INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGISTS OR APPLICANTS WHO DID NOT GRADUATE FROM CMA ACCREDITED PROGRAMS

If an applicant's educational program is not Canadian Medical Association (CMA) -accredited, the applicant's education and experience must be assessed for equivalency to the Canadian Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) education.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)

The PLA evaluated education and experience for equivalency to Canadian MLT education. Internationally educated medical laboratory technologists and graduates from Canadian programs that are not CMA-accredited must complete a PLA. The Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Sciences (CSMLS) PLA is the only assessment accepted by the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Manitoba (CMLTM).

There are three sections to the PLA:

1) Evaluation of academic and educational qualifications by International Credential Evaluation Services (ICES)

3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC V5G 3H2
Telephone: (604) 432-8800
E-mail: icesinfo@bcit.ca

The evaluation will be provided to the applicant and the CSMLS.

2) Evaluation of past training experience by the CSMLS. There is a fee for this evaluation. Contact the CSMLS for the current application fee.

3) Evaluation of English or French fluency by TOEFL tests (see details below).

International Credential Evaluation Services evaluates the academic and educational qualifications by examining information provided by the applicant. Credentials obtained from secondary school, college, university or other educational intuitions are reviewed. Evaluations are then sent directly from the ICES to both the applicant and the CSMLS.

The applicant may also be required to complete a medical laboratory technology related “supervised work experience” program. This program will establish the applicant's ability to work with the methodologies and equipment employed in Canadian medical laboratories.

Once the CSMLS confirms equivalency to a Canadian CMA-accredited program, an applicant may apply to the CSMLS to write CSMLS national certification examinations. The CSMLS examinations fulfill the examination requirement for CMLTM licensure. CSMLS examinations are competency-based and offered yearly in February, June and October. Applicants are encouraged to visit the CSMLS web site at www.csmls.org, or contact CSMLS at 1-800-263-8277.

Applicants may apply to the CMLTM for licensure and may be granted “Conditional Licensure” for a period not to exceed 14 months. This provides the applicant with the opportunity to write the CSMLS national certification examinations. If the applicant fails to successfully pass the CSMLS certification examinations within 3 attempts, the applicant will have their Conditional License revoked.

If the applicant successfully challenges the CSMLS certification examination, CMLTM will automatically move the applicant to the appropriate “Active” or “Inactive” Roster.

CMLTM CONDITIONAL REGISTRATION

The CMLTM Regulation pursuant to the Medical Laboratory Technologists Act provides:

Eligibility for Conditional Registration

6(1) An applicant is eligible for registration on the conditional register if he or she

(a) has successfully completed all academic and clinical course requirements to become eligible to take the examination,

(b) intends to begin:

(i) as a recent graduate, mentored practice before taking the examination or while awaiting the results of the examination.

(ii) as an international candidate, supervised practice:

(A) under sub clause 4(3) (b) (ii) or (iii)

(B) before taking the examination, or

(iii) as a re-entry candidate who applies after June 1, 2012 and who has not practiced for a minimum of 1,200 hours in the immediatelypreceding 5 year period, mandatory supervised practice acceptable to the Board of Assessors.

(c)as a recent graduate under sub clause (b) (ii) or an international candidate under sub clause (b) (ii) who has failed the examination, intends to begin mandatory clinical practice hours under supervision;

(d) as a re-entry candidate under sub clause (b) (iii) provides evidence satisfactory to the Board of Assessors of the number of hours practiced in the five year period immediately preceding the year for which registration is sought

(e) provides evidence that he or she meets the liability insurance requirements under section 18;

(f) having a first language that is neither English nor French, is able to speak and write either English or French in accordance with the language fluency criteria established by the council; and

(g) when required by the Board of Assessors, provides evidence of registration or membership in good standing with a body or organization empowered in a jurisdiction outside Manitoba to register or receive medical laboratory technologists as members, and the Board of Assessors is satisfied that the academic standards fixed by that body or organization for the registration or admission of members are substantially the same as those required by the Council.

Application for Conditional Registration

6(2) An applicant for conditional registration must submit the following to the Board of Assessors:

(a) a completed application form

(b) evidence that he or she meets the eligibility requirements of subsection (1) and clauses 4(1) (b) and (e);

(d) evidence that he or she meets the liability insurance requirement under section18;

(e) the fee provided for in the by-laws.

Applicant Cannot Produce Evidence of Education

4(3) An applicant who cannot produce evidence of or information relating to his or her medical laboratory education satisfactory to the Board of Assessors may be permitted to register if he or she:

(a) has undergone an assessment of his or her prior learning as may be required by the Board of Assessors;

(b) has successfully completed

(i) a course of instruction,

(ii) a period of supervised practice, or

(iii) a course of instruction and a period of supervised practice.

as may be required and set by the Board of Assessors; and

Liability Protection

18 Every member who provides clinical services must obtain, or be covered by, and maintain liability insurance coverage to a minimum of $2,000,000.

ENGLISH OR FRENCH FLUENCY

English or French fluency is a CMLTM registration requirement. If an applicant's education was obtained in a language other than English or French then testing for fluency will be required. If an evaluation is needed, the CSMLS will advise the applicant to contact the following organization to arrange for testing:

TOEFL

PO Box 6151

Princeton, New Jersey, USA 08541

Phone - (609) 771-7100

Fax - (609) 771-7500

Web site - www.ets.org

TOEFL registration forms are available online.

To register with CMLTM, a minimum pass score is required on the TOEFL evaluation. The CMLTM and CSMLS minimum scores are the same.

On July 1, 2008 CSMLS introduced a new two-stage language proficiency standard. Internationally educated MLTs will be able to apply for Prior Learning Assessment at CLB 6 - a final score of CLB 8 will still be required to establish eligibility to write the national CSMLS certification examination. Please see the tables below

Two Stage Language Proficiency Requirements

Quick Reference

CLB 6 - level of language proficiency must be met for a Technical Review

TEST	Test Minimum Score - (CLB 6) TECHNICAL REVIEW
TOEFL iBT	Total score is 61 - 79
IELTS - A	Listening - 5.5, Reading - 5.5, Writing - 5.5, Speaking - 5.5
IELTS - P	Listening - 5.5, Reading - 5.5, Writing - 5.5, Speaking - 5.5
CanTest	Listening - 3, Reading - 3, Writing -3, and Speaking -3

CLB 8 - level of language proficiency must be met to become eligible to write CSMLS exam

TEST	Test Minimum Score -(CLB 8) - Equivalent and Eligible to Examination
TOEFL iBT	Total Score is 90; with minimum section scores: Listening - 21, Reading - 21, Writing - 21, Speaking - 24
TOEFL and TSE-P	TOEFL computer based - 230 or TOEFL paper based - 580 and TSE-P minimum score of 50
IELTS-A	Listening - 7.0, Reading - 7.0, Writing - 7.0, and Speaking - 7.0
IELTS-P	Listening - 7.0, Reading - 7.0, Writing - 7.0, and Speaking - 7.0
CanTest	Listening - 4, Reading - 4, Writing - 4, and Speaking - 4