Get the Skills to Become a Medical Lab Assistant

Medical Lab Assistant handling vials of blood. — As a Medical Lab Assistant, you would be a member of a laboratory that provides diagnostic services

37-Week^* Medical Laboratory Assistant Training Program in British Columbia

Medical Laboratory Assistants play a crucial role in healthcare by conducting laboratory tests that are essential to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. They work behind the scenes in healthcare, providing valuable data that informs patient care.

If you’re a detail-oriented, communicative person interested in a rewarding career as part of a healthcare team, training to become a Medical Lab Assistant could be an excellent opportunity for you.

The best way to see if Cambria College is the right fit for you is to come in and visit the school. You can tour our facilities, and meet with both students and instructors. Book an Appointment Now or Get more info.

Becoming a Qualified Medical Laboratory Assistant

This diploma program focuses on preparing graduates to work as medical laboratory assistants in a variety of institutions or laboratories by providing a solid theoretical and practical foundation in the application of current medical lab theory, tools, processes, procedures, and practices.

Is a Career as a Medical Laboratory Assistant Right for You? Take the Cambria College “Medical Laboratory Assistant Career Training Readiness Quiz”

This fun, online quiz takes 3-minutes to complete and you’ll get a personalized report. Identify your strengths and social style plus the training and positions you’re best suited for. Get Your Medical Laboratory Assistant Career Training Readiness Score Now >>

Practical “On-The-Job” Training

At Cambria College, we believe that you should not only complete training with theoretical knowledge, but with real experience in the industry. That’s why students in the Medical Lab Assistant program will complete a 120-hour practicum placement during their training.

Your practicum enables you to apply what you’ve learned in a real setting and gain not only experience to put on your resume, but also industry connections, references, and confidence.

Course Breakdown

Course No.	Course Name	Prerequisite	Hours
OP100	Office Procedures	NA	25
WP200	Word Processing	NA	25
BC300	Business Communications	NA	25
IMT400	Introduction to Medical Terminology	NA	25
EPL500	Ethics, Professionalism, and Legislation	NA	25
LPS600	Laboratory Procedures and Safety	EPL500	50
APT700	Human Anatomy, Physiology and Terminology	IMT400	125
MMA800	Laboratory Mathematics, Measurements & Accuracy	NA	25
IPA900	Infection Prevention & Asepsis	EPL500	25
CC1000	Clinical Chemistry	HP1300	50
LM1100	Laboratory Microbiology	HP1300	50
HC1200	Histology & Cytology	HP1300	25
HP1300	Hematology & Phlebotomy	IMT400, EPL500, LPS600, APT700, MMA800, IPA900	150
USC1400	Urinalysis & Special Collections	CC1000, HP1300	25
ECG1500	Cardiovascular System & ECG	NA	100
CS1600	Career Strategies	NA	25
WE1700	Work Experience	All courses listed above.	120
	TOTAL		895

Program Duration

Total Program Hours	895
Work Experience Hours	120
Total Program Weeks	37*

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements prior to acceptance into the program:

1. High School Graduation or equivalent OR mature student status (19 years or older prior to starting the program)

2. Meet one of the following English Language Proficiency requirements:

Minimum Grade 12 English (Domestic Students)
- For English as second language students;
  - International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall band of 6.0 or higher, with a minimum 6.0 in each band,
  - Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 60-78,
  - Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 or higher, with a minimum of 6.0 in all four skills,
  - Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL): Score of 60 or higher with no sub score less than 50,
  - Pearson Test of English (PTE): Score of 46 or higher,
  - Language Proficiency Index (LPI): Level 4 with an essay score of 26 or higher,

- Pass the College’s English Admission test with 60% or higher.

3. Clear Criminal Record Check Completion under the Criminal Record Review Program (CRRP).

4. Applicants must have a keyboarding speed of 40 wpm.

This program is approved by the Private Training Institution Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of the program, you will be able to:

You will be able to practice safely, and ethically as a medical lab assistant.
You will be able to provide professional medical laboratory services.
You will be able to collect, handle and process specimens for analysis according to professional and accepted medical laboratory operating standards and procedures.
You will be able to use medical laboratory equipment effectively and efficiently.
You will be able to use a variety of blood collection methods using proper techniques with standard precautions.
You will be able to perform cardiac monitoring tests.
You will be able to perform medical laboratory administrative tasks and requirements.

Program Fees

Domestic Students:

Application Fee: $150
Tuition: $15,250
Textbooks: $1,550

Total: $16,950

International Students:

Application Fee: $500
Tuition: $19,850
Textbooks: $1,550

Total: $21,900

Career Opportunities

This program prepares graduates for medical lab careers in a variety of public and private:

Healthcare settings
Hospital laboratories
Private clinics
Industry laboratories
Phlebotomy clinics

Designed to prepare graduates for NOC 3212.

To be submitted before work experience:

Proof of a negative TB skin test or chest x-ray.
Immunization requirements: Pertussis, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, Measles/Mumps/Rubella, Chicken Pox, Hepatitis B, Influenza
N95 Mask Fit testing (prior to practicum placement)

^*This admissions requirement change is pending approval by PTIB.

This program is approved by the Private Training Institution Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.

Is a Career as a Medical Lab Assistant Right for You? Get More Info…

If you’re interested in learning more about a career as a Medical Lab Assistant and exploring whether Cambria College is right for you, fill out the form on this page to receive more information.

For immediate questions, call your nearest Cambria College location today.

Richmond: (604) 242-4000
Surrey: (604) 416-5522
Vancouver: (604) 428-7500
Victoria: (778) 265-7547

*Program length when completed in normal time