Multicultural Association of Medical Interpreters (MAMI) is seeking people in Upstate New York who are bilingual and would be interested in training as medical interpreters. Training begins this Saturday.

While MAMI is looking for trainees in all languages, interpreter trainees are especially needed in the following languages: Arabic, Bosnian, Chinese, Karen, Nepali, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.

An 80-hour course in medical interpreting starts Sept. 15 and ends in mid-October. The course is for anyone who is fluent in English and a second language. It will be held in the MAMI classroom at its new offices at 287 Genesee St., Utica. To register or for more information, contact MAMI at 732-2271 in Utica or via e-mail at info@MAMIinterpreters.org. Scholarships available for all qualified candidates.

Some staff positions are available as well. Possible interpreter candidates include: veterans who served as interpreters in Iraq or Afghanistan; refugees from Bosnia, Burma, Africa; foreign language teachers; people who have lived abroad long enough to have learned their second language well; and immigrants.

With offices in Utica, Syracuse and Albany, MAMI provides interpreting and translating for health, legal and community agencies. MAMI also offers ESL (English as second language) classes.

in specialty areas and culturally-mediated seminars for limited-English populations.