Medical Laboratory Assistant/Technician are important members of the Medical Laboratory Science profession. Centennial College's Medical Laboratory Technician program will immerse you in the exciting and rewarding world of the medical laboratory, which offers a unique combination of technical employment and the satisfaction of working with a diverse client population.

This is a competency-based program. The program's curriculum is based on the national (CSMLS) standards and the provincial (MLPAO) standards of practice for entry-level medical laboratory assistants/technicians (MLA/T). Areas of focus to ensure students become proficient are; blood sample collection, performing ECGs, operating laboratory equipment, medical terminology and laboratory computer. Students will also develop the professional attitude and mannerism for close patient contact as excellent communication and good interpersonal skills are essential.

The theoretical and practical portions of this Centennial College program will be completed in one to two years. The third and final semester will be an unpaid clinical field placement with hospital and private laboratory partners that will offer real-work experience.

Medical laboratory assistant/technician work under the direction and supervision of a medical laboratory technologist. Their duties include specimen collection, performing ECGs, positioning Holter monitors, processing specimens and basic laboratory testing. With the MLA/T's role expanding, there are opportunities for employment in clinics, private laboratories and hospital laboratories as well as in government, research and veterinary laboratories.

EQual™ Accreditation Canada accredits our program

Please note:

• Applicants must demonstrate language proficiency for admission.
• A current criminal background check, including a vulnerable section screening, will be required prior to field placement. Certain criminal convictions may prevent participation in placements and pro¬gram completion.
• Your health must be such that you can successfully cope with the program of instruction, the clinical placement experience and meet the health requirements of clinical placement settings.
• Clinical placements are arranged by the program placement coordinator and may be located outside of the GTA. The student finances travel, room and board and tuition.
• Due to the impact of COVID-19, our Clinical placements are experiencing delays. For more information on current wait times, please email the program using the email address above.

Future Alumni

Career opportunities for Medical Laboratory Technicians are typically within hospitals, private laboratories, public health laboratories, Canadian blood services, healthcare clinics, research labs. Areas of specialization may include:

• Blood collection

• Perform ECG and Position Holter Monitor

• Core department of the medical laboratory

• Clinical biochemistry

• Diagnostic cytology

• Hematology

• Histopathology

• Immunology

• Clinical microbiology

Program Highlights

• Faculty members within the Medical Laboratory Technician program are experienced in hospitals and clinical laboratories.
• Five - Six weeks of clinical placement will provide you with experience in a real work environment.
• Large well equipped laboratories and classrooms.
• Graduates of our program are qualified to write the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) and the Medical Laboratory Professionals' Association of Ontario (MLPAO) certification exams for Medical Laboratory Assistant/Technician.
• Our program receive excellent CSMLS and MLPAO certification results

Career Outlook

• Medical laboratory technician
• Medical laboratory assistant
• Phlebotomist
• ECG technician

Professional Associations

Canadian Society of Medical Laboratory Science

Medical Laboratory Professionals' Association of Ontario

Placement Partners

Clinical Placement Partners include:

• Credit Valley Hospital
• Hospital for Sick Children.
• St. Joseph’s Hospital
• St. Michael’s Hospital
• Sunnybrook/Women’s College Hospitals
• North York General Hospital
• University Health Network ( General and Western sites)
• The Scarborough Hospitals (General, Grace and Centenary sites) Hospital
• Lakeridge Health (Ajax, Oshawa sites)
• Michael Garron Hospital- Toronto East Health Network
• York Central Hospital
• Med. Health Laboratories
• Hospitals outside the GTA as required or requested

Accreditation

EQual™ Accreditation Canada accredits our program