CSMLS Routes to the Medical Laboratory Profession
Medical laboratory professionals work in a variety of specialties. Each profession has specific tools, techniques, and roles to play within the laboratory. Learn more about each of the professions below.
Medical Laboratory Assistant
General Medical Laboratory Technology
EQual™ Program Candidate?
If you have attended and successfully completed an EQual™ accredited Canadian medical laboratory educational program* within 2 weeks to 12 months prior to the exam session you wish to write, you may be eligible to challenge a CSMLS Certification Examination (Exam).
Eligibility to the Exam through this route applies to anyone in an EQual™ accredited Canadian MLA educational program or anyone in an EQual™ accredited Alberta General MLT educational program.
We will contact your EQual accredited educational institution on your behalf to verify that you have completed the program requirements.
If we are unable to verify program completion, you will be required to verify the date of successful completion from an EQual™ accredited educational institution by submitting official documents to us by one of the following methods:
- a notarized copy of your official program diploma or transcript, or
- an official transcript or diploma
These are to be submitted directly by the Notary Public or issuing institution to the CSMLS office at your own cost. Additionally, if a candidate submits original physical documents to the CSMLS office as proof, they will not be returned to the candidate and become the property of the CSMLS.
*General MLTs wishing to take the CSMLS General MLT Certification Exam must reside and have been educated in Alberta, Canada.
Next Step
Route 1:
If you graduated from a non-EQual™ accredited Canadian Medical Laboratory program, have not yet challenge the CSMLS Exam, and are interested in pursuing CSMLS certification, we have a process that can assess your Canadian medical laboratory education to determine your eligibility to challenge the exam.
Route 2:
If you are an MLA who has at least 12 months of Canadian clinical work experience within the past five (5) years, with or without formal Medical Laboratory education, and are interested in pursuing CSMLS certification, we have a process that can assess your Canadian MLA clinical work experience to determine your eligibility to challenge the CSMLS MLA Exam.
The process for both routes is called a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).
