10 Feb We interview the medical translator Natalia Calviño

Have you ever asked yourself what medicine and language have in common? Although it might not seem obvious at first glance, they share two key characteristics in that both are constantly evolving and have a direct impact on human life. This connection becomes even more evident when we talk about medical and healthcare translation and the work of a medical translator, a speciality that combines scientific rigour with linguistic precision. To take a deeper look at this exciting subject, we interviewed Natalia Calviño, a medical translator. She shares her years of experience and in-depth knowledge in the field on the Okodia podcast: Dándole a la lengua. Un podcast (no solo) de traducción by Okodia.

Medical translation is considered to be one of the most complex specialities within the world of translation.

Highlights of our interview with the medical translator Natalia Calviño

What motivates someone to specialise in this complex discipline which comes with immense responsibility? Natalia Calviño tells us about her path to this speciality, the challenges she faces daily and how she ensures maximum accuracy in every text.

What led you to become a certified medical translator?

It’s funny because I really wasn’t into science, I was terrible at it. At school, I hated all the sciences, I was terrified of them. But life takes you down different paths. Almost six years ago, I started working in a pharmaceutical and healthcare company talking about health, and it caught my attention to such an extent that I told myself, ‘I’m going to continue researching, I’m going to find out a little bit more.

I’m going to continue researching, I’m going to find out a little bit more….

So, I trained and did a course in medical translation and I loved it.

What’s the most challenging thing about translating medical texts?

Within medical translation itself there are many sub-specialties. Normally, when we think of medical translation, we think of medicine in general, the doctor who writes a report and little else. But there is so much that medical translation encompasses, everything from a report to clinical trial protocols, research articles and more. There is a lot of vocabulary, and it is also very technical.

In addition, there are the resources. The medical sector changes a lot, there is a lot of information available, but not all of it is reliable. We have to be very careful and ensure that we do not use anything that is unreliable or misleading, because these texts are not only highly specialised but also very complex.

What’s more, if we translate things badly, the doctor might give the patient wrong instructions, leading to errors in the medicines taken.

What do you do to keep your knowledge fresh as a medical translator?

I like to follow other professionals in the sector on social media, especially on LinkedIn and Instagram, because they are more up to date with everything that is coming out and they share a lot of new information.

We also benefit a lot from research journals. Not all of them are free, but they often share articles that you can read for free. And there are also medical journals and pieces of information shared by official sources.

When you receive a medical translation to complete, do you follow a specific process?

More or less. In some projects you must adapt to the conditions, especially with agencies, as you don’t have as much time for each project.

But I usually like to read the text first, to know what I’m going to translate and, above all, the medical speciality involved. From there I look for parallel texts to see how they use the information. While two research articles are not going to be the same, they often have many things in common, such as the structures and vocabulary. Then, if it is for a direct client, I draw up an internal glossary with the key terms that I know will be useful to me so that I don’t have to do a thousand searches (if it is an agency, they give you the translation memories). Then I work on the translation. When I finish, I leave it for a while (if I have time, of course). Finally, I proofread and correct it thoroughly.

How do you try to ensure that everything is OK?

Well, it’s difficult because, even if another expert reviews it, you can never be sure. With agencies it’s much easier because they have a proofreader who is specialised in medical translation, and then you feel a little more at ease.

With direct clients it is more complex. I am very lucky that I have two doctors in my family. So, if I have any doubts, they always help me out. I also like to have other colleagues who specialise in medical translation to take a second look.

Any notable experiences you have had?

A company I work with handles reports for patients who live in Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. In many cases hospitals there still produce the reports by hand (here in Spain, the reports are written by computer).

I find it very curious because half the time they are totally illegible. They look like the lines of the heartbeat on a monitor. You often have to translate things out of context, but other times you have to omit things because you don’t know if there is even a word there.

To what extent do you think artificial intelligence can replace us?

I am one of those who believe that we will never be replaced. In the end, humans are needed, it’s been proven.

AI helps to a certain extent in other aspects. For translation, if you want to translate ‘Hello, good morning’ into English so that you can understand the local baker when visiting London, that’s great. But for more specialised subjects, such as medical translation, it is different. You often come across nonsensical translations:

It’s just impossible for it to replace us.

Of course, nothing is impossible in this life, but I don’t think there will ever come a time when AI replaces us. In the end, it’s also more expensive. You need more people because the AI translates the text badly, then you have to translate it again and then you have to proofread it.

Medical translation: a life-saving challenge

When it comes to medical translation, it’s not just about words: it’s about people’s lives. Medical translation is an exercise in precision, responsibility and continuous learning. Our interview with the medical translator made it clear that this field combines science, language and a constant need to stay up to date..

If you are interested in learning more about this topic, don’t miss the full interview.