In this article the author attempts to find out who makes a better medical translator: the medically knowledgeable linguist or the linguistically knowledgeable medical professional? The author starts out with an examination of the particularities of the language of medicine and then discusses the results of a survey for medical translators and translation bureaus. The author finds that good medical translation can be done by both medical professionals and medically knowledgeable linguists, but in both cases a love of language, an ear for style and a willingness to pursue arcane terminology are the keys to true success.