Connecting Students to Professionals • Professionals to Communities • Communities to Better Health
Bridging the Gap - Medical Interpreter Training
Bridging the Gap Medical Interpreting Training (BTG) is a 40-hour course that trains already bilingual people with high proficiency to facilitate communication between service providers and people with limited English proficiency. BTG is nationally recognized as part of the path to national certification; however BTG is typically accepted at many medical facilities nationwide as meeting minimal entry-level requirements. This training targets health educators, health care providers, lay interpreters interested in enhancing medical interpreting skills, and bilingual members of the community with a genuine interest in becoming medical interpreters.
Bridging the Gap Medical Interpreter Training is provided locally through a partnership between South Central Kentucky Area Health Education Center (AHEC) at WKU and Community Action of Southern Kentucky
There are typically two cohorts a year: summer and winter. The application for the summer 2026 cohort has already closed. Dates for the Winter 2027 cohort have not been confirmed. If you would like to be notified when the next cohort application opens, please complete the interest form below. (This is not an application.)
Health educators, health care providers, foreign language students, and bilingual lay persons who are interested in enhancing medical interpreting skills. Experience as a medical interpreter is not a prerequisite for his training. Participants must be fluent in English and at least one non-English language.
"Bridging the Gap" is a basic training course covering:
- Interpreting skills
- National origin considerations in interpreting
- Medical terminology
- Communication, advocacy, and professional development
At the conclusion of the training, participants should be able to:
- Understand the work and role of medical interpreters.
- Have a functional understanding of the US healthcare system and medical terminology.
- Be able to apply appropriate interpreting and communication skills to deal with any related situation.
This is not a language course, although it does aid in the development of medical vocabulary.
The training employs participatory training techniques, including the interpreter in an active learning process. A large amount of time will be dedicated to analysis of role-plays, group discussion and practice. A unique aspect of this curriculum is its treatment of culture as an integral part of communication and therefore an important aspect of the interpreter’s work. By integrating culture throughout the curriculum, the intention is to point out that culture is an important significant part of our lives, personally and professionally, and a crucial element in communication and health care.
Attend the entire training (40 hours) and study from the textbook and handouts outside
of class.
• Complete a group presentation over assigned body system(s).
• Pass a written multiple choice test with a minimum grade of 70% on the last day of the training.
• Complete a group presentation over assigned body system(s).
• Pass a written multiple choice test with a minimum grade of 70% on the last day of the training.
We partner with staff at Community Action of Southern Kentucky to offer Bridging the Gap Medical Interpretor training. Please click on the link below for more information and to apply.
There are typically two cohorts a year: summer and winter. The application for the summer 2026 cohort has already closed. Dates for the Winter 2027 cohort have not been confirmed. If you would like to be notified when the next cohort, please complete the interest form.
Phone: 270-745-3325
Email: ahec@wku.edu
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