A mission-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit

2021 IMIA Distinction in Education Award

Your languages. A profession. A purpose.

Become a qualified medical interpreter in 60 hours.

You already have the languages. In 60 hours, we'll train you to work as a qualified medical interpreter in every one you're fluent in, spoken or signed, with a certificate that qualifies you to start working.

4.9 · 200+ Google reviews

The certificate you earn

Sample of the AALB 60-Hour Certificate of Medical Interpreter Training, marked as a sample that is not a valid credential
Start working immediately after graduation.Accepted by all U.S. national certifying bodies for medical interpreters (CCHI & NBCMI).

Start your registration

Your languageStep 1 of 4
  1. Language
  2. Class
  3. Details
  4. Payment

Which languages are you fluent in, besides English?

Start typing. Add every language you're fluent in, spoken or signed.

$980 total tuition·Or $196 per month for 5 months

No interest or payment-plan fees.

“My AALB certificate helped me get an initial interview; the training provided me with a solid basis to start working in this field.”
Angela StewardQualified Medical Interpreter · Portuguese

$31.90/hr

Interpreter average pay (BLS)

3,000+

Interpreters trained

400+

Languages accepted

U.S. average pay for interpreters and translators, across experience levels. BLS, May 2025.

Find the session that fits your life

Choose your class and review every session date in the next registration step.

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Learn live with working interpretersAn award-winning teaching team. Real-time feedback.

Build your skills. Earn your certificate. Keep growing.

Included with tuition

  • Live online classesWith flexible makeup options
  • 60-hour training certificateShow the training you have completed as you pursue professional interpreting work.
  • Lifetime alumni membershipSociety of Professional Interpreters, including job placement assistance and regular practice sessions.Plus 3 months of full membership, included.
Award-Winning Training
International Medical Interpreters Association
Distinction in Medical Interpreter Education Award

Award-winning training · Accredited by RID for CEUs · 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Angela Steward

A graduate’s path into interpreting

Medical interpretation is fascinating because it allows us to think about different cultural understandings of health and well-being and it is a privilege to mediate health encounters. I was recently accepted as a freelance, independent contractor at Globo working as a linguist in the Portuguese-English language pair. My AALB certificate helped me get an initial interview; the training provided me with a solid basis to start working in this field.
Angela Steward
Qualified Medical Interpreter · Portuguese
AALB Certificate Holder
Tuition

One price. Everything you need.

Your complete training

$980total tuition · USD

Covers all 60 hours, your assessments and materials, and the required language proficiency screening. No separate screening fee.

  • 60 hours of live online training, with flexible makeup options
  • Certificate of training when you graduate
  • 60 hours, well past the 40 the industry asks for
  • Written and performance exam assessment
  • Three months of full Society of Professional Interpreters membership, free
  • Lifetime alumni membership in the Society of Professional Interpreters, including job placement assistance and regular instructor-led practice sessions (at least 24 hours a year)

Choose how to pay

Same tuition. No interest or payment-plan fees.

Pay in full

$980 today

No further tuition payments.

$980 total

2 monthly payments

$490 today

Then 1 monthly payment of $490.

$980 total

4 monthly payments

$245 today

Then 3 monthly payments of $245.

$980 total

5 monthly payments

$196 today

Then 4 monthly payments of $196.

$980 total

Monthly plans start when you pay, then bill on the same date each month. Choose your plan at checkout.

Start my registration

Tuition is non-refundable. Deferral requests must be made at least 14 days before class starts. Read the policies.

Want to take the language screening first?

The $50 screening is credited toward tuition, leaving $930. It is not full enrollment. You can choose this option at checkout.

Pick your dates

Choose the cohort that fits your life

We keep cohorts small so instructors know every student by name. When the seats are gone, registration closes.

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Enroll in the next class

Four short steps, ending with the payment that confirms your place.

4.9 · 200+ Google reviewsLive instruction. Real people. A nonprofit mission.

Start your registration

Your languageStep 1 of 4
  1. Language
  2. Class
  3. Details
  4. Payment

Which languages are you fluent in, besides English?

Start typing. Add every language you're fluent in, spoken or signed.

What you earn

You walk away with something to show for it

Sixty hours of training, and the document that proves it. Here is a sample of the certificate every graduate earns, the one that qualifies you to work in every language you're fluent in.

A sample of the certificate you earn. Your full name, the date you finish, and proof you are qualified to work.

Sample of the AALB 60-Hour Certificate of Medical Interpreter Training, marked as a sample that is not a valid credential
Who teaches you

Learn from interpreters who do this work every day

Every session is taught live by interpreters at the top of the profession: award winners, a national certification commissioner, and veteran educators. They've sat where you'll sit, and they'll get you ready for your exams.

Darren Reed

CMI-Spanish · State-Screened ASL
Interpreter Trainer
Darren Reed

Darren Reed

CMI-Spanish · State-Screened ASL
Interpreter Trainer

Darren started his career in bilingual settings 15 years ago. He is a nationally certified Spanish medical interpreter and a state-screened American Sign Language interpreter, and he runs his own trilingual private practice. He is a licensed interpreter trainer, a licensed cultural competency trainer, and an internship supervisor. He also holds an Advanced Certificate in TESOL and Second Language Acquisition Methodology. He loves helping new interpreters find their footing.

Iris Laffitte Rebolledo

Spanish Medical Interpreter
Skills Lab Director
Iris Laffitte Rebolledo

Iris Laffitte Rebolledo

Spanish Medical Interpreter
Skills Lab Director

Iris is a Spanish medical interpreter and trainer specializing in child protection and behavioral health for Latin American immigrants. Since 2020 she has interpreted in complex settings such as prisons and detention centers, where cultural sensitivity and confidentiality matter most. She joined the AALB team in 2024 and is currently learning American Sign Language. Outside of work she rescues dogs, cats, and the occasional rare pet.

Kelly Henriquez

CMI-Spanish
Interpreter Trainer
Kelly Henriquez

Kelly Henriquez

CMI-Spanish
Interpreter Trainer

Kelly is a certified Spanish medical interpreter in Richmond, Virginia, interpreting in clinical and mental health settings since 2016. She earned her degree in foreign languages at Virginia Commonwealth University and completed VCU's Spanish-English Translation and Interpretation program. She produces educational materials for medical interpreters, with a focus on mental health training, interpreter self-care, and LGBTQ language access.

Kevin Thakkar

Gujarati Interpreter · MPH
Interpreter Trainer, Co-Founder, & Director
Kevin Thakkar

Kevin Thakkar

Gujarati Interpreter · MPH
Interpreter Trainer, Co-Founder, & Director

Kevin is a professional Gujarati interpreter who co-founded AALB in 2018 to bring qualified interpreter services to free clinics. He holds a Master of Public Health from Emory University, specializing in Health Policy and Management. Kevin leads AALB's day-to-day operations and still trains our students himself.

Marisa Rueda Will

CHI™-Spanish · CCHI Commissioner
Interpreter Trainer
Marisa Rueda Will

Marisa Rueda Will

CHI™-Spanish · CCHI Commissioner
Interpreter Trainer

Marisa has been a medical interpreter at a major U.S. medical center for over 18 years. She became a Certified Healthcare Interpreter in Spanish in 2012, a licensed interpreter trainer in 2017, and a simulation center instructor in 2020. She serves as a CCHI Commissioner and has led interpreter training workshops for the NCIHC, CHIA, and ATA. She is currently earning her Master's in Interpreting Studies at Western Oregon University.

Mireya Pérez

CMI-Spanish
Interpreter Trainer
Mireya Pérez

Mireya Pérez

CMI-Spanish
Interpreter Trainer

Mireya began her career as a certified medical interpreter and has spent over a decade breaking down language barriers in healthcare and education. She honed her skills at a general and a children's hospital, then spent nearly a decade as a staff interpreter in a K-12 public school district. She is the creator and host of the Brand the Interpreter podcast, sharing the stories of language professionals worldwide, and holds a Master's degree in Communications.

Nadia Alonso Pulido

Nadia Alonso Pulido

Skills Lab Leader

Olga Bogatova

CMI-Russian · CoreCHI™ · MSc
Interpreter Trainer
Olga Bogatova

Olga Bogatova

CMI-Russian · CoreCHI™ · MSc
Interpreter Trainer

Olga is a Russian language interpreter and translator in San Francisco, certified as a medical interpreter by both CCHI and NBCMI. Most of her daily work serves the medical and legal needs of new Russian-speaking immigrants to California. Born and raised near Moscow, she holds a Master's degree in Biology and a Diploma in Translation, and earned a Certificate of Health Care Interpretation from City College of San Francisco. She has spoken about medical interpreting at IMIA, CHIA, and NCTA events.

Robin Ragan

CMI-Spanish · PhD
Interpreter Trainer
Robin Ragan

Robin Ragan

CMI-Spanish · PhD
Interpreter Trainer

Robin is a professor of Spanish at Knox College with a PhD in Hispanic literature from the University of Illinois. She has taught at the university level for over twenty years, including translation and interpretation for the past five. She has lived intermittently in Spain and Argentina for over 25 years, mostly in Barcelona. A CMI-credentialed Spanish interpreter, she volunteers pro bono for organizations helping asylum seekers at the United States-Mexico border. In 2020 she received the ACTFL Global Engagement Initiative Award and a Modern Language Association Humanities Innovation Grant.

Tram Bui

CMI-Vietnamese
Interpreter Trainer
Tram Bui

Tram Bui

CMI-Vietnamese
Interpreter Trainer

Tram came to the United States as a Vietnamese refugee at age six. An NBCMI-certified Vietnamese medical interpreter, she has worked in the field for 16 years. She holds a degree in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine, and taught elementary school and English as a Second Language before interpreting. She has served as Vice President of Arizona Translators and Interpreters and is a voting member of the American Translators Association.

Yuliya Speroff

CoreCHI™ · WA DSHS
Interpreter Trainer
Yuliya Speroff

Yuliya Speroff

CoreCHI™ · WA DSHS
Interpreter Trainer

Yuliya is a Russian-English CoreCHI and WA DSHS certified medical and social services interpreter in Seattle. She started interpreting over a decade ago in her hometown of Novosibirsk, Russia. Since then she has worked in settings from a fighter jet factory to a live brain surgery operating room, most recently for several Seattle hospitals. She holds a Master's degree in Business Management, is a certified English and Russian language instructor, and has taught medical interpreters for more than a decade. She writes The Medical Interpreter Blog and runs a community for interpreters across the Pacific Northwest.

A live AALB cohort session with interpreters-in-training on cameraLive session
A real AALB cohort session. Student names removed for privacy.

Step inside a live session

Sixty hours looks like this: a live, camera-on room of interpreters-in-training from around the country, practicing out loud with feedback in the moment.

Your path

Four steps from bilingual to professional

  1. 01

    Enroll

    Pick the class that fits your life, then pay to confirm your place.

  2. 02

    Learn live with us

    Sixty hours of real instruction with working interpreters. Ask questions, practice out loud, get feedback.

  3. 03

    Show what you can do

    Pass a written exam, then a performance exam in your strongest language pair. We prepare you for both.

  4. 04

    Graduate qualified

    Walk away with your certificate, qualified to work in every language you're fluent in, with our support behind you for good.

What you'll learn

Sixty hours, built around real clinical encounters

Every module is what a working interpreter is actually asked to do, in the room, on the day.

60 instructional hours
Module 01

Foundations of Medical Interpreting

The interpreter's role, scope of practice, and core message-transfer skills.

Module 02

Medical Terminology & Anatomy

Body systems, conditions, procedures, and pharmacology in both of your working languages.

Module 03

Modes of Interpreting

Consecutive, simultaneous, and sight translation, and when to use each.

Module 04

Ethics & Standards of Practice

The IMIA and NCIHC codes that govern accuracy, impartiality, and professional conduct.

Module 05

HIPAA, Confidentiality & Safety

Protecting your patients and yourself in every encounter.

Module 06

Culture, Advocacy & Mediation

Navigating cultural context without overstepping the interpreter's role.

Module 07

Specialized Clinical Settings

Mental health, emergency, oncology, and pediatric encounters.

Module 08

Assessment Preparation & Practicum

Mock encounters, and focused preparation for your written and performance assessments.

After you graduate

We help you get hired

Your lifetime alumni membership in the Society of Professional Interpreters includes regular practice sessions and job placement assistance. You also receive three months of full Society membership.

Lifetime alumni membership

Regular practice sessions

Instructor-led practice, at least 24 hours a year, for life, so your skills stay sharp on the job.

Job placement assistance

Help getting hired, from the people who trained you and know the work.

Finding and winning work

Practical guidance on searching for, applying to, and interviewing for interpreter contracts.

People to ask

Our team, and the interpreters who trained here before you, for the questions that come up on the job.

Our alumni interpret in hospitals and health systems across the country.

Most work through language service providers, serving hospitals, clinics, and telehealth, in person and remote.

These services are part of your lifetime alumni membership, included with tuition.

Job placement assistance supports your search and applications. Employment and income are not guaranteed.

Verified Google Reviews

What our alumni say

4.9200+ reviewsRead them on Google
Mariana Lopez
Local Guide · Google review

Loved the program. One former coworker will be finishing soon and another will enroll. I definitely recommend it.

maryam Soltani
Google review

I recommend AALB to learners who want to enjoy their future profession and to assist people in need of language interpretation, for a few reasons. First, the training course to become a medical interpreter is 60 hours long, with engaging and interactive teaching sessions. Second, the instructors are professional and considerate. Third, the glossaries are informative and comprehensive. Fourth, the Skills Lab provides on-the-job training and experience. Finally, this training is an investment that will never lose its value. All in all, it is a tremendously beneficial training.

Jack Mao
Google review

I was so lucky to find AALB to start my medical interpreter career! All classes were interactive and instructors were so knowledgeable and friendly. I wouldn't choose anyone else to train me :-) highly recommended!

Phương Polly
Google review

I came to know AALB thanks to a Vietnamese dual-certified medical interpreter who gave a critical, passionate, candid review of the organization, especially about Kevin, the founder. Given the reviewer's credibility, I didn't hesitate one second to take AALB as my choice. Staying true to the various reviews online, all the materials and instructors are incredibly detailed and easy to understand. The instructors don't mind sharing their experiences even after break time, while really respecting our break time because they know the lesson is tiring. I wouldn't take a second to rate AALB a 5-star review because I learned so many unexpected, challenging and thrilling things thanks to them. My confidence saw a high increase. Huge thanks to Kevin, Yuliya, Darren, Kelly and Andres!

Cynthia Gonzalez
Google review

Estudiar aquí fue una de las mejores experiencias de mi vida. Los maestros son comprometidos, con pedagogía, claros, y con mucha experiencia en el campo. Los recomiendo ampliamente.

Mary
Local Guide · Google review

Never been an interpreter, never worked as one, not even for friends and family. This project is amazing for people that have some experience or zero knowledge of the medical interpretation field. The communication with the whole team is so easy and they always respond promptly. The teachers are the most loving, kind and down to earth people. I've learned so much with each one of them, not just medical terminology, but my role as an interpreter, codes of ethics, standards of practice, and types of interpretation. The teachers always show up on time, and if you miss a class they can rearrange your schedule so you don't miss any material. The constant feedback and learning process build your confidence and knowledge. I love this project and I'm very grateful. If you desire to serve your community and are striving to become the best medical interpreter you can be, this is the right choice for you!

Jessica Troche
Google review

It was awesome and I had a great time. Enjoyed meeting different people in different places. It's amazing how we can meet new people a click away. The classes were 3 days a week and they were all interesting. Some hard of course, some easy, some made me nervous, but that was the fun part! I would do them again. Thank you AALB and trainers and all the great info you guys provided 👍

Sal Merchant
Google review

AALB is simply great. It's a school run by a thoughtful, caring entity. I was quoted over $5,000 for similar tuition at another school. I was able to get that same quality education for about 1/10 the price. The fact that it is non-profit should tell you all about their intentions. I got a great education from a great faculty. I got certified and am now making great money. Take it from this alumni. AALB is where you want to go if you want to be a medical interpreter.

Gilda Martins
Google review

AALB was one of the best decisions I took this year. I couldn't be happier with everything that I learned and I had the best trainers I could ask for. I strongly recommend them (which I already did 😊) and I look forward to hearing about more training and new challenges. Thank you to all.

Katerine Wertman
Google review

This medical interpreter training program is awesome. The classes are professional, the content really complete and dynamic, and the teachers are awesome. I had an incredible experience, I learned so much, and loved the diversity of the participants. As an educational interpreter, I wanted to extend my knowledge to the medical field, and this training was incredibly educational and helpful. I truly believe in the mission of AALB, that everyone should be able to communicate through a professional interpreter as part of their human rights and to protect their dignity. I give this program 10 stars!

Rosalías Mercedes
Google review

I'm very happy with this training class. It is very helpful and the teachers always look for the way to explain everything very clearly, with patience and respect and a lot of professionalism. I just have to say thanks AALB for all the support.

Lizbeth M.
Google review

Studying with AALB was an amazing experience. All the instructors were amazing professionals who were willing to share their knowledge and experience. They make themselves available for questions and advice, and focus not only on academically building up the student, but also on fortifying individual confidence by giving individual attention and constructive feedback on your interpretation skills and style. If you are considering becoming a medical interpreter, please know that you will obtain the support you need at AALB. Thank you AALB, looking forward to future refresher seminars.

Yadira Ismael
Google review

I chose AALB because of the quality of their teachers and the 60 hours of attention. Their resources to support knowledge are not limited to classes. They have a real interest in the professional training of their students and complement it with very human advice from their own experiences. Excellent trainers and a good information base are the perfect formula to support the start of a great career.

Marie Kime
Google review

I was not sure what to expect but now I highly recommend this program. The instructors are very knowledgeable, kind and professional. I was dreading giving up my weekends for class but now I miss it. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with AALB!

Good questions

Answers, before you ask

This course prepares you for medical interpreting and documents your training when you complete the requirements and pass the assessments. Being qualified also requires demonstrated language proficiency, accurate and impartial interpreting, and professional ethics; a training certificate alone does not establish all of those requirements. Employers and states may have additional requirements. National certification through CCHI or NBCMI is a separate process. Our graduates work in hospitals, clinics and telehealth, often through language service providers, and we include job placement assistance to support your search.

Have a question before enrolling? Our team can help you decide.

Contact us

Contact the AALB team

Have a question about becoming an interpreter? Send us a message. Our team will reply by email.

We use your details to reply to your message, not to add you to a mailing list.

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