Questions for Translator at the UMD Health Center:

1. General information about the translator:

a. What is your native language?
b. How long have you worked as a medical translator?
c. How many patients do you see that need a translator every day?
d. What type of degree do you have? Do you need special certifications to be a medical
translator?
e. How did you learn the medical terminology required to be a medical translator?

1. Impact of a medical translator

a. What level of importance do you think a translator has with communicating in the medical
field?
b. How important is understanding various cultures in being able to be an effective translator? Is
it important for a translator to be able to tailor the information based on the patients’ cultures?
i. I.e information is given in Imperial units but you translate to Metric?
c. What is the impact/importance of bilingual health care providers?
i. What are the similarities and differences in the responsibilities of a bilingual health
care provider and a medical translator?

2. About the job

a. How much medical knowledge (other than basic terminology) is required to be a medical
translator?
b. Is this something learned by experience on the job or by education?
c. What is the most difficult part of being a medical translator?
d. What would you consider to be your 3 biggest responsibilities as a medical translator?
e. Are they any ethical guidelines that are mandated in terms of misunderstanding or
miscommunication?
Questions for Professor

1. Background/context
a. What is your background?
b. How did you end up in this teaching position for Spanish for the Health Professions?
c. What sparked your interest in the topic?

2. Important themes/concepts
a. What would you say is the most important theme concept within Spanish translation in
the health field?
b. How is this addressed in your class?
c. What are the other important concepts?

3. Impact of a medical translator

a. What level of importance do you think a translator has with communicating in the
medical field?
b. How important is understanding various cultures in being able to be an effective
translator? Is it important for a translator to be able to tailor the information based on the
patients’ cultures?
c. I.e. information is given in Imperial units, but you translate to Metric?
d. What is the impact/importance of bilingual health care providers?
e. What are the similarities and differences in the responsibilities of a bilingual health care
provider and a medical translator?

4. The class
a. Have you noticed any tends in your classes throughout the years (i.e. certain topics that
are always difficult for students)?
b. Do you have a favorite topic to teach and why?
c. What is your favorite resource to use when teaching Spanish for the health professions?
What is the most useful resource?

5. Questions that answer our research question

a. Our goal throughout this project is to draw a connection between writing, a field within
the humanities and medicine, a field within science. Using the example of Spanish and
medical communication, how would you describe the connection between the language
(written or oral) and science?
b. If your students remembered one thing from this class 10 years from now that has to do
with the use of language and communication within the medical field, what would you
want it to be?