Program Overview

Continuing Education Programs & Professional Development

The Continuing Education Programs & Professional Development at Hunter College offer a range of certificate programs and courses designed to enhance professional skills and knowledge.

Certificate in Medical Interpreting

The Certificate in Medical Interpreting is a 48-hour certificate program in Health Care and Social Services Interpreting. The program covers basic and advanced interpreting skills, medical terminology, Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, cross-cultural communication, memory development and note-taking, intonation makeover for less accented speech, and the U.S. healthcare system.

Program Description

The program is taught by an instructor with expertise in linguistic, cultural, and legal aspects of medical interpreting and a practicing medical doctor with experience in providing services for diverse population groups. Successful completion of the program satisfies the key requirement of National Certification for Medical Interpreters.

Program Details

• Duration of the Program: 48-hour course; 12 sessions
• Tuition:
  • $1,250 plus one-time $25 registration fee for Fall 2025
  • $1,400 plus one-time $25 registration fee for Spring 2026
• Class Dates:
  • Fall 2025: Mondays-Fridays, 5:00-9:00 pm, December 2 to December 17
  • Spring 2026:
    • Mondays-Fridays, 5:00-9:00 pm, January 29 to February 13
    • Mondays-Fridays, 5:00-9:00 pm, March 18 to April 2
    • Mondays-Fridays, 5:00-9:00 pm, April 30 to May 15

Program Curriculum

The program covers the following topics:

• Interpreting skills
• Code of Ethics and ethical decision making
• Standards of Practice
• National Certification for medical interpreters
• Interpreter roles and incremental intervention approach to interpreting/mediation
• Medical terminology for interpreters:
  • Greek and Latin roots, suffixes, and prefixes
  • Human body systems (anatomy and physiology)
  • Vocabulary resources for any working language pair
  • Strategy for overcoming terminology challenges
• Cross-cultural communication and culturally and linguistically appropriate services in health care
• Language access laws and the U.S. healthcare system
• Note-taking and memory development for interpreters
• Interpreting in mental and behavioral health settings
• Remote interpreting
• Community interpreting (interpreting in health care, education, and human and social services)

Program Features

• Role plays and group exercises provide hands-on experience for skills development
• Video segments offer demonstrations of the “right and wrong” ways to interpret
• Each student receives e-versions of the training handbook and the “Human Body Systems and Medical Terminology for Interpreters” handbook
• A shadowing practicum may be available upon successful completion of the program and passing the final written exam

Health Professions

The Health Professions program offers various certificates, including:

• Certificates in Health Professions
• Medical Interpreter
• Dental Assistant Certificate
• Pharmacy Technician Certificate

Other Programs

Hunter College also offers other programs, including:

• Language Studies
• Partnerships
• Lifelong Learning
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• Self-Paced Online Courses
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