Medical Laboratory Assistant

Diploma of Health and Human Sciences

Duration: 2.5 semesters plus 6 week field placement

Program Description

Academy Canada is pleased to be offering the Medical Laboratory Assistant program in partnership with St. Lawrence College in Ontario. Medical Laboratory Assistants are important members of the health care team. Interacting directly with patients, duties include collecting blood samples for laboratory analysis. Inside the laboratory, they assist other professionals by sorting and preparing samples for testing, operating laboratory equipment, performing basic laboratory testing under supervision and managing computer data. This one year program includes classroom and laboratory training combined with a work term clinical placement. Upon successful program completion, graduates of the program will be eligible write the Canadian Society of Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) certification exam for Medical Laboratory Assistant. CSMLS is the national certifying body for medical laboratory technologists, medical laboratory assistants and the national professional society for Canada's medical laboratory professionals.

Program Courses

• BUC2 Business Communications (Written)
• CLRL Client Relations
• PRHC Professionalism in Health Care
• BIOL102 Biology for the Health Technician
• LABS100 Laboratory Techniques
• TERM112 Medical Terminology for the Health Technician
• LABS103 Specimen Procurement and Handling
• INTC Introduction to Computers
• CHEM106 Sciences for the Laboratory
• LABS125 Technician Skills Integration
• HSTO109 Histotechnology
• BIOL109 Basic ECG
• MICR113 Microbiology
• HEMA108 Hematology
• CHEM107 Clinical Chemistry
• BIOS Biosafety
• WHMI WHMIS
• FACP Standard First Aid
• INTN 111 Field Placement

Employment Opportunities

Demand for Medical Laboratory Assistants will increase due to a growing and aging population combined with the anticipated retirement of a vast majority of laboratory personnel across Canada. Medical Laboratory Assistants may obtain employment with private laboratory companies, hospital and public health laboratories, and in healthcare clinics.

Laboratory Services can be a 24/7 operation and shift work may be required. Continuing education is a must in this field and Medical Laboratory Medicine will be regulated and licensed in Newfoundland in the near future. This regulatory body will stipulate educational requirements for specific classifications in order to maintain licensure.

Entrance Requirements

High School Diploma or Equivalent

High School graduates are eligible for admission to the Medical Laboratory Assistant program. Students must complete an application form and provide a copy of High School, Adult Basic Education, or GED results. Additionally, Medical Laboratory Assistant applicants should have successfully completed any level academic Chemistry and/or Biology, and 3rd level academic Math in high school, or the equivalent courses through Adult Basic Education or have completed Academy Canada’s non-credit Biology and/or Mathematics courses. High school graduates who have not successfully completed the necessary Math and/or Science courses in high school, Adult Basic Education, or have a GED Diploma will be asked to complete the Canadian Adult Achievement Test (CAAT) in order to determine their eligibility for the non-credit course/s. High school graduates seeking entrance who qualify and enroll in Academy Canada’s non-credit course/s will be asked to successfully complete this requirement prior to being accepted in the Medical Laboratory Assistant program. In some cases a student may be eligible to complete this requirement within the first term of study (certain criteria would apply).

Special Entrance Requirements

Students must submit a Clear Conduct Certificate from their local Police Department.

Clear Conduct Certificate: Students acquiring a Clear Conduct Certificate for admission into a program take on the responsibility of its validity. Students are solely accountable for any offenses not uncovered by the investigation being discovered and precluding the student from subsequent work terms or employment.

Please note: Academy Canada reserves the right to deny admission into this program based on an unpardoned criminal record that would bear relevance to the field-term requirements of the program. In addition, employers will be given a copy of the student’s Clear Conduct Certificate on file prior to accepting students into the field-term situation.

Program Requirements

Students must submit a completed immunization review form for work term/placements. Students will be responsible for completing the immunization review form and submitting to the Registrar’s Office of Academy Canada by the end of their first semester of study (with the exception of immunizations that require multiple test periods which may be in progress). Non-compliance with this requirement could result in the student’s inability to participate in the work term/practicum component of this program which is also a required element for successful program completion.

Field Placement

There is a six (6) week work term and students should note that travel within the province may be required. Please note that work term hosts reserve the right to request updated and additional documentation prior to field placement.

For further information, please contact an Admissions Officer at 1-800-561-8000.

Program start dates are subject to sufficient enrollment.

Academy Canada reserves the right to modify any programs, courses, topics, objectives, etc.