The Portuguese Language Division aims to keep its membership engaged in development opportunities relevant to their work in the translation and interpreting industry. Please join us for our next event!

NAVIGATING MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR LINGUISTS

14 MAY 2025, 6 PM EDT

 

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”
—Mark Twain

The challenge lies in preserving the essence of translation as an interpretative art in a world that often perceives it as a purely technical process—where precision in language is paramount.

As with all professions, medicine has two distinct languages: a written, scientific one and a spoken one, rich with technical terms and jargon. For example, if you tell a ship’s captain that someone fell into the sea on the left side, they would immediately ask, “Port or starboard?” Nautical terminology is precise. To the layperson, “on the left side” could refer to the front (bow) or rear (stern) of the ship, whereas “port” specifically refers to the left side of the vessel when looking from stern to bow. There is no room for ambiguity, which can be critical in emergencies where time is of the essence and lives are at stake.

Similarly, in medicine, even a small error can have tragic consequences. Merely knowing how to speak Portuguese is not sufficient to accurately translate medical English; mastery of medical vocabulary and terminology is essential.

To address this, our speaker, Carla Vorsatz, will delve into the origins of medical terms, including prefixes, roots, infixes, suffixes, and endings derived from Greek, Latin, and Portuguese. She will also explore the key sources for consulting and researching medical language—knowledge that medical professionals acquire through both study and practice.

 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr. Carla Vorsatz

Dr. Carla Vorsatz is a Brazilian and Swiss Infectious Disease Specialist, Medical Judicial Expert, and Medical Language Consultant with a passion for bridging medical knowledge and multilingual communication to enhance global healthcare accessibility.

With over 30,000 hours of on-duty medical experience, she has worked extensively in infectious diseases, general practice, and clinical trials, as sub-investigator and clinic coordinator, and served as a primary care specialist for Rio de Janeiro’s homeless population through the City Hall’s Project POP-RUA. As a Medical Judicial Expert, Dr. Vorsatz provides expert evaluations, reports, and courtroom testimony for legal proceedings.

In addition, she is an accomplished medical translator, specializing in translating and adapting medical literature from English, French, Spanish, and Italian to Brazilian Portuguese. Her contributions include creating specialized medical glossaries and leading significant projects such as the Brazilian adaptation of Navarro’s Dictionary.

Dr. Vorsatz holds a Medical Doctor degree and a Post-Graduate degree in Infectious Diseases from Universidade Federal Fluminense, as well as a Post-Graduate degree in Medical Judicial Expertise. She is driven by her mission to improve healthcare outcomes through precise communication, exceptional patient care, and support for medical translators.

 

PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE FOR THIS STIMULATING SESSION!

If you are not currently a PLD member and wish to become one, doing so is simple! Log in to the Members Only section of the ATA website and add the Portuguese Language Division in your membership settings.

All attendees should be adhere to the American Translators Association’s Code of Conduct for Virtual Programs.