Medical Interpreting
Professional interpreters must continually improve their skills and knowledge. Our 10-week, 40-hour course covers the medical domain.
- This course is open to those looking for training and enhanced skill development in the field.
- Our program Foundations in Dialogue Interpreting is the prerequisite for this course.
- Previous students at Sainte-Anne, those aged 60 and older, and members of our partners receive a 10 per cent discount:
- Association of Translators and Interpreters of Nova Scotia
- Access Language Services
- Alliance Française Halifax
- Spïk Languages
- Réseau Santé Nouvelle-Écosse
- Nova Scotia Health Authority
- Consortium national de la formation en santé
- Association des juristes d’expression française de la Nouvelle-Écosse
- Réseau National de Formation en Justice
- Canadian Association of Schools of Translation
- Learn online via Microsoft Teams.
- Earn a professional accreditation in your field from one of Canada’s most prestigious French Language Universities.
Susan Tremills taught Foundations in Dialogue Interpreting in Spring 2023, Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. Susan has been a French and English instructor for more than 25 years, first in Japan and then in Vancouver and Halifax. She has also been a community interpreter for the past nine years, working primarily in the medical field. She holds a Bachelor of Education degree with a specialization in French immersion pedagogy at the secondary level. Susan, based in Halifax, has been a passionate Francophile since a very young age. The contact, support of people and promotion of cross-cultural exchange are the aspects of her work that she finds most rewarding.
Susan Tremills - Professor
Building on the skills and knowledge developed in the Foundations course, this module draws heavily on international standard ISO 21988 (Interpreting services – Healthcare interpreting – Requirements and recommendations) to fine-tune students’ understanding of the important work performed by interpreters in the medical setting. Through presentations, articles, discussions, assignments and loads of practical exercises, participants gain a solid understanding of the role of the medical interpreter in the Canadian context, learn common expressions and terms used by Acadians in Nova Scotia, and build their medical vocabulary. Exercises in simultaneous interpreting are also introduced. As in the Foundations course, this module has something for everyone, from novice to seasoned interpreter.
Outline
This practical 10-week program covers the essentials for interpreters working in the medical field. The course is offered online using the Microsoft Teams platform. Forty hours are devoted to classroom work, but a student may spend 20-30 hours on individual work. Lectures are supplemented by discussions, assignments, a component on industry ethics as well as role play and simulations based on realistic situations.
Next session, registration and deadlines
Next course: Jan. 27 to April 2, 2026 - with Susan Tremills
Registration now open: Oct. 15, 2025 to Jan. 22, 2026
Assessments can be made throughout the year.
Contact us at
Eligibility and Prerequisites
Our Foundations in Dialogue Interpreting course is the prerequisite for this course, as well as for Legal and Court Interpreting. The program is open to interpreters or those seeking additional training in the field.
Completion Requirements
To successfully complete the course and receive a micro-certification and digital badge, a minimum average of 70 per cent is required. The final grade will be based on assignments, lectures, role plays and simulations as well as regular attendance. After two absences, one point will be deducted for each class missed, therefore, attendance is crucial.
Make-Up Dates
If a class must be cancelled, a make-up session will be held. Students will be consulted and informed in advance to determine an alternate date.
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
Thanks to our Prior Learning and Assessment Recognition test specially developed for interpreters by interpreters, an experienced candidate could validate the Foundations of Dialogue Interpreting course without taking it. For those who pass the test with the necessary result, they would receive a micro-credential for the base course, and then could take one of our speciality courses in Medical or Legal and Court interpretation.
Registration
Previous students at Sainte-Anne, those aged 60 and older, and members of our partners receive a 10 per cent discount:
- Association of Translators and Interpreters of Nova Scotia
- Access Language Services
- Alliance Française Halifax
- Spïk Languages
- Réseau Santé Nouvelle-Écosse
- Nova Scotia Health Authority
- Consortium national de la formation en santé
- Association des juristes d’expression française de la Nouvelle-Écosse
- Réseau National de Formation en Justice
- Canadian Association of Schools of Translation
Please contact us to receive the discount code.
Each student will require two textbooks for the course, a vocabulary booklet which will be provided through the cooperation of Réseau Santé Nouvelle-Écosse, and another booklet in medical interpretation, which will cost a maximum of $75.
