reddiola

Hi everyone,

I wonder if anyone can shed any light on the recruitment practices for Medical Laboratory Technician jobs in Canada? In the jobs adverts online, there is a requirement for completion of a recognised Medical Laboratory Assistant training program, can anyone comment on how a 10 years experience in working in both Microbiology (8 years) and Histology (2 years) in the UK will be perceived? Currently, I hold a position of a trainee MLTechnologist (Biomedical Scientist as it is called in the UK). Do I stand any chance of being invited for an interview for a Medical Laboratory Technician/Assistant in Canada?
MLT (technologists) have to be certified by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS), as I found online, but such certification is not necessary for the lab assistants. I also know there are slight differences in the day to day duties, as in the UK we do not take bloods form the patients.
Can you advise me on how can I increase my chances of getting employed in this field in Canada?

Many thanks for any comments!

Siouxie

I'd suggest seeing if you can get your qualifications recognised (equivalency or similar) - there's a page on the CSMLS website https://www.csmls.org/Certification/...ification.aspx and https://www.csmls.org/Certification/...es-of-PLA.aspx or you could look at the Provincial body for that career, for the Province you are hoping to move to.

I would think that without certification it's going to be quite difficult get a job, Canada likes bits of paper!

Aviator

I have not found that. Some qualifications are necessary to ensure a standard is maintained.

When I was offered a job here, I was not asked for any certificates, or paperwork. There is a lot of who you know though.

scrubbedexpat091

At least in BC there is a difference between medical lab assistant and medical lab tech.

2 different jobs and different levels of education.

Siouxie

And how long you've been here. In Ontario anyway, you need certification / diplomas for just about any job, it's ridiculous!

scrubbedexpat091

Ill agree with you on the paperwork.

Took about 10 sheets of papers for the background paperwork to get my airport pass plus copies of drivers license, passport and PR card.

They have you fill out the forms online and then print them. Why they cant come up with a system where you can submit online, who knows.

But all this paperwork does create a lot of jobs between the pass office at the airport and transport Canada.

Aviator

Quite a while. I got offered a job without applying for it or even looking for it, it was knowing someone who was looking. Once I got here though there was a lot of bureaucracy to get licensed. Although the UK is harder for folks going the other way in the same industry.

bats

I agree that paperwork is needed. You need qualifications to fart here.

If the OP is an MLT then they really should try and get their qualifications recognized and take the exam to be a technologist rather than a technician.

reddiola

Thank you all for your replies!

I do understand the difference between the technician and technologist position, that's why I was only asking for advice on finding the technician's position. On the csmls website the process of verifying the technologist qualifications is described in details, and it involves a lot of money, verifications, updating the qualifications to match the canadian standards and sitting an exam at the end, that not so many pass...

I am thinking of emigrating to Alberta, so I will try to contact their council to ask for an opinion with regards to how my skills would be looked at there, if I applied for a technician job. The csmls do not currently offer verification of technicians qualifications as strictly you do not to be registered with their body to work as a technician. However, every job post I have seen requires successful completion of a recognized Medical Laboratory Assistant training program...

I guess, in the end, it will be down to being at the right place and the right time, as it usually is.

Thanks again

Siouxie

I was looking at the Alberta Technologists website http://cmlta.org/home/registration/i...-educated-mlt/ and came across this link, that may be of use to you. It's mainly for internationally trained technologists who perhaps don't want to go through the expense and long drawn out process of getting their qualifications recognised.

https://altcareers.csmls.org/

Paul_Shepherd

Cerificates and paperwork are a must for any regulated profession, not so much in the non regulated professions.

And yes a lot of who you know.....nepotism is rife in Canada!!

Aviator

I had to have a license, endorsements and current medical, the other stuff was never asked for or considered. If licensing or certification is required to perform a job, it is the same in any country, you have to have them. My uni qualifications have not really helped me get any job.