Medical Language Careers

by Sarah Arnette

Having a fluency in the language of medicine can open many doors in several different career fields. There are many non-medical and medical careers for those who specialize in medical language. Some of these careers do require additional training beyond the medical language, however, there are are some careers that do not.

Medical language professionals help people better understand the medical care they receive.

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Medical Coder

The process of coding is necessary for patient and insurance billings in which the coder uses information given by the doctor and places that information into a code that the insurance and billing departments then use to create bills. A medical coder will need coding as well as medical language lessons, although both are frequently taught during the medical coding classes. A good medical coder has to have a full understanding of the medical language. Without this understanding, the medical coder can have difficulty understanding the actions taken during the visit and will also have difficulty coding the information.

Interpreter

Interpreters or translators help people who speak a different language from the common language in the area. Interpreters for hospitals or medical offices have to have a solid medical language history or there could be difficulty in interpreting and explaining the information that the doctor needs or has. Frequently the interpreter must have a bachelor's degree in the foreign language and a degree in medical language.
Legal Consultant

Medical malpractice suits are common. While lawyers have an understanding of legal language, they often lack the medical language necessary to fully understand the case. A consultant is an individual who understands the medical language and can be used as expert during a case and during the trial. This often requires no additional training beyond medical language.
Medical Transcription

A medical transcriptionist takes the information from an appointment that has been recorded and types the information out on a word processor or computer. This is done by listening to the recorded information, understanding it and typing it word for word. A medical language background is necessary to better understand what the doctor is talking about and how that relates to the other information being given.

Medical Coder