32129 Other medical technologists and technicians

What this occupation covers

Other medical technologists and technicians includes medical technologists and technicians, such as dietary technicians, ocularists, prosthetists, orthotists, prosthetic technicians and orthotic technicians. Dietary technicians are employed in health care and commercial food service establishments such as hospitals, extended care facilities, nursing homes, schools, cafeterias and fast food outlets. Ocularists are employed in custom ocular prosthetic laboratories, or they may be self-employed. Prosthetists, orthotists and prosthetic and orthotic technicians are employed in hospitals, clinics, prosthetics and orthotics laboratories, and prosthetic device manufacturing companies. Prosthetists and orthotists may also be self-employed. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 20 main duties for this code.

• Assist dietitians or nutritionists to plan and supervise food service operations
• Plan menus and diet for individuals or groups under the direction of a dietitian or nutritionist
• Assist in the supervision of personnel who prepare and serve food
• Help patients select menu items
• Assist dietitians with research in food, nutrition and food service systems.
• Design, fabricate and fit ocular prostheses and conformers, and may design and fabricate implants
• Paint the iris and pupil of artificial eyes
• Clean and restore ocular prostheses
• Advise patients concerning the loss of depth perception and the care and use of ocular prostheses
• Repair and maintain fabrication and laboratory equipment
• Consult with ophthalmologists concerning insertion of ocular prostheses.
• Design, fabricate and fit prosthetic and orthotic appliances such as artificial limbs, braces or supports
• Interpret physicians' specifications and examine and measure patients to develop working sketches of appliances
• Make and modify plaster casts of areas to receive prostheses or orthoses
• Fit, adjust and repair appliances
• Advise patients in the use and care of prostheses and orthoses
• Supervise and direct the activities of prosthetic and orthotic technicians.
• Assemble or build prosthetic and orthotic appliances according to drawings, measurements and plaster casts using a variety of materials such as metals, plastics and leathers
• Repair, rebuild and modify prosthetic and orthotic appliances or orthopaedic footwear
• May take the body or limb measurements of patients.

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 3 of its 20 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.

• 32104 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
• 32123 Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists
• 33101 Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
• 32120 Medical laboratory technologists
• 32121 Medical radiation technologists
• 32122 Medical sonographers
• 32109 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
• 32124 Pharmacy technicians
• 32103 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists

Excluded from this code

• Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians (See 32104 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians)
• Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists (See 32123 Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists)
• Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations (See 33101 Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations)
• Medical laboratory technologists (See 32120 Medical laboratory technologists)
• Medical radiation technologists (See 32121 Medical radiation technologists)
• Medical sonographers (See 32122 Medical sonographers)
• Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment (See 32109 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment)
• Pharmacy technicians (See 32124 Pharmacy technicians)
• Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists (See 32103 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists)

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.

aeromedical instructor · aeromedical technician · aeromedicine technician · apprentice ocularist · artificial eye maker · artificial limb assembler · artificial limb finisher · artificial limb maker · aviation medicine technician · brace maker · certified orthotist (CO) · certified pedorthist (C Ped) · certified prosthetist · certified prosthetist-orthotist (CPO) · dialysis technician · dialysis technologist · dietary technician · dietary technologist · food and nutrition technician - dietetics · hemodialysis technician · hemodialysis technologist · kidney dialysis technician · kidney dialysis technologist · ocular prosthetist

Employment requirements

• Dietary technicians require completion of a two- to three-year college program in dietary technology and supervised practical training.
• Ocularists require completion of the education program of the American Society of Ocularists and supervised practical training or a five-year supervised practical training program under a certified ocularist.
• Certification by the National Examining Board of Ocularists is usually required.
• Prosthetists and orthotists require a two-year college program in prosthetics and orthotics technology and three years of supervised practical training.
• Certification by the Canadian Board of Certification of Prosthetists and Orthotists (CBCPO) may be required.
• Prosthetic and orthotic technicians usually require a two- to three- year college program in prosthetics and orthotics and one to two years of supervised practical training or completion of secondary school and up to four years of supervised practical training under a certified prosthetist or orthotist.
• Registration with the Canadian Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (CAPO) may be required.