Medical careers are the hottest careers going today. And, with the population getting older, medical careers can be expected to continue to be in demand.
Even in these challenging economic times, the medical field is still hiring at an amazingly rapid rate. The medical industry is anticipated to grow faster than any other – an estimated 3.2 million new jobs, (22% increase) by the year 2018.
One of the medical careers you may not have considered is medical translation. Roughly 26% the medical translators whom are currently working in the field are self-employed. Although, the overall industry workforce numbers are difficult to pinpoint; many workers are freelancers or part-time/piece work employees. Employment is expected to mirror the industry at large although, of course, employment potential varies by subject and language – it’s simply the nature of the business. For example, translators of French should produce more job opportunities because of expected increases in the Quebecois population in Canada.
With a current deficiency of translators meeting the required expertise and proficiency of employers, they will continue to have favorable occupation projections. Conversely, competition is anticipated for all translator positions – largely due to the publicized growth potential.
So, do you love language? Maybe you want to help care for people, but are not too sure how to go about it?
Medical translators use their language skills to ensure that medical procedures and explanations are properly translated from one language to another. This may be a match for you!
With that said, let’s take a look at what it takes to become a medical translator. Careers usually go to those who have a solid background in foreign languages. Then, that background is combined with training in the medical field to ensure that the translator also has an in-depth understanding of medical terms, so that translation is correct. As you might imagine, there is no room for translation errors when you’re translating illnesses, procedures or treatments.
To study for a medical translation career, you must have proficiency in at least two languages. In the US, the most sought after medical translators are fluent in Spanish and English. Though it is not necessarily a requirement, it can be helpful to take a class in medical terminology. In addition, a bachelor’s degree is most always required. There are a few colleges that offer a class specifically designed to prepare medical translators for the medical terms they will encounter.
Some offices use the term medical translator interchangeably with the term medical interpreter. However, in reality, a medical interpreter typically works with non-English speaking patients as a translator for the doctor and patient. A medical translator focuses on translating medical documents, rather than spoken interpretation.
A career in medical translation is a great way for anyone with proficient foreign language skills to find a job in the medical field. This field offers another way that people can find their niche in the medical field, which will offer great opportunity over the next several decades. It’s also a way that people with good foreign language skills can use those skills in a somewhat unexpected avenue.
Jun 21 2011
Exciting Careers in Medical Translation
Sep 03 2010
Clear Debt – Good Vs The Bad
In modern America, it is difficult to get through life without taking on some kind of debt. Most people cannot afford large purchases such as a house or education early in their lives, and so they take out loans to help them acquire these things earlier. Not all debt is harmful to your financial health, but it is important to make good decisions early in your life about what kind of debt to take on and what kind to avoid. Taking on too much debt with high interest rates can permanently destroy your hopes for a rich life and good retirement.
Good Debt
Loans which help you to invest in yourself or develop assets that don’t depreciate are good debt. Student loans, mortgages and loans for necessary medical procedures are all examples of debt that provides future returns in heightened income or lowered expenses. Loans for these items can usually be found with low interest rates, and when used wisely, can help secure your future wealth. Of course, you should always make sure that you will be able to afford the payments when they come due before taking out any loan.
Bad Debt
Consumer debt with high interest rates and no future return is the kind of debt that you should avoid. A good rule of thumb is that if you can eat it or wear it, you will not have any future return to show for it. Some credit card interest rates run as high as 25%, and if you only make minimum payments, you might end up paying more interest than principal over the decade it may take you to repay the card.
Try to evaluate debts as you would any other investment. Make your money work for you, and you will have a comfortable retirement to look forward to. But if you fail to carefully consider the kinds of debt you take on, your hard work will go towards paying credit card companies rather than yourself.
Aug 09 2010
Medical Coding Careers
Careers in medical fields require great responsibility; dexterity in the specialized line of medical affairs is an inevitable part of the whole thing. As time goes by, a career in the medical profession is becoming more of a challenge, adventure and competition. One can belong to any of the fields of medical science.
One can be a doctor, medical officer, pharmaceutical manager, administrator of a hospital, a nurse, medical transcriptor, medical biller, medical coder and much more. Many new medical careers are related to the manufacturing, business administrative and management fields of medicine. Among all the various careers, one of the most intriguing and interesting fields is that of medical coding.
The profession of medical coding involves the frequent use of alpha-numeric codes to record specific illnesses, injuries, and medical procedures. This process of assigning codes is usually done under the system of a particular rule of coding that is used across the world, from doctor’s offices and hospitals to insurance companies and federal agencies. These codes are greatly utilized by the hospitals, nursing homes, labs and doctors for internal data collection and other planning objectives.
On the other hand, various insurance companies and public agencies concerned with the health care system require the codes to reimburse health-care providers. One of the greatest utilities that these codes offer is that they are even used by international health organizations to track patterns of disease and the costs of health care which will enable them to take measures to prevent the diseases.