Medical Laboratory Assistant

Description

The Medical Laboratory Assistant program offers students the skills and abilities to perform pre-analysis components of medical lab work under direct supervision of medical laboratory technologists in hospitals, physician’s offices and private medical laboratory settings. Through experiential learning opportunities, students become proficient in the collection of blood samples, performing ECGs, the use of laboratory equipment and being fluent in medical terminology. Communication and interpersonal skills are also developed in the program for patient interaction.  

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Medical Laboratory Assistant program may gain work as Medical Laboratory Assistants/Technicians, serving in a variety of urban and rural settings in the public and private sectors, such as

• hospitals
• physicians' offices
• diagnostic labs
• clinics
• pharmaceutical research testing clinics
• fertility clinics
• specimen collection sites and blood centres such as Canadian Blood Services
• research facilities

Program Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. perform duties within the scope of practice outlined in the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA), in compliance with established protocols, regulations, safety guidelines, and existing legislation;
2. verify and document relevant data to ensure that appropriate specimens including venipuncture, capillary stick, ECG’s and Holter Monitors are collected and handled according to established protocols;
3. perform pre-analytical procedures and selected analytical assessments on specimens from a variety of sources to aid in the diagnosis of patients’ clinical conditions;
4. use laboratory equipment and instruments to prepare reagents according to established protocols;
5. practice and promote the principles of quality management to allow for optimal diagnostics;
6. develop strategies to maintain currency and meet standards of care within the scope of practice;
7. communicate to optimize interaction with patients/clients and other health care professionals.

External Recognition

Georgian College's Medical Laboratory Assistant program has a status of "Registered" through EQual Accreditation. Graduates, upon completion of this program, are eligible to write the Medical Laboratory Professionals' Association of Ontario (MLPAO) and the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) certification exams. Upon successful completion of these exams, students are qualified to work in a variety of settings.

Program Progression 

The following reflects the planned progression for full-time offerings of the program.

Fall Intake

• Sem 1: Fall 2025
• Sem 2: Winter 2026

Admission Requirements

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or mature student status 
• Grade 12 English (C or U)
• Grade 12 Mathematics (C or U)
• Grade 11 or 12 Biology (C or U)
• Grade 12 Chemistry (C or U)

Mature students, non-secondary school applicants (19 years or older), and home school applicants may also be considered for admission. Eligibility may be met by applicants who have taken equivalent courses, upgrading, completed their GED, and equivalency testing. For complete details refer to: www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/academic-regulations/

Applicants who have taken courses from a recognized and accredited post-secondary institution and/or have relevant life/learning experience may also be considered for admission; refer to the Credit for Prior Learning website for details:
www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer/

Selection Process

Applicants will be assessed and ranked based on academic grades.

Criminal Reference/Vulnerable Sector Check

Placement agencies require an up-to-date clear criminal reference check and vulnerable sector check prior to going out on placement. Students should obtain their criminal reference three months prior to placement; checks conducted earlier may not be considered current. As some jurisdictions require longer lead-time for processing, please check with the program coordinator to ensure you allow for sufficient turn-around time. It is the student's responsibility to provide the completed document prior to placement start.

NOTE: Individuals who have been charged or convicted criminally and not pardoned will be prohibited from proceeding to a clinical or work placement.

Additional Information

Placement agencies require an up-to-date clear criminal reference check and vulnerable sector check prior to going out on placement. Students should obtain their criminal reference no more than three months prior to placement; checks conducted earlier may not be considered current. As some jurisdictions require longer lead-time for processing, please check with the program coordinator to ensure you allow for sufficient turn-around time. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the completed document prior to placement start.

NOTE: Individuals who have been charged or convicted criminally and not pardoned will be prohibited from proceeding to a clinical or work placement.

Applicants are encouraged to obtain volunteer or work experience in a health or human service field to assist them in making a career choice.

In order to provide quality practicum placements, students are placed in a variety of agencies in the region serviced by the campus. Students are required to provide their own transportation to practicum placements. Placements may be 6, 8, 10- or 12-hour days and may include holidays, weekends, nights and evenings starting as early as 0600.

All Semester 2 courses except MLAB 1003 will be compressed into 12 weeks for delivery. MLAB 1003 (MLA Clinical Placement) will be delivered as a combination of simulation (2 week block) and clinical placement (4 week block) at partner hospitals. Placements may begin as early as week 13 and end as late as the end of June.

Graduation Requirements

11 Program Courses
1 Communications Course
1 General Education Course
1 Clinical Internship

Graduation Eligibility

To graduate from this program, the passing weighted average for promotion through each semester, from year to year, and to graduate is 60%. Additionally, a student must attain a minimum on 60% or a letter grade of P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) in each program course or clinical in each semester, and must attain a minimum of 50% in general education and communication courses unless otherwise stated on the course outline.

Program Tracking

The following reflects the planned course sequence for full-time offerings of the Fall intake of the program. Where more  than one intake is offered  contact the program co-ordinator for the program tracking.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester 1		Hours
Program Courses
BIOL 1044	Anatomy, Physiology and Medical Terminology	42
BIOL 1046	Specimen Collection Lab	42
BIOL 1047	Histo - Cyto Specimen Collection	42
MATH 1045	Medical Laboratory Mathematics	42
MLAB 1000	Quality Assurance and Control	42
MLAB 1001	Lab Equipment and Safety	42
Communications Course
Select 1 course from the communications list during registration.		42
	Hours	294
Semester 2
Program Courses
BIOL 1045	Molecular Techniques	42
BIOL 1048	Lab Techniques - Hematology	42
BIOL 1049	Lab Techniques - Microbiology	56
CHEM 1015	Lab Techniques - Chemistry	42
MLAB 1002	Introduction to Transfusion	42
Clinical Internship
MLAB 1003	MLA Clinical Internship	210
General Education Course
Select 1 course from the General Education list during registration.		42
	Hours	476
	Total Hours	770

Graduation Window

Students unable to adhere to the program duration of one year (as stated above) may take a maximum of two years to complete their credential. After this time, students must be re-admitted into the program, and follow the curriculum in place at the time of re-admission.

Disclaimer: The information in this document is correct at the time of publication. Academic content of programs and courses is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational objectives and employment market needs. 

Program outlines may be subject to change in response to emerging situations, in order to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes required for graduation. Components such as courses, progression, coop work terms, placements, internships and other requirements may be delivered differently than published.