Bridging the Gap is a professional development program that prepares bilingual individuals to work as medical interpreters. This 40-hour class is used to train novice and experienced medical interpreters, and it is accepted by both accredited national certifying bodies, the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) and the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI). No interpreting experience is required to take the class.

This course covers:

• Basic interpreting skills. Roles, ethics, conduit and clarifier interpreting, managing the flow of the session.
• Codes of ethics. Codes of ethics and decision-making for interpreters in health care.
• Integrated medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology. Introduction to common terms, procedures, and specialties relating to human physiology and health.
• Information on health care systems. Introduction to the health care systems and types of health care providers.
• Culture in interpreting. Self-awareness, basic characteristics of specific cultures, traditional health care in specific communities, culture brokering.
• Communication skills for advocacy. Listening skills, communication styles, how doctors think, appropriate advocacy.
• Professional development. Effective communication, professional conduct, self-care, resources for professional growth.

Total tuition:                  $750.00

Includes non-refundable $150 registration fee, course textbook, bilingual medical glossary if available in your target language (if not available participants will receive an English-English glossary), the Guide to Common Medications, and a signed Certificate of Successful Completion, if applicable. For this class, please have reliable internet and a computer with a working camera/webcam and microphone. Having headphones and a workspace with minimal distractions is also encouraged. 

Training dates and times:

August 2 - 13, 2021
Online via Zoom
Monday - Friday
9:00am - 1:00pm Pacific Time    

Participants must attend all hours of the training. CCHCP reserves the right to cancel a class that does not have minimum enrollment. If CCHCP cancels a class, the $150 registration fee will be refundable.

Minimum age and education

Participants must be 18 or older and have a high school degree or the equivalent. Proof of high school graduation or GED, etc. is required.

Proof of language proficiency

Participants must be bilingual in English and at least one other language, and proof of proficiency in both languages is required to enroll in the class. Proof of proficiency can be copies of any one of the following documents:

• High school diploma or equivalent, or university/college degree from a school using the assessed language(s)

• 5 or more years of verified professional experience working in the language(s) being assessed

• State or federal court interpreter certification

• Oral language exam results with scores equivalent to ACTFL Advanced Mid-level or ILR Level 2

If applicants do not have any prior proof of language proficiency, the registration process will include a speaking and listening assessment conducted over the phone. These are scheduled through ALTA Language Services on a weekday at a time that is convenient for the applicant. Once a language assessment is scheduled, the applicant will receive a phone number to call and instructions to begin the assessment, which is approximately 20-40 minutes long. The maximum possible score is 12; a 9 or higher is required for admission.

1. Please submit the following via email:

• Co mpleted registration form
• Copy of high school diploma, GED certificate, or university/college degree
• Proof of language proficiency (if available)

Applications can be submitted via:
Email:   bridgingthegap@xculture.org
Mail:     1200 12th Ave. S., Ste. 1001, Seaettle, WA 98144

2. Payment of $150 non-refundable deposit via credit card, check, money order, or cash. Checks and money orders should be made out to The Cross Cultural Health Care Program, or CCHCP. Credit card payments can be made over the phone. Any necessary language assessments will be scheduled and conducted upon receipt of the deposit.

3. Once we have received proof of language proficiency or proficiency assessment results, you will receive an email message to complete the enrollment process. You will also receive an email message if you did not pass the language proficiency assessment.

4. Confirm your attendance and pay the remaining tuition balance.

Application materials and payment must be received by the following dates.

August 40-Hour Course

Monday, June 28th: Early Bird Deadline to receive $50 off the cost of the course. All materials must be submitted and non refundable deposit must be paid. 

Wednesday, July 7th: Application deadline. Application form, non-refundable deposit, proof of high school graduation, and proof of language proficiency must be submitted.

Wednesday, July 14th: ayment deadline. All fees must be paid by this date. 

Unless a class is canceled by CCHCP, the $150 registration fee is non-refundable. However, if a course applicant becomes unable to attend a course they had registered for, the deposit can be held for one calendar year from the start date of the original course registered for. Please keep in mind that this one-time discount will not be eligible for classes taken at a future date.  Participants will be required to pay the registration fee for the class date they attend.

For the remaining costs, the refund policy is as follows:

Up to 1 week before class starts: 100%
1 - 6 days before class starts:      75%
After class starts:                         25%

Note: Instead of refund, applicants can choose to leave their balance paid to CCHCP to use for another class within one (1) calendar year from the start date of the class originally applied for. 

CCHCP reserves the right to remove any participant who interferes with or causes disruption in the learning environment. Refunds will not be issued to participants who are removed.

A Pre-Test and a Final Test will be given to measure participants’ improvement before and after the training. Certificates of successful completion will be awarded to participants who score 70% or better on the Final Test. Participants will be notified via email about their test results within one week of completing the course. Certificates will be mailed within two weeks after the training.

Participants who do not pass the Final Test are permitted one retake within a 3-month period. If a participant does not pass the Final Test after the permitted re-take, CCHCP will not issue a certificate of successful completion.

Students must attend all hours of the training and pass the Final Test to earn a certificate of successful completion. This certificate can be used as proof of training for national certification and other bodies that require proof of training.

Receiving a BTG certificate of completion is proof that a participant is a trained medical interpreter. In order to become a nationally certified medical interpreter, participants who successfully complete the course should take and pass national certification exams through the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org) or the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (www.cchicertification.org). Some states may have their own state certification exams to be a state-certified medical interpreter.

All our communication will be primarily by e-mail. Please make sure your email address is working and check it regularly. If you have not heard from us in a reasonable amount of time, please call us at 206-860-0329.

Please retain pages 1-4 for your records. Do not mail these with your completed registration form.

Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you!

Deadlines: Application form, deposit, proof of high school graduation, and proof of proficiency (if applicable): Wednesday, January 6th, 2021

Remaining Tuition Fees:    Wednesday, January 13th, 2021

Payment may be made by check, money order, cash or credit card. Checks are payable to: The Cross Cultural Health Care Program (or CCHCP). For credit card payment please email bridgingthegap@xculture.org to schedule an over-the-phone payment arrangements.

Proof of language proficiency can be any one of the following documents for each language. Please upload these documents in the following fields. 

• High school diploma or equivalent, or university/college degree from a school using the assessed language(s)

• 5 or more years of verified professional experience working in the language(s) being assessed

• State or federal court interpreter certification

• Oral language exam results with scores equivalent to ACTFL Advanced Mid-level or ILR Level 2

Please note: Language assessments are required for applicants without other proof of proficiency. We will notify applicants of their language assessment schedule upon receipt of application form and non-refundable deposit of $150.

If Applicable:
If someone else or another organization is paying for your course fees, please fill out the following section.