Career Advice for Aspiring Medical Laboratory Technicians

Medical laboratory technicians typically need to undergo a post-secondary diploma program to enter the world of work. This is the minimum requirement to seek entry level jobs in the industry. A medical laboratory technician course is an intensive program and covers a wide selection of subjects, including applied anatomy and physiology, transcultural health, clinical laboratory techniques, applied chemistry, clinical data management, practical haematology and immunohaematology, microbiology, cytology and histology, specimen collection and processing, clinical chemistry and urinalysis and lab administration and quality management.

The program helps aspiring medical lab technician become proficient in the collection of blood samples, the use of laboratory equipments, processing samples and testing them and performing ECGs. By the end of the program, the students become fluent in medical terminology, gain necessary technical skills and develop professional attitude and demeanour needed for close patient contact. The course addresses both the theoretical and practical aspects of this profession.

Practical Training

Along with theoretical understanding, the lab technicians are also expected to possess relevant experience in sample collection and processing and conducting tests in a real world setting. Therefore, it is important for aspiring technicians to carefully choose a program. Not all medical laboratory technician programs incorporate industry field placements.

Centennial College’s one-year post-secondary program in medical laboratory technician not only offers students hands-on laboratory but also provides them with an opportunity to work in a real world setting through industry field placement during the term of the program. A clinical placement is arranged for all students during the third semester which helps put their learning into practice and gain relevant contacts that can be later used as references.

Besides, it is a collaborative program that is taught by Centennial’s School of Community and Health Studies and School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science, with representatives from hospitals, private laboratories and the Ministry of Health.

To apply for this program, the individuals need to submit a secondary school diploma certificate, and scores of English Grade 12 C or University or equivalent, Mathematics Grade 11 M or 12 C or University or equivalent, and Biology grade 11 or 12 C or University or equivalent.

Licenses and Certifications

Some organizations require laboratory personnel to be licensed or certified or registered, for which they need to pass various exams. Centennial College’s program also provides students eligibility for certification as a Medical Laboratory Assistant/Technician (MLA/T) with the Ontario Society of Medical Laboratory Technologists and the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science.

Additional Requirements

The laboratory personnel must understand how to use medical equipment flawlessly. In addition, they are expected to be detail oriented, in order to perform the tests correctly. They must also be aware of the correct procedures to conduct tests and handle tools and equipment in the right manner. The technicians may also be expected to work long hours to collect and test samples. This requires them to be physically fit.

Further Studies

The one year diploma program prepares aspiring lab technicians for entry level jobs only. For more advanced career opportunities, they can consider upgrading their skills and understanding by enrolling into higher studies programs at the university.

Becoming a Medical Laboratory Technician in Canada

Precise roles and responsibilities of medical laboratory technicians depend upon the organization they work with. However, the generic work performed by them may include:

• Assisting medical technologists and helping them identify the irregularities in the samples collected
• Processing of specimens for conducting different examinations
• Detecting the source of disease by testing the specimens 
• Monitoring the apparatus and equipments to detect error or breakdown 
• Keeping a check on the supply of items required for examining specimens
• Performing ECGs and Holter monitoring
• Working as Phlebotomists
• Assisting in clinical or veterinary labs, research labs, diagnostic supply companies
• Analyzing computer generated medical reports
• Maintaining the records for patients and official purposes
• Keeping and maintaining insurance records

What type of medical assistance a patient requires depends on his/her medical test reports. This means almost all medical care facilities in some or other way depend upon the reports from laboratories, which in turn depend on medical lab technicians. 

For this reason, the lab technicians are extremely valuable resources for the entire medical fraternity. There exist a lot of full time and part-time career opportunities in this field for young individuals who have undergone a formal training and have understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of lab testing. The qualified individuals can find employment with hospitals, private laboratories, Ministry of Health, veterinary labs, research organizations and other government laboratories. 

Becoming a Medical Lab Technician in Canada

To become a lab technician in Canada, you need to enroll into a medical laboratory technician course after passing secondary school examination. Along with this, you also need:

• English Grade 12 C or University or equivalent
• Mathematics Grade 12 C, M or University or equivalent
• Biology Grade 11 or 12 C or University or Equivalent

Apart from this, you may also need to go through a criminal background check including a vulnerable section screening. Another non-academic requirement is that you must not be suffering from any mental or physical disorder that poses a threat on your practice. 

What Does the Course Cover?

Medical laboratory technician program generally run for one year exposing you to the world of lab tests. They work on a compressed delivery format enabling you to quickly enter the workforce and earn a living. 

The programs intend to help you gain thorough understanding of applied anatomy and physiology, transcultural health, clinical laboratory techniques, clinical data management, applied chemistry, haematology and immunohaematology, specimen collection and processing, clinical chemistry and urinalyses, lab administration and quality management.

It combines theoretical sessions, hands-on-labs-experience and real work experience during clinical placement. On completion of the course, you will also be eligible for certification as Medical Laboratory Assistant/Technician with the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science or state affiliated Society of Medical Laboratory Technologists.

How Should Enroll in this Program?

A diploma in lab technician is the right choice for those who

• Are naturally inquisitive about mechanisms of human body
• Want to quickly enter the workforce
• Are curious to know about the abnormalities that cause disease in human beings

The program, along with preparing you for carrying lab tests, also helps you develop professional attitude and conduct needed for close patient contact.

Combine Medical Laboratory Technician Courses with Practical Training at Centennial College

“What we do in the Medical Laboratory Technician program, is we practice the practical aspects of being in a medical lab,” says Daniel Pasternack, a student of Centennial College’s undertaking. “We practice taking blood from each other and doing microbiology plates and taking part in all of the aspects of what you would be doing in a medical lab.” Meanwhile, for student Ava Herichmiller one of the most exciting parts of the medical lab technician undertaking is having professors who have worked in the field and who have their own experiences, which are shared with the students. “It gives you a very good idea of what you will be doing in the field,” sums up Ava.

These two students do a great job of summarizing the most special aspects of Centennial College’s Medical Laboratory Technician undertaking: practical experience and knowledgeable faculty. But there is much more the program has to offer. First and foremost, to apply, students must have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. Also required are: compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent; math 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent; Biology 11C or U or equivalent.

Once students are accepted, they train for three semesters and graduate with an Ontario College Certificate. As this is a collaborative program taught by Centennial’s School of Community and Health Studies and School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science, representatives from hospitals, private laboratories and the Ministry of Health provide curriculum input. This input has resulted in a medical lab technician offering that sees students becoming familiar with essential functions such as collecting blood, processing clinical specimens, performing ECGs, setting up Holter monitors, and performing a variety of lab responsibilities. In order to do this, the medical laboratory technician courses teach students the use of laboratory equipment, medical terminology, transcultural health, applied chemistry for the medical laboratory, clinical data management, and much more.

To round out the theoretical and practical knowledge students of the Medical Laboratory Technician program obtain on campus, they participate in a Clinical Internship, during which they apply theoretical knowledge in a clinical practice setting under the direction of a medical laboratory assistant. This focus of this course is to allow for easy transition into the workplace environment. Students will be given the opportunity to become proficient at specimen collection and handling and be able to function as an effective member of a medical laboratory team. Lastly, students of this offering have eligibility for certification as a Medical Laboratory Assistant/ Technician with the Ontario Society of Medical Laboratory Technologists and the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science.

Upon graduation from the Medical Laboratory Technician program, students work in hospital laboratories, public health laboratories, reference laboratories, biomedical companies, universities, industrial medical laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, forensic medicine, governments, veterinary labs and the armed forces. Medical laboratory technicians can specialize in one of five different areas: blood banking, chemistry, hematology, immunology, or microbiology.