Week 8 – Discussion Board 1

[Art Liebl]

In at least 250 words, discuss 2 areas of medicine that you find to be particularly interesting or challenging. Which terminology do you think will specifically present a challenge for you as an interpreter when dealing with these 2 areas of medicine?

[Johana Colon]

Two areas of medicine that I find especially interesting and also quite challenging are neurology and oncology. Both fields deal with complex conditions that can deeply affect a patient’s quality of life, which makes them fascinating from a medical perspective but also emotionally intense when it comes to interpreting.

Neurology focuses on the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system. What makes it so interesting is how much we still don’t fully understand about the brain, even with all of our modern technology. Conditions like epilepsy, strokes, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease are just a few examples that come with difficult terminology. As an interpreter, I think one of the biggest challenges in this field is the highly technical vocabulary words like electroencephalogram (EEG) or neurodegenerative disorders aren’t easy to explain in everyday language, especially if there’s no direct translation in the target language. Plus, patients might have difficulty speaking or understanding because of their condition, which adds another layer of complexity.

Oncology, which is the study and treatment of cancer, is another challenging area. It’s emotionally heavy for everyone involved patients, families, doctors, and interpreters. The terminology can also be very technical and unfamiliar, like metastasis, biopsy, remission, or immunotherapy. On top of that, conversations often involve serious topics like treatment side effects, survival rates, or end of life care. As an interpreter, it’s important to be accurate, but also compassionate and culturally sensitive.

Both of these fields require more than just language skills they require emotional strength, quick thinking, and a solid understanding of medical terms to support both the patient and provider effectively.

[Author]

Posts