32120 Medical laboratory technologists

What this occupation covers

Medical laboratory technologists conduct medical laboratory tests, experiments and analyses to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and prevention of disease. They are employed in medical laboratories in hospitals, blood banks, community and private clinics, research facilities and post-secondary educational institutions. Medical laboratory technologists who are supervisors are included in this unit group.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 11 main duties for this code.

• Set up, operate and maintain laboratory equipment
• Conduct and interpret chemical analyses of blood, urine, and cerebrospinal and other body fluids
• Study blood cells and other tissues to determine their relation to various physiological and pathological conditions
• Prepare tissue sections for microscopic examinations using techniques to demonstrate special cellular tissue elements or other characteristics
• Perform and interpret blood group, type and compatibility tests for transfusion purposes
• Validate, document and report test results
• Establish procedures for the analysis of specimens and for medical laboratory experiments
• Conduct quality control assessment of testing techniques
• May supervise and train other medical laboratory technical staff, students and helpers
• May assist pathologists during autopsies.
• Medical laboratory technologists may specialize in areas such as clinical chemistry, clinical microbiology, hematology, histotechnology, transfusion medicine or immunohematology, cytotechnology, cytogenetics and molecular genetics.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 11 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 22110 Biological technologists and technicians
• 22100 Chemical technologists and technicians
• 33101 Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations

Excluded from this code

• Biological technologists and technicians (See 22110 Biological technologists and technicians)
• Chemical technologists and technicians (See 22100 Chemical technologists and technicians)
• Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations (See 33101 Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

advanced registered medical laboratory technologist · anatomical pathology technologist · autopsy technologist · blood bank technologist · clinical genetics technologist · clinical laboratory technologist · combined laboratory and x-ray technician · combined laboratory and x-ray technologist · cytogenetics technologist - medical laboratory · cytology technologist · electron microscopy technologist - medical laboratory · hematology technologist - medical laboratory · histology technologist · histology technologist - medical laboratory · histopathology technologist · histotechnologist - medical laboratory · immunology technologist - medical laboratory · medical laboratory biochemistry technologist · medical laboratory charge technologist · medical laboratory cytotechnologist · medical laboratory microbiology technologist · medical laboratory technologist · medical laboratory technologist - anatomical pathology · medical laboratory technologist - core laboratory

Employment requirements

• A two- or three-year college program in medical laboratory technology is required and a period of supervised practical training may be required.
• Registration with a regulatory body is required in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
• Certification by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science is usually required by employers.
• Combined laboratory and X-ray technicians require completion of a combined laboratory X-ray technology program.
• Some employers may require a university science degree for specialized medical laboratory technologists.