The translation team of the Faculty of Foreign Languages of Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University took part in the seventh international medical mission “Face the Future Ukraine” in cooperation with the Canadian charitable foundation Face the Future Foundation.
The mission “Face the Future Ukraine” aims to treat Ukrainian military and civilian personnel with severe head and neck injuries, share knowledge between medical professionals from Canada, the United States, and Ukraine, and strengthen the capacity of the health care system. The translation team’s work, carried out in two phases, played an important role in achieving this goal.
The first stage of the team’s work consisted of the written translation of several medical materials and presentations that American and Canadian specialists had prepared for the 7th International Symposium “Reconstructive Surgery of War Injuries of the Head and Neck” and the 7th International Symposium for Nurses “Peculiarities of Management of Patients with War Injuries and Post-Traumatic Disorders.” I’d like to point out that the team has processed 700 slides from presentations by Frederick Menick, a world-renowned reconstructive rhinoplasty surgeon.
The second phase of the work involved translation support during two international symposia, patient reviews, press conferences, media interviews, and during surgical operations. High-quality interpretation ensured effective communication between surgical team members, patients, and media representatives.
For the fourth time, students of the OR “Master’s” educational program “English Language and Literature, Second Foreign Language, Translation” are joining the team. Master’s students Marta Dovbnya and Nadiya Tuchak demonstrated a high level of mastery of oral and written translation skills and became an important part of the faculty’s translation team. Participation in the “Face the Future Ukraine” missions allows students to gain real experience in translation under difficult but extremely valuable conditions, join an interdisciplinary team of specialists, and apply their knowledge to achieve a socially significant goal.
Master’s students shared their impressions of their first team experience.
Marta Dovbnya:
“The mission became very valuable for me both from a professional and personal point of view. It was my first experience of translating at this level, and immediately in a very responsible field – medicine. Of course, due to my lack of experience, there were some difficulties, but thanks to the team’s support, I left with only positive impressions of the work. I am very grateful for the opportunity to join this mission, work with wonderful people, and make my contribution to helping others.”
Nadiya Tuchak:
“Participating in the Face the Future medical mission was much more than just a new experience for me. These were days that changed me from the inside. It was here that I saw aspects of myself that I had never even guessed about before. I realised how resilient I can be even in moments of fatigue and stress. This mission helped me build discipline not only in my work, but also in my attitude towards people, time, and myself. It was also an opportunity to work with incredible people who inspire me with their professionalism, humanity, support, and strength. Next to them, I want to become a better version of myself. The medical mission gave me not only new soft and hard skills, but also tremendous personal development that will stay with me forever. And I am infinitely grateful to the Face the Future Foundation for this.”
