Medical Laboratory Assistant

• 19-week certificate
• Fall and winter starts
• Includes clinical laboratory practicum
• Graduates in high demand

Program Description

A medical laboratory assistant is an integral member of the laboratory workforce, a field that is not only growing to meet the needs of an increasing and aging population, but also changing to support medical advances. This program trains students to collect, process, and prepare patient specimens, enter data, perform clerical and reception services, perform electrocardiograms and urinalyses, and carry out basic laboratory procedures. Medical laboratory assistants must be accurate, self-motivated and dependable with a skilled eye for detail and strong client service skills.

This program consists of 12 weeks of classroom instruction and laboratory training followed by a seven-week practicum. The practicum period is spent in a clinical laboratory where students refine competencies acquired at SAIT. Practicum sites are arranged by SAIT. Students must expect to train outside of Calgary (totally or in-part). The seven weeks of practicum are not necessarily consecutive and may not be continuous with the end of the theory portion of the program.

Students in this program require access to a personal computer and the Internet to facilitate completion of required online course components.

Your Career

Graduates find work as medical laboratory assistants in community collection sites, hospital rapid-response laboratories and high-volume medical laboratories.

Admission Requirements

Alberta High School Diploma or equivalent, with the following admission requirements or equivalents:

• At least 50% in Pure Math 10 or Math 20-2, or at least 60% in Math 10C, AND,
• At least 50% in English Language Arts 30-1 or English Language Arts 30-2, AND,
• At least 50% in Chemistry 20, AND,
• At least 50% in Biology 20.
• All applicants to SAIT Polytechnic must demonstrate English Language Proficiency prior to admission, including students educated in Canada. For more information, please see English Proficiency
• View High School Course Equivalencies Admission Equivalencies by Province.

Selection

Winter 2012

 To be included in selection, applications along with all supporting documents must be submitted.

• Selection is done on a continuous basis. The first round of selection will start September 15. Applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis.  Applicants who apply after the program has been filled will be placed on a waitlist and may be invited to complete the selection process if a seat becomes available.
• There will be 32 seats offered in the winter intake.

Fall 2012 and Winter 2013

To be included in selection, applications along with all supporting documents must be submitted.

• Selection is done on a continuous basis. The first round of selection will start December 1 (Fall intake) or September 15 (Winter intake). Applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis. Applicants who apply after the program has been filled will be placed on a waitlist and may be invited to complete the selection process if a seat becomes available.
• There will be 32 seats offered in both the fall and winter intake.

Selection Criteria

In order to best select our students, the program will forward a selection package to those that meet the Admission Requirements.

The program will use email as the primary source of communication. Applicants must ensure their email account is managed appropriately to receive our emails, files and communications.

In the selection process, applicants will be required to complete a Keyboarding Assessment (available at SAIT for a minimal fee). This is a Pass/Fail exam. Applicants must keyboard at least 30 words per minute net or better to continue in the selection process.

Applicants will be ranked according to the composite score of the following criteria:

• Admission Requirements course average and post secondary education / training: 50%
• Related Work / Volunteer Experience: 25%
• Keyboarding skills: 25%

Selection Process

Applicants will be ranked monthly according to the criteria outlined above.

Applicants with a composite score of 75% or above will be offered a seat in the program until the program is full. If the program is not full on December 1 (for Winter 2012 intake), April 1 (Fall 2012 intake) or November 1 (Winter 2013 intake),  the remaining applicants who ranked at less than 75% will be considered for positions in the program based on highest composite score. All other qualified applicants will be placed on a waitlist and contacted if a seat becomes available.

Due to limited practicum placements you may be required to relocate outside of Calgary for the practicum. We currently place students most frequently in southern Alberta. Applicants must sign a practicum awareness agreement prior to final acceptance into the program.

Applicants who are successful in gaining admission will be requested to provide proof of the following prior to the start of classes/practicum:

1. Updated Immunization Records. Details are included in the pre-orientation website package for successful candidates.
   Please note: Most practicum sites require students to demonstrate updated immunization status prior to attending practicum. Failure to do so could jeopardize your ability to complete the practicum portion of your program.
2. Security Clearance: According to the Protection for Persons in Care Act, our practicum sites require that students obtain a criminal records check prior to going on practicum. Any criminal code offence for which a pardon has not been received, may be a deterrent to a student’s entry into practicum, and therefore will result in an uncompleted program, or non-graduating status.
3. In compliance with Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, G8.40 Respiratory protection – Fit test, students are fit-tested for respiratory masks prior to their practica. Fit-testing is available on campus. Failure to adequately fit an N-95 mask may result in a restricted practicum and\or limited employment. Facial abnormality/hair may result in unsuccessful fit testing.

Program Specific Selection Package

The applicant is solely responsible to ensure the information in the selection package is legible, articulate and best reflects the candidate. Falsifying information will result in the application being removed immediately from the selection process.

Due to the significant number of applications that the program receives the selection process can take some time. We appreciate your patience in this process and we will notify you of our decision concerning your application status as soon as possible. You can also log on to mysait.ca to check admission decision status.

Additional Resources

• Medical Laboratory Assistant Selection Package for Winter 2012 (for reference only - do not submit)
• Medical Laboratory Assistant Selection Package for Fall 2012 and Winter 2013 (for reference only - do not submit)

Student Success

• Students with higher secondary or post-secondary marks usually experience greater success in SAIT programs.
• In order to be successful in this program, applicants must have basic computer literacy. An acceptable computer skill level would include the ability to use word processing and communication software. Educational interaction in this program depends on these basic computer skills and medical laboratory assistants work with laboratory and hospital information systems. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure adequacy of these skills prior to program admission.
• Students who experience success in this program have effective communication skills in English.
• Health care practitioners are detail oriented in the care they provide and enjoy working in a team environment.
• Medical laboratory assistants enjoy working with people, like direct contact with patients and do not mind shift work

Progression

Students must attain a PGPA and/or a CGPA of 2.0 or better in each semester and pass the necessary prerequisite courses to progress through the program. To qualify for graduation, students must pass all courses, attain a CGPA of 2.0 or better and complete course requirements within the prescribed timelines.

Credentials

• After successfully completing this program, graduates will receive a SAIT certificate as a Medical Laboratory Assistant.
• Graduates are eligible for registration and membership with the Alberta College of Medical Laboratory Technologists and the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science.

Accreditation

This program is applying for accreditation with the Canadian Medical Association.

Tuition And Fees (Subject To Change)

• Please refer to the Tuition and Fee Table.
• International Students, please refer to International Student Fees.
• For student funding, please refer to Financial Assistance.
• Students are responsible for any additional expenses related to their practicum including relocation costs to practicum sites outside Calgary.
• The cost for a criminal record check, which is a requirement for practicum, is up to $40 or more.

Books And Supplies (Subject To Change)

• Books and supplies are approximately $600.
• Students are required to have access to a personal computer with the specifications listed in Fees and Expenses.

Program Outline

• SAIT students are offered an opportunity to develop lifelong learning skills in an online environment. One or more courses in the Medical Laboratory Assistant program are offered fully or partially online.
• To find the course description for a course shown below, please go to our Course Finder and enter the course acronym and numbers (i.e., DMST-202) into the Quick Search by Course Code field.

For More Information

Information: 403.284.8500
Email: hps.info@sait.ca
Website: School of Health and Public Safety
Program Chair: Sonja Chamberlin

Transfer with Certificate to…

Through SAIT Polytechnic transfer agreements and institution partnerships, graduates of this SAIT program may be eligible for credit at the following universities and colleges:

• SAIT Polytechnic

Transfer options may also be available at other post-secondary institutions where credits from SAIT programs are evaluated on an individual basis. Interested students should contact the post-secondary institute of their choice for more information.

To learn more, visit Transfer Options.

Related Links (Internal):

• Student-For-A-Day
• Academic Calendar
• Academic Upgrading
• International Students
• Mature Students
• Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition