Become a Healthcare Interpreter
TAHIT stands for Texas Association of Healthcare Interpreters and Translators, a non-profit organization founded in 2004. The first official meeting was held in 2005.
The Association organizes an annual Educational Symposium, which provides CEUs for attendees.
The individual membership for professionals is 40 USD, while there are also other membership plans for departments, organizations and corporations. Discounts are available for students with a .edu email account. The Associations reserves a special membership website for members only, with a directory matching clients and professional interpreters/translators.
The website includes an online shop with T-shirts and other objects carrying the TAHIT logo. There is also a link to a podcast on the medical interpreting profession, called The Business of Healthcare.
HITA – The Interpreters and Translators Association for the city of Houston
HITA is the Interpreters and Translators Association for the city of Houston, Texas. It provides a directory for clients to find a language professional easily. It provides three types of memberships: for individuals, corporations and institutions. On the events page, the next available event organized by the association is shown. For instance, in October 2020 there has been a training event on Consecutive Interpreting, focusing on techniques and note-taking. The website also provides guidelines on how to access to the COVID-19 financial relief for interpreters and translators suffering from the effects of the 2020 pandemic.
Info from other translator associations:
The FAQ section of the Tennessee Association of Professional Interpreters and Translators website answers very important questions that clients may ask to translators, like why human translation is needed instead of automatic machine translation. The answer is that a brain is the best machine designed to think, and thinking of cultural equivalents is not an ability of machines. Therefore, word-for-word translation is not acceptable at a professional and institutional level.
The section also states clearly what interpreters and translators do. Clients are often unable to distinguish between the two professional roles, so it is important to point out that interpreting is an oral skill and translation is written. Both professions require specific knowledge, training and qualifications.
To become a Healthcare Interpreter, attend MiTio online course.
