The Certificate of Competency (CCT) in Medical Interpreter - Spanish program prepares bilingual individuals for a rewarding career in healthcare. Program participants will gain the skills necessary to become English-Spanish medical interpreters during this 200-hour program that includes a 40-hour clinical practicum through either clinical simulation or at a clinical site. Students will learn medical terminology, body systems, legal issues, ethics, standards of practice, and cultural awareness across both languages. Emphasis is placed on practicing interpretation in the consecutive, simultaneous, and sight translation modes. Upon successful completion of the program, students will have exceeded the minimum training requirements for certification and will be eligible to take national certification examinations through the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI).
Details
Important information you’ll need when applying for admission:This program is not eligible for Title IV Federal Financial Aid.
Clinical practicum hours are mandatory, and if attending an externship site, health and safety requirements must be met as a prerequisite to enrolling. Clinical sites and simulation are location specific and may require attendance any day of the week, including during unscheduled days and times.
This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:
- Demonstrate general proficiency in speaking and understanding each of the relevant languages including identifying cognates and false cognates in the healthcare setting.
- Employ commonly used medical terms and concepts related to signs, symptoms, illnesses, treatments, and healthcare specialties in each language.
- Use critical thinking skills to optimize communication between patients and providers who speak different languages.
- Utilize ethical decision-making processes to serve as a patient-provider advocate in the healthcare setting.
- Abide by applicable HIPPA laws for the patient.
- Maintain thorough and complete encounter documentation.
- Manage cultural diversity in the healthcare setting.
Successful completion of this certificate may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Maricopa County-based annual median wages* for this certificate. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.
Interpreters and Translators
$48,467 Show expanded career information for Interpreters and Translators
18 years of age to enroll
Students who select MIC105 for the practicum will need to meet the following requirements:
1. Background check requirements: Admission to an Allied Health program requires that students be in compliance with the Maricopa County Community College District Background Check Standards. Upon conditional program enrollment, the student must comply with all requirements of the MCCCD Background Check Policy.
2. Clinical health and safety requirements must be met. Upon conditional program enrollment, the student must comply with all requirements of the MCCCD Clinical Health and Safety Policy.
3. Inability to comply with background check requirements and/or clinical health and safety requirements at the start of classes may result in cancellation of enrollment.
The following is the suggested course sequence by block. Please keep in mind:
- Students should meet with a navigator to discuss their academic and career goals.
- The course sequence is laid out by block and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
- This is a cohort program in which students progress through their course of study together in the required course sequence.
Courses Sequence
Block 1
| Course Number | Course Name | Requisites | Notes | Clock Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIC101 | Fundamentals of Healthcare Interpreting | Critical course Gateway course | 80 | |
| MIC103 | Medical & Clinical Development | 80 | ||
| MIC105 | Medical Interpreter: Professional Externship | 40 |
Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.
Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.
Students must earn a grade of ‘P’ or ‘C’ or better (depending on the course grading scale) for all courses required within the program.
Weekly hour requirements vary by program. Students should meet with a navigator to discuss these requirements further. Actual completion times may vary. A separate $15 Registration Fee will be charged per academic year.
This certificate is not eligible for Title IV Federal Financial Aid.
View MCCCD’s curriculum website for the Certificate of Competency in Medical Interpreter - Spanish (6 Hours Per Week) (http://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm12?id=168277).
At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.
The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. Other versions of this pathway map from different catalog years are available below:
| Catalog Year | Effective Dates |
|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 5/26/2020 – 5/24/2021 |