OSMT & CSMLS Certification Programs
The Ontario Society
of Medical Technologists (OSMT) has received several questions about the
certification programs of lab assistants/technicians offered by the OSMT and by
the national society, the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science
(CSMLS). The OSMT would
like to share these questions and answers in order to provide an understanding
of the differences between the two programs.
Question: What is the difference between being certified with the OSMT
and being certified with CSMLS?
The OSMT has been
offering a laboratory assistant/technician program since 1988 and to date has
certified approximately 4,500 individuals in Ontario as Medical Laboratory
Assistants/Technicians (MLA/Ts). The
OSMT’s certification program is based on current practises in the laboratory
workplace in Ontario. These
practises are reflected in the OSMT’s “MLA/T Core Competency
Guidelines” that are used by schools to design lab assistant/technician
training programs.
By law, all such training
programs must be registered and approved by the Ontario Ministry of
Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU).
The OSMT has an agreement with the Ministry to assess and approve school
programs. The Ministry will not
approve a lab assistant training program that has not been approved by the OSMT.
Many years ago, the CSMLS offered a certification program for lab assistants but discontinued it in the early 1980’s because the scopes of practise of lab assistants varied so greatly from province to province that it was impossible to set a national standard. This situation has unfortunately not changed as lab assistants continue to perform differing levels of duties in many of the provinces. Needless to say, this is a concern and we commend the CSMLS for attempting to address the situation for the provinces that have no minimum standards by re-introducing a national certification program. The “pre-analytical” scope of national certification should help to fulfill the need for at least some level of standards in the provinces that have none of their own.
Here, in Ontario, we are very fortunate to have a higher-level certification process that was designed specifically for our province’s needs. British Columbia, with very similar workplace practises, also provides certification to individuals who graduate from programs approved by the BCSLS as well as to people who have received MLA/T certification from the OSMT.
Question: Will we get a certificate when we pass the exam with OSMT?
The OSMT issues a “Medical
Laboratory Assistant/Technician (MLA/T)” certificate to every individual
who successfully passes the OSMT exam as well as an official letter with
notification of the final mark. MLA/Ts
then become eligible for membership with the Society, enjoying the same rights
and privileges as Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs).
Question: Will we get a certificate when we pass the exam with CSMLS?
According to a CSMLS
by-law, only CSMLS members may hold CSMLS certificates.
Upon passing the CSMLS exam, individuals will receive a record of result
but will only receive a certificate
upon request if they become members of the CSMLS. The certificate must however be returned to the national
society should an individual later choose to discontinue membership.
Question: Will the certification for OSMT or CSMLS be accepted in the
other provinces? In the U.S?
The question about
“acceptance” in the other provinces is difficult to answer because at, the
present time, lab assistants/technicians do not have “regulated health
profession” status in any province. We
would therefore have to look at the individual provincial “acts” or
“regulations” that apply to health care provision to determine whether there
are any provisions for the “qualifications” or “scopes of practise” of
lab assistants/technicians. In
Ontario, there are some provisions for lab “technicians” in an Ontario
regulation which are detailed in the “OSMT MLA/T Core Competency
Guidelines”.
Legislation covering lab
assistants varies greatly from province to province.
This inconsistency is illustrated by comparing the province of British
Columbia, where there is no legislation for lab assistants, and the province of
Quebec, where legislation prohibits lab assistants from practising at all.
Relative to the question
about “acceptance” of OSMT or CSMLS certification in the United States, I
would think that the scopes of practise might again vary from state to state.
A definitive answer as to whether either certification would be
recognized is impossible to give at this time.
I believe that the
“acceptance” factor of most concern is about the level of recognition given
by employers to certification. In
Ontario, you will find that most laboratories favour those who hold an OSMT
MLA/T certificate and that many laboratories will actually require OSMT
certification as a pre-requisite to employment.
I do not know how one can
predict the employer acceptance of national certification as the first exam
sitting is only taking place in June 2003.
One important
consideration when deciding which exam to take….
The federal government
has delegated the provision of health care to the provincial health ministries
and the job of regulating health professionals is also a provincial
responsibility. You may be aware
that the OSMT is considering the pursuit of “regulated health profession”
status for people who have been certified as Medical Laboratory
Assistants/Technicians by the OSMT. In
this respect, the OSMT would of course give full and, in all probability,
exclusive support to the recognition of the credentials of the individuals who
hold OSMT MLA/T certification.
For a better
understanding of the situation in Ontario please refer to an article that I have
written about “regulated health professions” and legislation that covers lab
assistants/technicians. It is
posted on the OSMT website. (www.osmt.org -- click on “Advocate Magazine”,
click on “Information for MLA/Ts about professional regulation”).
Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Blanca McArthur
Executive Director