The National Institute For Coordinated Health Care
Working to eliminate healthcare disparities through the development of clinical and academic community-based measures.
Program Certificates
Students receive a Certificate of Successful Completion
Online Studies
The CMIT® program and workshops are 100% virtual
35+ Years of Excellence
A multidisciplinary group of experienced professionals
Medical Interpreting
We’ve trained thousands of students to become medical interpreters
An Oregon Health Authority Approved Health Care Interpreter (HCI) Training Program
Core Medical Interpreter
Training® Program
Online Weekdays or Weekends
Core Medical Interpreter Training® Program
CMIT® is a flexible 100-hour program that covers strategies for effective communication between different cultures in medical or healthcare settings. The training includes twelve hours of medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology, eight hours on the three major Codes of Ethics (CHIA, IMIA, NCIHC), and intensive role-playing to gain and practice new skills and significantly improve patient safety. Our goal is to promote national best practice standards in professional medical interpreting for all limited-English proficient patients requiring assistance.
CMIT® is an academic program responding to the growing need to improve the quality of training for interpreters in healthcare settings and to prepare individuals to pass the national certification exams.
Advanced Medical Interpreter Training CE
Continuing Education
Medical Interpreter CE Workshops
The NICHC offers skill-building and informational workshops for Medical/Healthcare Interpreters. All CEU workshops provide 2 (two) Continuing Education Units (CEUs) sanctioned by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI), and 0.2 CEUs sanctioned by the National board for Certified Medical Interpreters (NBCMI).
The NICHC workshops help you advance your knowledge, professional development and renew your national certification.
Why Choose CMIT®?
Over 10,000 Graduates
Headquartered in the Greater Philadelphia Area
Program Created by a Multidisciplinary Group of Professionals with Over 35 Years of Academic and Professional Experience
I was excited and anxious with the [Training of Trainer] for CMIT®; I really didn’t know what to expect. I was a teacher for almost 3 decades and have been in the BPO industry for 8 years now. I have been a remote interpreter (OPI and VRI) and then became the first trainer at The Workloop. It has been an amazing journey and I was delighted to have Sofi DiSepio as my instructor! All her teachings have been very clear, understandable and she was able to help me out with certain doubts I had. . . . I really enjoyed every minute of it; each lesson, each activity or practice; everything was very well planned. I have applied techniques learned during the ToT and feel proud of what I have been able to convey to my students. The experience was amazing and now I am more knowledgeable in terms of medical interpretation and training.
FAQ
Frequently Asked
Is this course available online?
What are the education requirements to enroll in this training program?
- LanguageStat Communication Skills Test (CST);
- Language Line Academy’s Linguistic Proficiency Test (LPT);
- American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL);
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL):
- Written form (TOEFL PBT)
- Internet-based (TOEFL iBT)
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- Associate’s degree or four semester dictated in the language being claimed.
Will I receive a certificate after completion of the training program?
Students will receive general feedback after the final exam in case they need to retake it. Recommendations will be given as to which lessons need to be reviewed with more detail.
Will I be a certified interpreter after completing the training program?
Core Medical Interpreter Training® (CMIT®) is a basic medical interpreter training course. Training is NOT certification.
Although National Certification should be your next professional goal, it entails a whole separate process with three stages; each stage is pre-requisite for the next stage:
- Application: Review of training credentials and work experience.
- Written examination: covering protocol, rules of engagement, interpreting skills, and codes of ethics.
- Oral examination: only available in seven languages total: Arabic, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
The Core Medical Interpreter Training® (CMIT®) is a basic course that provides a great overall and specific preparation to achieve national certification, it helps exceed the requested minimum number of training hours and preparation of protocol, skills for interpreting, and codes of ethics.
Are there job opportunities available once I graduate from the program?
CMIT® prepares the student to apply for a job at local or out-of-state language agencies and health systems for face-to-face and remote interpreting. Although the requirements in each particular agency or health system may vary, CMIT® provides solid basic training and exceeds the minimum of 40 hours of basic training usually requested for employment.
Not all training organizations offer job opportunities after completion of the CMIT® course. Of those organizations that do, each organization determines its specific requirements for recruiting students. Typically, they may offer working opportunities as independent contractors to students with outstanding linguistic proficiency, performance in the CMIT® program, and showing great interpreting skills.
It is recommended that students prepare their resumes before finishing CMIT® and present them to the instructor for potential feedback. CMIT® training organizations should provide a list of local language agencies that students may use as a starting point to apply for potential job opportunities.
Will I be able to practice at hospitals after the class?
This availability depends on each organization’s policies for a practicum and protection of patients’ privacy.
CMIT® students should pursue low-complexity jobs through language agencies first in order to build confidence and practice medical terminology. Moving into more difficult and complex interpreting encounters should be a progressive process that depends on the individual qualifications and expertise of CMIT® graduates. Most health systems or hospitals require two to three years of experience in a clinic or hospital setting as a minimum. In several places, health care organizations are now requiring nationally certified interpreters in their job postings.
Do I need to take the course to interpret for hospitals, doctors’ offices, etc.?
Basic medical interpreter training is required to work at most hospitals and language agencies. The current evolution of the medical interpreter’s profession is demanding a greater number of training hours and national certification credentials.
However, there are certain organizations that do not follow national training and professional standards for medical interpreting established and recommended by professional and regulatory bodies such as the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC), the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, Executive Order 13166, the Joint Commission, the Office of Minority Health, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Some organizations continue hiring “bilingual” individuals to cover their systemic language needs. The only way to consolidate a profession is to be trained and certified using standardized assessments. That is how other healthcare professions operate.
Why should I need to take CMIT® instead of other trainings?
CMIT® is a basic training course that exceeds the national training standards established by the National Council for Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC). CMIT® provides 60 to 100 hours of training incorporating the highest training standards established in 2014 by the State of Oregon, including a minimum of 8 hours of the codes of ethics and 60 hours of total training time.
CMIT® is a dynamic course with continuous improvements in curriculum and training resources which focuses on building skills for interpreting and facing ethical challenges using audiovisual resources, highly trained and experienced instructors, and the latest information related to healthcare and medical interpreting.
Other 40-hour training courses have been instrumental in establishing basic training for more than 20 years, but have not evolved with the times, and do not present the best available tools and resources to face the challenges of interpreting in a changing US health system.
Are there types of financial aid, government assistance, or scholarships available?
Some CMIT® training organizations may offer limited financial aid or scholarships. However, CMIT® is not affiliated with any local, state, or federal program that provides tuition and financial aid to students.
What is the pay rate for interpreters?
The pay rate for interpreters depends on several factors and is not the same for all interpreters and regions. These factors include but are not limited to specific language, market’s language needs, interpreter’s expertise, etc. An interpreter may earn an hourly rate between $20 to $50 or more for face-to-face interpreting depending on the contracting organization and the factors mentioned above.
What happens if I need to cancel my participation in the class?
If you cancel your participation in CMIT® 14 days or more, before the training start date, you should receive a refund of your deposit or full payment.
If you cancel your participation with less than 14 days from the training start date, you may choose a different training time, or only be eligible for a partial refund or no refund at all.
What happens if I cannot attend one or more days of the course?
For CMIT® students that miss one or two days of their scheduled course, they need to make up those days at a later scheduled CMIT® course in coordination with the training organization. However, it is essential that students attend the first two days of training.
What training resources will I receive as part of the course?
CMIT® students receive a CMIT® Textbook, a medical terminology workbook, a student print out (resources to be used in class), and online resources provided during class by the instructor(s).
What our Students and Clients Say
I had the opportunity to take the 100hr training with NICHC in January 2020. After completing this course, I felt confident with the necessary knowledge and instruments to keep practicing on my own, and eventually became a full-time freelance interpreter myself. I have now taken the CCHI and I believe my CMIT training provided the knowledge to pass such a test. I have now been working as a freelance medical interpreter for 2.5 years and I am absolutely in love with my job!
Natalia U.
After completing the CMIT training for medical interpreting it was much easier to get better-paying jobs. The instructor gave me a lot of tips as to where, and how to apply that really marked a difference in my income. The course itself was very insightful and very interactive, we had a lot of fun I remember. Very satisfied with the outcome.