The CMLTO Voluntary Roster Program

       

Who are medical laboratory assistants and technicians?

Medical laboratory assistants/technicians perform pre-analytical functions such as collecting blood and other samples, processing specimens, and preparing special chemicals called reagents for use in testing. These practitioners have a significant and increasing impact on quality patient care due to their expanding roles and broadened responsibilities in the clinical laboratory. Medical laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technicians are the primary source of contact between the laboratory, patients, and other health care professionals in specimen collection centres, point-of-care settings, and longterm care facilities. When patients receive phlebotomy services, medical laboratory assistants and technicians perform the blood draw (also known as venipuncture) and process fluid samples.

What is the Voluntary Roster Affiliate Program?

Did you know that medical laboratory assistants and technicians are not regulated health professionals? Since 2009, the CMLTO Board has made the regulation of medical laboratory assistants and technicians one of its’ strategic priorities. Until such time that medical laboratory assistants and technicians are regulated health professionals in Ontario, the CMLTO created the voluntary roster initiative on October 1, 2015 to serve the public interest. Inspired by the United Kingdom concepts of “right touch regulation”. The Voluntary Roster is a list of medical laboratory assistants and technicians who have volunteered to apply and meet a certain level of education and professional practice criteria. The criteria involved with getting on the voluntary roster list that have been proven to be an effective means of assessment include:

  • Certification;
  • Educational preparation; and
  • Work experience.

Voluntary Roster Program Registration Criteria

Registration criteria for applying to the CMLTO Voluntary Roster Program
  1. Have proof of eligibility to work in Canada (i.e., passport, birth certificate, permanent resident card)
  2. Obtain a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check or Vulnerable Sector Check within the six months preceding the application
  3. have successfully completed a MLPAO or HSO-accredited MLA program diploma, official transcript, or letter of completion OR equivalent CSMLS Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) for non-accredited programs.
  4. demonstrate proof you successfully passed a CSMLS or MLPAO certification examination
  5. provide proof of active engagement
    • Option 1: Medical Laboratory Assistant/Technician program completed in the preceding 3 years 
    • Option 2: Employment confirmation letter(s) verifying a minimum of 900 practice hours completed within the past 3 years.
  6. provide evidence of reasonable fluency in English or French. 
Language Fluency Requirements for Voluntary Roster Program
  1. Successful completion of an MLPAO-approved or HSO-approved medical laboratory assistant or technician program 
  2. Submission of proof acceptable to the Registrar (e.g. a transcript that states the language of instruction) that either: (a) both high school and post-secondary education program (that was not accredited by the HSO or its predecessor was completed in English or French; or (b) that both high school and undergraduate degrees that included theoretical/academic course work and a clinical placement/practicum/internship was completed in English or French
  3. Submission of published academic paper(s) (e.g. thesis, research publications) authored by the applicant as part of a Master’s or Doctorate program successfully completed by the applicant with an accompanying letter of verification acceptable to the Registrar from the principal investigator, a program professor, or supervisor stating English or French was the language of instruction and the language in which the academic paper was written
  4. Achievement of the minimum scores outlined below in one of the approved language fluency tests. Language fluency test results provided to the CMLTO as part of an application for inclusion on the Voluntary Roster must not be more than two (2) years old at the time of application to the CMLTO.
Test Section TOEFL iBT IELTS-AC IELTS-GT CanTest MELA
Listening 20 7.0 7.0 4.0 8
Reading 22 7.0 7.0 4.0 7
Writing 22 7.0 7.0 4.0 7
Speaking 24 7.0 7.0 4.0 8
Overall/Total 88 7.0 7.0 4.0

 

NOTE: If you do not directly meet the VR registration criteria above, please contact the CMLTO Registration Department at registration@cmlto.com for further consultation.

 

 

For more information on the pursuit of the regulation of medical laboratory assistants and technicians, please watch the webinar to the left. An English transcript of the webinar is available here.