Education · 1 of 5
The path
Short, science-heavy, and the jobs are waiting when you finish.
- 1
High school
Grades 11 and 12
Grade 12 biology, chemistry and math. English too.
- 2
Accredited medical laboratory science program
2 to 3 years
A 2 to 3 year college diploma, or a 4-year degree at a few universities. You learn all five areas: chemistry, hematology, transfusion, microbiology and histology. The final months are a full-time unpaid clinical placement.
- 3
Write the national certification exam
After graduation
Most provinces, Ontario included, now use the exam run by CAMLPR (Canadian Alliance of Medical Laboratory Professionals Regulators). CSMLS (Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science) still runs its general exam for Alberta.
- 4
Register with your provincial regulator
A few weeks
In Ontario that is the CMLTO (College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario). Most provinces have a college.