Quick question

I have a quick question and wanted some feedback before I make a final decission. I am going to Guadalajara for a language immersion course this summer. The school contacted me after reviewing the questinaire that I filled out and asked me if I would be interested at all in their program for medical professionals.
When I first decided to take the language immersion course I was not yet convinced that I was going to actually have the guts to go back to school and pursue this project. Now that I have made THAT decission I want to know if interpreters are something that clinics and hospitals can make use of on a volunteer basis, and if you feel it would be worth the extra week or two in the program?
As I am quickly learning nearly every choice I make from here on out in my life has to be me as reasonably calculated as possible, so any and all advice is welcome.
Thanks,
Greg

Hi there,
Medical Spanish is very useful. Whether or not you will be able to become a volunteer translator is pretty variable but having a good command of medical Spanish is good for any clinician in the United States today.
Natalie

HI. I work as a scribe f/t in a very busy hospital ER and I am literally side by side with the Dr I am scribing for. Essentially, I am trained to take his patient history from him dictating it after we leave the room, or write it down as he calls it out. Anyway- about Spanish…the hospital I am at has only 2 interpreters and they are busy running all over thehospital. So when we need an intrepreter there can sometimes be a wait for one to arrive. Also, I have worked with quite a few Drs that are bilingual and it definitely helps. One more thing. I heard last week that for shifts that there are no interpreters available for there is a phone service that we can use. Essentially its a conference call service for us, the patient and the call with the interpreter. I havnt sen it in use yet but I cnat imagine it being useful/practical in every situation. Finally, some of the nurse and tech in the ER are fluent and I believe they are able to take a test or get certified that proves they are fluent and then the hospital will give them a one time payment for then that bilingual clinician being bilingual and using it at the hospital. I dont know if the nurse would ever leave her dept to help out other Dets or if its just for the depts for the shifts she works in. AS i found out more I will let you know. MEdical Spanish will definitely help but I understand about limited time and money. I just wanted to give you examples of what I am seeing right now with medical Spanish and interpreters at least in a hospital setting.