Medical Laboratory Assistant/Technician
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Laboratory Technician program is offered by Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology in Hamilton, in partnership with The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences in Toronto. The didactic/theory part of the program is offered as a series of nine online courses. While you are working on your theory courses, an introduction to laboratory skills takes place during the Laboratory Basics Workshop (offered at Mohawk College). Upon successful completion of the nine theory courses and the Laboratory Basics Workshop, you will gain further practical skills in the Clinical Skills course and Simulated Clinical (offered at the Michener Institute). Upon successful completion of the Michener Institute courses, you will consolidate your skills in a 4-week clinical placement.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, with the following subjects at a general level:
- English - grade 12 general level
- Mathematics - grade 12 general level
- Chemistry - grade 11 general level or higher
Academically qualified applicants may be interviewed and/or tested. Applicants for whom English is a second language must submit proof that they have written and passed the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 600.
Click here for Application Form.
GENERAL INFORMATION
You must apply to the program through Mohawk College. Once you have been accepted into the program, you will receive information about the course registration process.You should complete modules/courses MLSCMLA50, MLSCMLA51 and BIOL10006 in order. Once those courses have been completed, the remaining MLA courses may be taken in any order.
You must also complete the following courses for The Michener Institute:
- PD807 - Clinical Behavioural Sciences (correspondence course)
- CLLT140 - Clinical Skills (at The Michener Institute)
- CLLT151 - Clinical Experience 1
After completing MLA50-56, BIOL10006, MLSC10003, MLA61, PD807, CLLT140 and CLLT151, you will be eligible for the final clinical placement. You must also submit a completed immunization form to the Program Manager at Mohawk College prior to the start of your clinical placement. Participants will also need to complete a vulnerable sector screening check prior to clinical placement.
THE PROFESSION
A laboratory technician works under the supervision of a laboratory technologist to perform laboratory tests and procedures that require limited technical skill and abilities. The emphasis is on the practical performance of the procedures. Recognition of problems and errors is required, but the technician is not required to correct errors or provide solutions except within certain prescribed guidelines. The terms Laboratory Technician and Laboratory Assistant are often used interchangeably. Because of increasing automation and centralization of laboratory services, forecasts for the future indicate employment opportunities for laboratory technicians with a broad base of skills. Graduates of this program will be able to:
- collect and sort specimens for analysis
- perform venipunctures and acquire ECG tracings
- prepare reagents, stains and media
- prepare body fluids and tissues for microscopic examination and/or analysis
- perform routine technical procedures
CAREER PATH
Graduates may be employed in hospitals, private laboratories or specimen collection centres. Shift work and evening work are usually required. Completion of this program will not qualify the graduate for entry into a full-time laboratory sciences program.
PROGRAM OF STUDIES
Click here for a flowchart depicting course prerequisite requirements.
| Course Number | Course Name | Course Hours | Tentative Schedule* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Winter | Spring | |||
Mohawk College Courses - register at Mohawk College: |
|||||
| MLSCMLA50 | Module 1-Introduction | 24 | X | X | |
| MLSCMLA51 | Module 2-Laboratory Basics | 21 | X | X | |
| BIOL10006 or BIOLMLA52 |
Preparatory Biology or Module 3-Human Biology |
56 | X | X | X |
| MLSCMLA53 | Module 4-Basic Techniques in Hematology | 27 | X | X | X |
| MLSC10003 | Laboratory Basics Workshop | 19 | X | X | X |
| CHEMMLA54 | Module 5-Basic Techniques in Clinical Chemistry | 27 | X | X | X |
| MLSCMLA55 | Module 6-Basic Techniques in Microbiology | 24 | X | X | X |
| MLSCMLA56 | Module 7-Basic Histological and Cytological Techniques | 24 | X | X | X |
| MLSCMLA61 | Introduction to Transfusion Medicine | 24 | X | X | X |
| CLIN10035 | Clinical Experience 2 | arranged on an individual basis | |||
Michener Institute Courses - register at the Michener Institute: |
|||||
| PD807 | Clinical Behavioural Sciences (will show on Mohawk transcript as MLSCMLA42) |
contact: Madeline Ng, Michener Institute 416-596-3101 ext. 3308 |
|||
| CLLT140 | Clinical Skills (will show on Mohawk transcript as MLSCMLA58) |
contact: Sarah Newton, Michener Institute 416-596-3101 ext. 3394 |
|||
| CLLT151 | Clinical Experience 1 (will show on Mohawk transcript as CLIN10034) |
||||
| * Subject to change - Browse current catalogue for course offerings | |||||
NOTE
Please quote PD807 for Clinical Behavioural Sciences, CLLT140 for Clinical Skills and CLLT151 for Clinical Experience 1 when contacting the Michener Institute for registration of these courses.REGISTRATION
For courses listed under Mohawk College heading, you will register through Mohawk College (telephone 905-540-4247 ext. 26706). The theory courses are delivered as guided self-study web-based courses. You will work on the course material under the direction of a tutor.
For courses listed under Michener Institute heading, you will register through the Michener Institute (see contact information above). PD807 Clinical Behavioural Science is a guided self-study (correspondence) course. You will work on the course material under the direction of an instructor/tutor. The practical sessions will be incorporated into the MLSC10003 Laboratory Basics Workshop, CLLT140 Clinical Skills course and CLLT151 Clinical Experience 1 which is a simulated clinical experience. CLLT140 will be offered on four weekends at least once per year. CLLT151 will be offered on four weekends at least once per year. Where numbers warrant, additional sessions will be offered.
When all of theory and practical courses are complete, a clinical placement will be negotiated for you, taking into consideration your geographic location and the availability of training at an accredited laboratory. During this placement, you are required to attend on a full-time basis. Wherever possible, you are placed in a facility close to your home. Applicants are cautioned that it is not always possible to make the necessary arrangements without a lengthy lead time.
Once accepted into the program, candidates who have current laboratory experience, or who have an academic background that may include some or all of the above subjects, are invited to apply for exemption from any component of the courses. All applications for exemption will be considered on an individual basis.
