Washington, DC – (February 2, 2010) – The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters has launched a National Public Call for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and Raters for National Certification. The Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI) Exams became available in Spanish as of 2009 to interpreters nationwide. This year the National Board is developing national certification oral exams in several other languages according to the same rigorous scientific standards as the Spanish oral exam. Raters for the oral examinations in Spanish will be recruited first, and SMEs and Raters are also invited in these languages:
Arabic, Bosnian, Cambodian (Khmer), Cantonese, Croatian, Farsi, French, German, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Somali, Tagalog, and Vietnamese
The National Board seeks volunteer SMEs and Raters to assist the Board in expanding the National Certification Exams. Participating Individuals selected as SMEs and Raters will receive specific training on their roles according to scientific testing guidelines. Raters will be closely supported and monitored to ensure ongoing consistency in the rating process.
"Although Spanish Certification currently covers competency assurance and patient safety in 70% of language access needs, it is extremely important that the certification program be inclusive to other languages," said Rita Weil, Vice-Chair of the National Board. "Language needs vary from region to region, but several national sources revealed that these are the most requested languages nationwide in the US," added Weil.
To qualify as a Rater or SME, individuals must be practicing professional medical interpreters with over five years of experience in a medical setting and have successfully passed a medical interpreter performance exam - and completed a training program of at least 40 hours.
Candidates must also provide at least two or more of the following:
1) Post-graduate educational background in Translation and/or Interpreting, such as a Master's Degree
2) Previous participation in a medical interpreting standards-setting process
3) Training and over 3 years of experience as a medical interpreter trainer
4) Experience in the development of or scoring of interpreter skills assessments
5) Over 3 years interpreting experience in an acute care healthcare system
6) Interpreter Certification by another entity (i.e. Court, Washington State, etc.)
“It is essential that a diverse and qualified group of subject matter experts be active participants in developing the language-specific tests for medical interpreter certification. It is an exciting time for our profession,”
Individuals wishing to be part of this exciting and collaborative process should submit the following:
1) Letter of intent (100-200 words)
2) Proof of interpreter training & testing
3) Two letters of recommendation
4) Resume
NOTE: Applications will be accepted via email to info@certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org or fax to the National Board to 1-866-681-2568. Please make sure you include contact information in your application.
About the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters
The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters is a non-profit organization, formed from an independent group of industry professionals that represent all key stakeholder groups including professional medical interpreters, trainers, employers, providers, and regulators. The National Board serves as the certifying entity and has independent authority over all essential certification decisions. The purpose of certification is to ensure limited English proficiency patient safety by evaluating and assuring the competency of medical interpreters. The formation and structure of the National Board of Certification adheres to the standards and requirements for certification program governance mandated by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) - formerly NOCA. For more information, visit www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org.
