Medical interpretation is a very specialized field that has evolved over time into the fastest growing specialization of interpreting practice. It is also a fragmented field with many small organization and a few national organizations representing the field. The IMIA has worked for many years to try to establish unity in the field, and in 2006 established the Consortium of Interpreter Associations (COIA), which meets annually, and the National Interpreter Services Coalition (NIAC) comprised of 8 national organizations. IMIA believes that as the profession matures, it will be important for us to present a united front to the outside world.
The overriding mission of this conference is to offer an international forum to showcase the latest developments in the field, to investigate its opportunities and challenges, and to advance the quality in services provided to language minority patients worldwide. We encourage innovative ideas for presentations and activities that support the thematic questions of the conference.
The format of the conference is grounded in professional networking and workshop sessions that maximize audience participation, complemented by interactive plenary sessions on key professional issues. IMIA provides a forum for new and well-established experts in the field to develop their work side by side. This conference seeks to facilitate learning as an ongoing, dynamic and social process, and strives to offer engaging sessions in which diverse participants can form bonds, participate as learners and teachers, and feel integral to the learning process. We believe presenters should make content relevant and meaningful, and offer ways to process information through dialogue, reflection, and application.
