Week 1 – Discussion Board 1

[Art Liebl]

In 250 words talk about yourself. Where do you live? What languages do you speak? Why have you decided to become an interpreter? Reply to 2 other students by Monday night.

[Ariane Barrial Zivkovic]

Greetings,
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ariane, and I am a functional nutritionist and microbiota specialist. More importantly, I am a devoted mother who is passionate about health and wellness. My constant thirst for knowledge and my curiosity for exploring different perspectives drives me to pursue research in the field of health and wellness continually.
My dedication to this area of research has led me to a mission in life, which is to impart my knowledge and share my insights with anyone seeking to understand the intricate workings of the human body, including its biochemistry, nutrition, and wellness.
I am thrilled to embark on this journey of imparting knowledge and helping individuals achieve their best health and well-being. I pledge to provide the best possible guidance and support to all those interested in pursuing their health goals.
Upon my arrival in the United States from my native Spain (currently live in Oregon), I had a keen interest in pursuing a career in interpretation, with a special focus on medical interpretation. I set out on this path and achieved certification in medical interpreting, and for seven years, I worked as a dedicated Medical Interpreter for our Hispanic community.
During my years in this field, I have had the privilege of working alongside numerous health professionals, facilitating seamless communication between patients and doctors. I have been a witness to diagnoses, prognoses, treatments, and other critical medical procedures. Through my work, I have collaborated with specialists in various areas of medicine, such as neurology, cardiology, gastroenterology, pediatrics, psychology, family medicine, physiotherapy, nutrition, and autism and behavioral health.
My enriching experience has broadened my knowledge and deepened my understanding of the critical role that medical interpretation plays in bridging communication gaps between patients and healthcare providers. This journey has inspired me to explore further and contribute to this field’s growth while striving to ensure the best possible healthcare outcomes for all.

[Art Liebl]

Hi Ariane! So glad to have you with us. It will be great to have you with our group given your medical background. I was curious what a FUNCTIONAL nutritionist does… It also looks like you already have experience as a medical interpreter. I am looking forward to all your posts! Good studies to you!

[Ariane Barrial Zivkovic]

I am thrilled to be a part of this group and have the invaluable opportunity to learn from such esteemed participants and teachers.
In terms of my expertise as a functional nutritionist, I would describe my approach as a holistic one, which is focused on identifying the underlying causes of health issues. Rather than simply treating symptoms, I delve into a person’s diet, lifestyle, genetics, and environment to uncover the root cause of their health problems. This approach is based on functional medicine, which places emphasis on providing a useful and whole approach to medicine.

I have a particular affinity for the term “functional,” which connotes both utility and wholeness. One of the most fascinating aspects of this field is that it underscores the importance of understanding anatomy and physiology, or as we refer to it, “what’s going on in there.”

Appreciating physiology is crucial, as it allows us to gain insight into what’s happening in the body, and I find this truly captivating.
Thank you all for this wonderful opportunity to share my passion for functional nutrition with you!

[Art Liebl]

Very interesting. I never knew this type of whole-body nutrition existed. I have interpreted for hundreds of nutritionists. In fact, it is one of my favorite encounters to interpret. We have great nutritionists here in Massachusetts, but no functional ones, that I have ever come across anyway. Nutrition appointments are always light, and interesting and I always walk away learning something different. I especially, especially, especially, enjoy prenatal nutrition visits. I find that nutritionists always try to dispel a lot of misconceptions to pregnant women. For example, there is a thought in Eastern culture that a pregnant woman should not drink anything hot, nor cold. During the last visit the nutritionist dispelled this idea and the reasons why. I love things like this!

[Aishwarya Phatak]

Hi Ariane,
So glad to e-meet you. Having someone like you with such a vast experience in the field will be amazing. Looking forward to being part of this course with you. As Art mentioned, nutrition is very interesting, and I didn’t know that there is a type of nutritionist called functional nutritionist. Learned something new.

[Claudia Contreras]

Hi Ariane,
I am excited to learn a lot from your experiences. It is amazing to know all the different areas where you have had the opportunity to impact people and help them in such an important aspect of their life. I enjoyed reading how you have found ways to apply your personal interests into developing your career thus far. I am sure you have a lot of great insight to bring to this course. Looking to forward to the next 10 weeks!

[Eliann Cruz]

Salutations to my fellow classmates, and teachers!
My name is Eliann Cruz-Osorio (Ellie for short), I live in New Bedford Massachusetts. NB is about an hour away from Boston, which I am most grateful for. This gives me the opportunity to discover new places such as restaurants, museums and site seeing’s in Massachusetts. My native language is Spanish, and I am fluent in English. I was born in Puerto Rico and moved here to Massachusetts at the young age of two. I am the oldest child out of two. Being part of the Latino community, I was able to experience my parents struggle with basic communication skills here in my community, due to the lack of Spanish interpreters. This was frustrating to me, because at young age I had no choice but to translate for my parents to the best of my ability but could also experience how many times without the proper resources my parents missed out on the help needed in the medical field, and even during many dining experiences. Becoming an interpreter would allow me to serve my community, in communication with much pride, and compassion. I’d like to believe that this course will also deepen my relationship with many people in my community. My goal during this course to excel to the best of my ability and be open to new challenges in which I know will reward me in the long run. I am so excited to learn and become a medical Spanish interpreter. I wish you all the best!

[Eliann Cruz]

Ariane, you are a true role model for many! I admire your desire and passion towards knowledge and science, your a beautiful asset to this world and I hope you never forget that! I wish you best of luck during this journey, you are truly amazing! Greeting from Massachusetts
-Ellie

[Aishwarya Phatak]

Hello Eliane,
Nice to meet you as well. Your personal story is inspiring and shows that interpreters play a crucial role in medical communication. Looking forward to be in the course with you.

[Art Liebl]

Salutations to you Eliann! First, I found your name unique…I love it! It is also great to have you with us Eliann. Living in Massachusetts you know first hand what a large immigrant community we have and the need for good interpreters. I will tell Ana (from the company) about you studying..she will be interested in you after the course.

Sounds like you have a great attitude going into this course. I look forward to learning more about you in the weeks ahead!

[Ariane Barrial Zivkovic]

Hello Ellie,
It’s wonderful to meet you and learn a bit about your background and aspirations. Your story is inspiring, and it’s clear that your personal experiences have driven your desire to become a medical interpreter. Your passion for helping others in your community is commendable, and I have no doubt that you will make a significant impact in the lives of those who need your assistance.

Your dedication to excellence and openness to new challenges are impressive traits, and they will undoubtedly serve you well in this course and beyond. It’s exciting to see that you’re eager to learn and develop new skills, and I’m confident that you’ll excel in your studies.

I wish you all the best in your journey to becoming a medical Spanish interpreter. It’s a noble profession, and I have no doubt that you’ll thrive in it. Keep up the great work, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need support.

[Eliann Cruz]

That means a lot to me Art! I hope Anna may dedication in these next few weeks! Your name is also unique and beautiful! Where are you from?

[Art Liebl]

LOL…I forgot to introduce myself! Here we go!

I am a true-blue American, born and raised in New Jersey. I started interpreting and translating however, when I moved to Brazil in 1995 – working in the graphics arts field. I grew to have a true passion for communication and language so that when I came back to the USA I stopped my work as a graphic arts technician (working on huge rotary presses) and moved into the translation and interpreting field. I achieved my medical interpreter certificate back in 2002. To be honest I was not very good at medical interpreting as I needed to learn a lot about anatomy and current medical science. I remember one of my first times helping a Brazilian woman at the gynocologist’s office the provider started talking about the pelvic floor. My first thought is what the heck is a pelvic floor…and worse…how do you say that in Portuguese???

On another gynecologic visit, the doctor, who speaks Spanish and understands Portuguese told me I did a horrible job a the end of the visit. You see, I really knew very little about this subject but I was determined to learn and learn I did. Now, almost 20 years later this doctor prefers me over others. I am full of stories and could go on and on…stop me now! LOL

So, with perseverance I can honestly say that I have learned tons and today feel comfortable in any and all medical setting. You will no doubt pass through the same experience, so, be patient with yourself; you are at the start of a marvelous career!

Good studies to you!

[Claudia Contreras]

Hi Ellie,
It is so nice to virtually meet you and learn a little about your story. I can relate to the same struggles your family faced and it is amazing to see how you have persevered and are so passionate about helping our Latino community. I love to see that you share the same eagerness and excitement to see where this new journey in the Medical Interpreting field will take us and I am sure you will be very successful. I look forward to learning a lot from your experiences and your great attitude. I am also here to assist and support you as a fellow classmate!

[Eliann Cruz]

Studying in Brazil must have been a wonderful experience! I am so eager to learn and grow in this field!

[Maria Trindade]

Eliann Cruz I liked and totally agree when you said about both translator and interpreter require precise acquired memory and different subjects, their most important tool is their memory, very well said.

[Art Liebl]

Welcome to week 1! Wow….you guys beat me in posting!!! Good for you guys!

This first week is to get you used to the online platform and for you to get to know each other!

Your instructor for this week is Art Liebl. Please feel to connect to me through my email, or the button, “Contact Instructor” with any issues you may encounter this week.

Here are your assignments for the week:

1. Weekly Reading: Read chapter 1 from the manual. Please translate any and all terminology in the chapter- translating English terminology into your target language.

2. Discussion Board Topics: From the dashboard, scroll down to Week 1 – Posting #1 and posting #2. Please respond to the initial question from the instructor. During the week, bounce off other students’ comments, or the instructor’s comments. By the end of the week, you should have an initial posting and 2 other postings based on other students or the instructor.

3. Weekly Quiz: Take the first quiz- week one. It is auto graded

4. No written assignment

Instructor: Art Liebl
Instructor email: aliebl@interpretersassociates.com

Week starts: April 11, 2023
Week ends: April 18 at midnight

If you have any technical problems or questions: aliebl@interpretersassociates.com

[Claudia Contreras]

Hello to everyone!
My name is Claudia and I am very excited to be here embarking on this new journey with you all. I am originally from Colombia but I grew up mainly in the South Florida area. My native language is Spanish and fluent in English. I currently live in Oregon, where I have been for the past four years. I mainly have a customer service background, having experience in different areas of the industry. Living in an area of the country now where Spanish is not very present within the greater community, I have realized the great need our Hispanic community has in various aspects of daily life. This made me reflect on the difficulties my family faced when we first moved to the United States. Since then, I have been eager to find ways where I can position myself to help those with the greatest need. My passion for customer service and the understanding of how privilege I am for speaking two languages let me to find a great opportunity to be a Medical Interpreter for a pediatrics clinic. I am starting this new opportunity with a lot of passion for providing inclusion and comfort to a community that may at times feel like outsiders in one of the most important aspects of their lives, their health and well-being. Not only do I have the opportunity to assist my Hispanic community but most importantly their children, who can be the most vulnerable. I have a lot to learn but thrilled to be here. I look forward to gaining all the knowledge this course has to offer to start becoming a successful Medical Interpreter and look forward to meeting and learning from my fellow classmates. I cannot wait to see where this new career takes me and the impact it will have on my community.

[Eliann Cruz]

Hi Claudia! It is so nice to virtually meet you! I am so excited to hear about the opportunity you have been given to be a medical interpreter in a pediatric clinic. I know that you will inspire many young Latinos to walk in your footsteps and continue to be a helping hand in our Latino community! I wish all the best in your career and know with you passion, knowledge and noble heart you will strive to make it far! Good luck and please feel free to reach out!

Your classmate
– Eliann 🙂

[Aishwarya Phatak]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Aishwarya Phatak. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two kids. I have a master’s in Japanese technical translation and have been providing professional translation services for about eight years. My languages are Japanese, English, and Hindi.
My reasons for becoming an interpreter are as follows.
First and foremost, I like to help people. I am fascinated by the social aspect of languages. The real-life application of language communication in the form of interpretation interests me. An interpreter can bridge the gap between what is said and understood. I realized that people with limited English proficiency could feel overwhelmed at their medical appointments. In the US, there are people from different countries with different backgrounds and systems. Japan has an entirely different culture from the US regarding healthcare services. The Japanese language is very formal and indirect compared to English. I have witnessed confusion arising from these differences in casual conversations between Japanese and English people. I have been to medical appointments with Japanese patients and realized the need for an interpreter. It also made me realize that it requires more than being a translator to be an interpreter.
My husband is a physician and always shares his experiences with patients with limited English proficiency and how he finds it better to communicate with a patient when there is an interpreter.
This brings me to my second reason for becoming an interpreter. I want to become an interpreter because this will allow me to achieve a different skill set to use my languages. There is a need for interpreters. Especially in a medical setting, effective and accurate communication is essential. I am excited to learn about medical interpreting and provide the best quality service.

[Maria Trindade]

Hello Aishwarya Phatak,
it is a pleasure to know you and to let you know that I liked very much when you wrote the reasons of why you are looking forward to become an Medical Interpreter and you have mentioned that you like to help people and that you are fascinated with the social aspect of languages. this is so true , we need to enjoy our choices and to choose to learn many languages or even just one we can definitely help others to active their goals in many areas.
Best wishes,

Maria.
.

[Maria Trindade]

Hello to my dearest classmates and teachers!
My name is Maria and I am happy for this wonderful opportunity to be here to join the Medical Interpreter classes and for the privilege to learn and get more knowledge of how to make a difference in others people life. I was born in Brazil, moved to US in 1985 living in Massachusetts since. I have been working in the medical industry for many years, first as a certified nursing assistant and as a private care giver, then I went to school for Medical Assistant. And for all this time and dedication with the people I have had the privilege to help them and have a positive result, I have got confidence and references from many people I have worked with, most from their homes as a Physical Therapy assistant , and so forth I came to an conclusion that this field it is my calling, making me passionate with the environment and to be with so many people in need of compassion and caring like my Brazilian community whom is growing more and more . Helping them with some translation in lawyers office, and going to translate in schools for some parents whom still struggling to learn English, the doctors office, Rehab and emergency care facilities, for my point of view has been the most difficult and challenging of all, specially after the pandemic, many still suffering in need of all kinds of health treatments. And at this moment my goal is to be there to get them comfortable helping them when they have questions, to understand and get the answers. Besides of reading and writing Portugues and English , I started to practice Spanish conversation, finding not so much difficulties, both languages have a lexical similarity of almost 90% , same roots corresponding to each other. It is a pleasure for me to get to know everyone in this class and be part of a team of Medical Interpreters.

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