French translation is my passion
A question I am frequently asked by friends, acquaintances, students, and even family is whether my job is as exciting as I often say. It seems the cliché of translation as being pretty boring is deep-rooted. But my answer is simple: I am passionate about my job.
I wanted to use this blog post to explain (briefly) what made me want to become a medical translator and interpreter (yes, there is a difference and that will be a subject for later debate… so watch this space!).
It started in a French hospital – as a patient, not as a translator
My journey actually started when I was admitted to Saint-Antoine hospital in central Paris. I will spare you all the gruesome medical details, but I was in a pretty bad way due to a genetic illness. I’d tried to muscle through with a pain killer and some bed rest, but it wasn’t the right plan.
A few weeks later, I was in accident & emergency in a central Paris hospital just a few metres from the flat where I lived. I spoke fluent French and was already working as a French legal translator. But when you are unwell and tired, and in a completely overwhelming medical setting, things are a touch different.
Hearing the doctors and nurses use long-winded medical terminology and discuss a disease I had never even heard about in English was quite daunting. My defence mechanism has always been to plunge into my work. And so, this was once again my strategy.
I spent a total of one month in hospital as an inpatient. During this time, I made the most of my rest and long days lying in a hospital bed to scour the internet to learn everything I could about my illness and to look up the meaning of all those difficult French medical terms I was hearing discussed.
Six operations later and a lot of reading, I was able to hold my own and discuss the ins and outs of the human body with a leading French physician.
Putting theory into practice with real-life medical translation
During my transition between the UK and France, I needed to consult a specialist in a UK hospital. All I had were my French medical reports and GP records.
And so, my very first real-life French medical translation project was for myself. I translated everything from start to finish to pass on to my consultant in England. During our very first meeting I remember being more nervous about his opinion of my translation than about the outcome of my blood tests and scans!
The verdict: he understood every word and complimented the translation.
This gave me the confidence I needed to hit the books and make sure I could continue in as many domains as possible.
Translation has always been my dream job and I love every minute of it. Being the patient who actually needed a high-quality translation of my French medical records, I fully understand the need for accuracy with these documents. It is quite simply a matter of life and death.
My personal experience put me in great stead to go on and become a certified medical translation provider. Something I love to do, not just for myself, but for anyone else because it is not just about accuracy in translating complex medical terminology, but also about human compassion and helping others in need.