31 Aug Medical translator vs. typical phrases a doctor says

A medical translator not only has to translate clinical tests, medical history records, mental status examinations or patient information leaflets. A medical translator is subject to translate everything related to the health environment, which may include different areas of medical translation, interpreting or transcription. For example, the common phrases that any doctor says. Here are some typical sentences that you have surely heard from your doctor; so it means some examples of phrases that a medical translator or a medical interpreter should know how to deal with. They are not very difficult to be translated, but it is good to take them into consideration.

• We will need to run some tests. Blood test, urine test… they all serve for diagnosing a health issue.
• I would like to keep you here overnight for observation. An overnight stay is recommended to make sure that the patient is OK. So, all vital signs can be better monitored, as a double check is always positive.
• Do you have any allergies? It is very important for the doctor to previously know any potential allergy suffered from the patient. Drugs, intakes or even meals may vary depending on the allergy. But also diagnosis or future recommendations.
• I am going to prescribe you some antibiotics. A prescription is an official note with permission for buying some drugs.
• We have not made a diagnosis yet, but we have ruled out cancer. Other serious diseases can substitute “cancer”. This is a positive message, among some uncertainty, as it eliminates a serious health problem from consideration.
• Does it hurts when I press here? During a body observation, the doctor or the medical specialist may press some parts of your body (leg, throat, finger…). He/she does that in order to verify any hidden pain, such as a fracture or tonsillitis.

So, if you are a medical translator or a medical interpreter directly dealing with a doctor, take into account these phrases usually said by a doctor, as it is very probable that he or she says any of them. If you are well prepared for that, you will carry out a better job as a medical translator.