welcome to
Medical Interpreting
PRACTICE STUDIO
ABOUT
The Medical Interpreting Practice Studio offers interactive classes that focus solely on practice, with no theoretical content. These classes are available in small groups or individually and are designed for participants who speak English and Russian.
* LANGUAGE NEUTRAL SESSIONS CAN BE ACCOMODATED IN A ONE-ON-ONE FORMAT
This is the place for you if you are:
A bilingual individual or someone who has studied Russian as a foreign language and wants to explore if interpreting is a skill you might excel in.
An individual training to become a medical interpreter who needs to test your knowledge by practicing with a Russian-speaking instructor.
Someone who previously worked as an interpreter but has had a significant break or has worked in a different field and needs to refresh your skills.
An individual whose Russian language skills (even if native) are not as strong as your English due to infrequent use and/or a disconnect from the culture.
We offer practice with original medical setting scenarios, enriched with cultural content, in both group classes and individual sessions.
Exam Preparation: Individual lessons to help you prepare for certification exam, focusing on speed and note-taking.
Mock Exam: A practice exam designed to simulate the pace and length of segments in the actual certification exam.
Group Practice Sessions: Limited to a maximum of 5 participants per class, these sessions focus on interpreting medical dialogues.
Individual practice sessions:
Consecutive interpreting
CMI exam preparation
Note taking
Sight translation
CONTENT
WHY THIS
STUDIO
In her search for medical interpreter training courses and later as she enrolled in a program, the Studio founder, Tatiana Ford, noticed a significant imbalance between the abundance of theoretical material on medical interpreting and the limited opportunities for practical application, especially for students with underrepresented languages.
As a student who practiced only one-way interpreting (English into Russian), she often wished for a Russian-English instructor to provide proper feedback and evaluate progress. She also longed for the opportunity to practice in a group with peers who spoke both languages.
Thus, it was decided to create an easily accessible online space where Russian/English-speaking individuals, whether considering or already engaged in medical interpreting training, can practice both in groups and individually.
Interpreter Protocol
Individual Session
Group Session
DEMO
RECORDINGS
BOOK NOW
You can schedule your session now. Please click the button below to schedule your next available session.
FREE ONE HOUR ASSESSMENT SESSION
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STUDENTS FEEDBACK
Tatiana is very professional and knowledgeable medical interpreting coach. I enjoy every lesson with Tatiana since she speaks same language as me, she can navigate and help, and educate me when I do not understand a phase or medical terminology. She is a very pleasant person and I highly recommend her services.
— Oksana K.
Talent, deep knowledge of the language, professional terminology, sincere desire (and ability!) to open the potential of her students – all this makes up my favorite Teacher Tatiana Ford. Demanding yet tactful instructor, she knows exactly how to break your ”linguistic ice”. Currently, I already work as a medical interpreter, but due to daily new discoveries in this profession, I continue practicing with Tatiana and tremendously enjoy her classes!
— Marina B.
When I was researching my options for medical interpreter training and came across Tatiana’s sessions at her Studio, they quickly became my absolute most favorite part of the process. The fact that we spoke the same native language was invaluable when it comes to discussing interpretation nuances and what it means to be a cultural broker when interpreting. Her wealth of knowledge and experience, her enthusiasm, and honest, yet always very respectful feedback are the attributes that set Tatiana apart from most tutors I’ve ever encountered. She is a natural and is so passionate about what she does, it is infectious! You will absolutely love working with Tatiana and you will fall in love with interpreting (all over again) thanks to her!
— Elena K
As a student at one of the interpreter training courses I was looking for the way to expand my education and was lucky to find Tatiana. She is a great teacher who shares her knowledge and experience as a working interpreter.
She loves teaching, very passionate of her work, creating interesting dialogues, fluent with both languages and using great methodic in teaching.
— Oksana S.
A great platform for medical interpreting practice sessions!
Tatiana’s practice studio helped improve my consecutive interpreting skills by offering an individualized structured practice plan, feedback in real-time, flexible practice hours tailored to my needs, and guided practice on interpreting the linguistic and cultural differences in communication between the source and target language.
The instructor’s knowledge and passion for these practice sessions is inspiring and motivating to continue develop my MI skills.
Thank you for being here!
— Olga A
I recommend Tatiana’s classes to all! She is the best English language instructor I ever came across. Her unique approach – mix of professional materials in two languages, sense of humor when needed and continuous practice in dialogues – will help develop language skills even in those “without linguistic felicity”. Your expectations will be met in full! Your education is the most intelligent investment!
— Zarina I.
These are the dictionaries I find the most useful
NBCMI site with information about National certification and more
IMIA site for re-certification and continued education
MedlinePlus is a great site for medical information in many languages. Great source for practicing by yourself and master sight interpreting
Web MD is a bottomless source of information on healthcare including description of different medical conditions, treatments, drugs and more
My favorite book on medical interpreting – “Healthcare Interpreting in Small Bites” by Cynthia E. Roat. Easy language, great tips from an experienced colleague
USEFUL
LINKS
FAQ
What made you start the Studio?
While still in training, I immediately recognized the need for more practice in both English and the target language. I envisioned the setting as being similar to preparing for a midterm exam at university, where you form a study group with peers to quiz each other on terminology and various topics.
What do you teach in the Studio?
I do not “teach” in the traditional sense; instead, I facilitate and assist in practice sessions. In a friendly atmosphere, I share my experience with Studio visitors, guiding them through exercises on various medical topics. The primary goal is to create an informal environment for practice where making a mistake or misspeaking is perfectly acceptable.
How is the Studio different from other interpreting courses?
It is entirely different from a course. While there are many theoretical programs that provide all the relevant materials for interpreting jobs, the Studio’s purpose is focused solely on practice—practice—practice. It is meant to complement the theoretical training you
receive from other platforms.
Original materials?
All scenarios are original and developed by the Studio. Some highlight various challenges in an interpreter’s job, such as dealing with frustrated patients, sensitive topics, and cultural peculiarities. Everything I learn at work is transformed into diverse practice materials, including “bloopers” from providers, patients, and interpreters.
Why only 5 in a group session?
No more than five is ideal because even two people can effectively engage in “group practice”, where they can discuss word choices and compare their versions of interpreting a phrase or sentence. From my own experience, I have found that five is the maximum number that allows each participant enough time to practice, while still providing sufficient opportunity for discussion and feedback.
What exactly do you do during the sessions?
In a group session, we focus on practicing note-taking, interpreting medical scenarios, and, for a bit of fun, reviewing “bloopers from the field.” Individual sessions are tailored to the participant’s specific areas of focus. Recordings of both group and individual sessions can be found on the website under “Demo Recordings”.
What is the language of instruction during the sessions?
It depends on the participants’ preferences. The Studio is an informal space, and we don’t adhere to strict rules regarding the session format. Like “study buddies,” we laugh a lot, as I believe that positive emotions help with better absorption of the study materials.
Mock exam – what is it?
The ultimate goal of the Studio is to help interpreters achieve certification. Certification proves your skill level to potential employers without requiring further testing, distinguishing you from others and adding your name to the NBCMI list of certified interpreters, which can secure a better hourly rate. I have developed a mock exam to help participants evaluate the difficulty level,
the speed of dialogue delivery, and the length of the segments. It also helps identify weak areas so participants can focus on specific aspects to better prepare for the real exam.
DISCLAIMER
Although the dialogues are loosely based on observed cases, no Protected Health Information (PHI) is used, ensuring full compliance with HIPAA. None of the training materials on this platform disclose any part of the content from the NBCMI certification exam.
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