, camera, microphone, and Teams software to attend.
Participants receive a link and password to attend class each day. We record the classes. Recordings are for training purposes only. We do not share recordings with anyone outside of Grady or The Cross Cultural Healthcare Program.
Download Microsoft Teams: How do I get Microsoft Teams? – Microsoft Support
Creating Your Account: Sign in, sign up, sign out, and add a new account in Microsoft Teams (free) – Microsoft Support
Frequently Asked Questions
View AllAfter successfully completing BTG, you receive a 40-hour signed and numbered certificate of medical interpreter training. You can use this to work as a medical interpreter in a healthcare setting. Your BTG certificate also fulfills the 40-hour training prerequisite for interpreters pursuing their National Medical Interpreter Certification.
For more information about National Medical Interpreter Certification and their prerequisites, visit:
If you do not earn a passing grade on the fluency exam, you must wait six months before you can retake a fluency exam. You need approved proof of fluency – by document or fluency exam – before you register for the class.
Participants must attend all 40 hours – all ten live online training sessions with video and camera on – to take the final exam.
You may retake the final exam. If you do not pass the retake exam, you may retake the course at no charge.
Look for emailed instructions on how to take the fluency exam(s). Please take your exam within one week of receiving the instructions. If you did not receive the instructions within five business days, please check your spam or junk mail or email [email protected].