We are medical translation experts. We know how much each word counts in a healthcare document. It doesn’t matter whether the document is about a clinical trial, a medical device, or diabetes. As professionals, we must produce a translation that mirrors the original document. And we must make sure it complies with the requirements of health organizations. Why is this so critical? Because in healthcare, a single error can prove costly.
We keep our medical translations accurate by working to an ironclad process and by remaining insatiable students of the language of our chosen sector. On this second point, we learn by engaging in professional medical translation training. One such program like the Medical English Seminar. This CPD event is run every second year by the French translators’ association (the SFT). This year’s seminar was held on November 18 and 19.
Read on for more about the importance of medical translator training and the knowledge we gained about diabetes at this year’s seminar.
Staying on top of medical advances
As new technology, treatments, and regulations emerge, the language of healthcare constantly changes. We stay on top of these changes through professional medical translator training. Just so you know, we don’t just learn new words at these programs. We expand our understanding of the broader sector’s evolving needs.
Through learning and professional development, we keep our finger on the pulse of the latest scientific advances. This hones our skills in English-to-French medical translation. Which in turn helps us craft clear and relevant messages for patients and care professionals. Take the recent advances in the treatment of diabetes, for instance. These have created new terminology that must be understood and accurately translated.
At pro re nata, we remain keen students of the healthcare sector. We also complete medical translator training courses whenever possible. These give us the skills to produce top-quality translations of medical documents and technical manuals for medical devices such as lasers, imaging systems, surgical robots, etc. When you combine medical translator training with our 2-step revision process, you get accurate, nuanced translations every time.
Staying informed of emerging trends and engaging in medical translator training—these are the 2 pillars of our quality control process.
Medical translation training as an investment in future quality
Translating for the healthcare sector is about more than being bilingual. You do need a sharp awareness of cultural and linguistic nuances, of course. That goes without saying. But you also need detailed technical knowledge of your subject matter.
The importance of this last point cannot be overstated. Medical translation training programs help us develop the skills to find correct terminology. Without these skills, it is impossible to translate complex medical documents like a clinical trial report or a treatment protocol.
Medical translation is a demanding profession in which accuracy and methodical processes are vital. These attributes are honed through medical translation training courses. And one training program we never miss is the Medical English Seminar. This course helps us:
- Continue to deliver the highest quality medical translations
- Develop tailored solutions to the specific needs of our clients
- Stay up to date on changes in medical terminology
Medical translation training courses like these also help us develop as a business.
They are our chance to speak with other experts, share ideas, and evaluate our processes against those of other specialists in the sector. They also help us to provide our clients with translation services that align with the changing language of healthcare.
If you’d like to know more, check out our services page.
A look back at the Medical English Seminar 2024
This year’s seminar was about diabetes and recent advances in its treatment.
Deep-diving the translation of recent advances in diabetes
From the talks at the seminar, we learned about:
- Innovations in the treatment of types 1 and 2 diabetes
- New devices for monitoring and managing diabetes, including smart devices for monitoring blood glucose levels
- Changes to the language of diabetes in research publications and clinical documents
These talks taught us how to convey these advances in French. In a field that evolves as rapidly as diabetes, each term must be carefully weighed in health communications. Improving our knowledge of these advances also helps us adapt to the needs of our clients. These can vary, as our clients include medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare professionals.
What we loved about the 2024 seminar
We both attended this year’s Medical English Seminar in Strasbourg on November 18 and 19.
Here’s what we love so much about this event:
“For years—even decades—we’ve been translating clinician manuals and patient manuals for insulin pumps. We’ve also been translating software strings for apps for people with diabetes. We focus on the instructions, terminology, and wording. We try to deliver a translation that matches the client’s needs as closely as possible.
This made our recent medical translator training day on diabetes so special. This year’s Medical English Seminar was hosted at CeeD, a European diabetes research center. Our instructors included Dr. Karim Bouzakri, who has spent years working on myokines. Another instructor was Prof. Laurence Kessler, who spoke about the benefits of islet transplantation. (This tickled us, as pancreatic transplantation came up in a recent translation project.)
We also had the chance to meet fellow medical translators who gave us new insights into terms and expressions about diabetes. In one case, our colleagues were able to help us because they worked in the other direction (from French to English). In another, because they had diabetes themselves. We also got to spend a whole afternoon with our translator friends. A medical translation training course like the Medical English Seminar are priceless in many ways. I can’t wait for 2026!” Sandrine Constant-Scagnetto
“I’ve been attending the Medical English Seminar since 2014. And yet every year I’m blown away by the scope and detail of the talks. I found this year’s event particularly inspiring. The specialists who spoke gave me a deeper understanding of topics like islet-cell transplantation, cytokines, and muscle physiology. Each talk gave me precious insights and new skills. I have no doubt that I will work my new knowledge of the history and treatment of diabetes into my next translations.” Sophie Dinh
What’s different about a pro re nata medical translation?
By going with a 2-person team of medical translators, you get:
- Up-to-date expertise from frequent medical translator training courses
- A translation you can count on, verified by 2 separate medical translation experts
- Specialist knowledge in fields like diabetes, cardiology, and rheumatology
We develop tailored solutions to our clients’ needs. Our translations are accurate. And we use technical vocabulary that aligns with the requirements of health organizations like the FDA and EMA.
For more information or to tell us about your project, complete the form on our contact page.