CMI Renewal

The National Board requires recertification every 5 years. 

The recertification requirements have been developed to promote continued competence, the component of professional development that addresses the minimum requirements of contemporary practice.  This means maintaining the skills and knowledge required for accurate, complete and competent medical interpretation delivered in an ethical and professional manner. Recertification provides an opportunity for interpreters to strengthen and expand their knowledge and skills. To achieve this purpose, continuing education units are only accepted for training directly related to medical interpretation.  

By requiring recertification, the National Board protects patient’s safety, honors patient’s right to obtain services of a competent interpreter, and prevents interpreters certified in the past to lag on field experience.

In order to maintain your credential you must:

Recertify every 5 years by participating in education directly related to medical interpretation.

• Complete 3 CEUs (Continuing Education Units), equivalent to 30 contact hours of approved training before the credential's expiration date (5 years from initial CMI date of certification). Each CEU is equal to 10 contact hours of training by most organizations. For example, a typical conference day is 0.6 CEUs.
• Pay the $300 recertification fee.
• Payments and CEUs are due 45 days before the expiration date, but can be accepted as early as six months before the expiration date.  

Individuals who fulfill these requirements will not need to retake the medical certification exams to maintain their CMI credential (see Failure to Recertify section below).

Acceptable Continuing Educational opportunities for the CMI may include but are not limited to:

• activities designed to increase the skills and/or knowledge of practicing certified medical interpreters such as online self-paced learning activities, webinars (live and recorded) workshops, and conference events

• college courses which contribute to the increased knowledge of the interpreter (terminology, anatomy, etc.)

The following activities cannot be accepted:

• beginning level courses that would be taken by individuals seeking to become a CMI

• mandatory policy trainings by hospitals or clinics that are part of employment

• court and legal interpreting

• translating

CMIs should be taking advanced training that are more in line with their skill set than just a beginner’s training. Since the National Board gives a credential for medical interpreting, the only court, legal and translation activities that can be accepted MUST relate directly to medical interpreting.

Since the idea of CEUs is for continued professional development, please be reminded that for all CMIs, even trainers, you may not repeat the same course during the current or next recertification period. In addition, we cannot grant CEUs for a conference workshop of the same title more than one time.

 CEUS for Trainers

Please visit the following link:

https://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/pdf/New_Criteria_for_Granting_IMIA_NBCMI_CEUs_to_Trainers_and_Instructors_2.pdf

 Continued Education Conference Attendance Sheet

In order to get credit for workshops or presentations attended at a conference/forum, you will need to submit BOTH a conference/forum attendance certificate AND a completed attendance sheet. Keep in mind that certificants will only receive credit for the educational activity attended, regardless of the number of IMIA/NBCMI CEUs granted for the entire event.

Please note: For virtual conferences, we still need both the IMIA CE education sheet and the conference attendance certificate, but we don't need presenters' signatures, since it is impossible to do so at a virtual conference.

The IMIA CE education sheets are only for conferences. If you have certificates issued for a workshop or webinar, these do not need to be listed on an IMIA CE attendance sheet."

Click HERE to download the Continued Education Conference Attendance Sheet*.

*This form will be made available by the conference organizer.

Acceptable Continuing Education

The National Board automatically accepts CEUs granted by the IMIA (IMIA/NBCMI CEUs). This ensures that these workshops, conferences, and events are related to medical interpreting knowledge and skills enhancement, and go beyond basic skills or training. Education opportunities other than those provided or approved by the IMIA may be reviewed and evaluated by the National Board upon request. In order for a learning activity to be quantified as Continuing Education, there must be a demonstrated benefit for the successful attendee that enhances their skills as a medical interpreter.  NBCMI will only evaluate courses/events if complete documentation is received to assist in the evaluation.  You must submit the following:

• Title and event description (abstract, including agenda/syllabus/slides or handouts) – this must show that the content went beyond beginner’s level
• Name and credentials of the presenter
• Certificate of attendance, or signature of the presenter indicating completion of the course, indicating the date and length of the presentation or event
• If title and description of the event does not clarify the level of the education received, or how it relates to skill development or the medical field, additional information may be requested.

Certificants are strongly encouraged to earn CEUs throughout the 5 year period.

The International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) offers the Learning Series, an excellent set of monthly webinars to help individuals acquire or improve skills in medical interpreting, and obtain continued education units (CEUs).  These webinars are the easiest, and most cost-effective way of obtaining the 3.0 CEU units needed for re-certification (due every 5 years), and an excellent way of staying on top of new trends, ethical issues, standards of practice, and legal matters affecting our profession, and networking with other CMIs around the world. 

CLICK HERE to visit the IMIA Education Registry to search among hundreds of approved IMIA/NBCMI Continued Education courses.

CLICK HERE to visit the IMIA  Learning Series site for more information on approved IMIA/NBCMI CEU webinars offered by the IMIA. 

Visit our Upcoming Events section under Quick Links  to find CEU opportunities.

Do you have an educational event that has been approved for IMIA CEUs?  If so, we would love to share it in our Events calendar.  Email us at [email protected] so we can share it with other CMIs!

Submit Payment and CEUs for Recertification

Please click here to make your recertification payment and submit your CEUs. 

The CMI renewal fee is $300 and you will need to submit 3.0 CEUs (30 hours) within 45 days of your expiration date. Please keep an archived record of all uploads so that you can refer to them at a later date.  We are unable to review them ahead of your renewal. 

Within 10 business days of the payment and CEUs submission, the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters will review your CEUs and contact you with information on your certification status.

The recertification fee is non-refundable.

After you make your payment, the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters will review your CEUs and contact you with information on your certification status. Please allow 10 business days for review.

The re-certification fee is non-refundable.

Failure to Recertify

Credentialed interpreters who do not comply with the recertification requirements before the established deadline every fifth year will lose their credential(s) and will be removed from the registry of CMIs. To regain certification, lapsed individuals must re-apply for certification, meet the prerequisite requirements in effect at the time and pass the examination requirements.

For questions, please contact [email protected]