Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations

In B.C., medical laboratory assistants must be certified as medical laboratory assistants by the BCSLS.

The most common path to BCSLS Medical Laboratory Assistant certification is graduation from a medical laboratory assistant training program approved by BCSLS, which are typically diploma programs. A list of qualifying programs in B.C. is available here. Graduates of these programs can apply to become certified medical laboratory assistants on graduation.

People who did not graduate from a BCSLS-approved medical laboratory assistant program, including those who trained in other provinces or countries, can still become certified as medical laboratory assistants by the BCSLS by taking a recognized certification exam, such as those offered by the Medical Laboratory Professionals’ Association of Ontario (MLPAO) or the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) and meeting other prerequisites. For more information, visit the BCSLS certification page.

Practicing in this group in other provinces is typically governed by other provincial regulatory bodies, such as the Nova Scotia Regulator of Medical Laboratory Sciences (NSRMLS) or the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Manitoba (CMLTM).

In B.C. and Ontario, medical laboratory assistants are trained to do electrocardiograms (ECGs). Members of this group do not perform this task in other provinces in Canada. As discussed on the BCSLS certification page, becoming certified as a medical laboratory assistant requires documentation of training in the performance of ECGs, which may have to be obtained separately from other medical laboratory assistant training if training is not pursued via a BCSLS-approved program.

Medical laboratory assistants can benefit from additional training in quality management, project management, infection control, safety, emerging technologies and computer or information technology (IT) skills. These can enable them to take on other tasks, aim at new roles or otherwise make themselves more valuable to their employers.

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British Columbia's population is growing and aging, which is increasing the demand for health services and professionals. With many workers expected to retire over the next few years, the need for medical laboratory assistants will increase, especially in rural or remote areas that are already underserved by medical services.

BC places additional requirements (ECG certification) on medical laboratory assistants that other provinces and countries do not. This barrier limits how quickly and easily medical laboratory assistants trained elsewhere can enter the profession and limits supply.

Many workers are attracted to this occupation as a step towards more skilled positions. This creates openings for new medical laboratory assistants to take over for them.

The evolution of medical testing continually changes the specific tests that medical laboratory assistants and related professionals must know how to routinely perform. The introduction of simplified tests for routine diagnoses allows doctors, nurses and, in some cases patients, to carry out some tests themselves, but new tests are usually performed by medical laboratory assistants instead. As a result, the evolution of testing shifts the exact workloads of medical laboratory assistants but does not significantly impact the need for or availability of these positions.