The Canadian Alliance of Medical Laboratory Professionals Regulators (CAMLPR) role is to establish standards of knowledge, skills, and judgement in the practice of medical laboratory technology. CAMLPR’s focus is on fair, efficient, effective, ethical, transparent, inclusive, regulatory approaches and practices for medical laboratory professional regulation across Canada.
As part of our legislated regulatory requirements, CAMLPRs has made the decision to assume the responsibility for the delivery of prior learning assessment and assessment/examination services.
CAMLPR announces the release of new competency profiles for the eight fields of practice within the medical laboratory technologist (MLT) profession. These competency profiles will be used by the CAMLPR affiliated authorities and other jurisdictions for the assessment and registration of all applicants for registration with health regulatory Colleges for medical laboratory technologists. We have enclosed the profiles for your information.
CAMLPR is currently preparing assessments based on these new competency profiles to examine internationally educated MLTs, non-traditionally educated applicants (BSc, MSc, PhD) and domestically educated applicants. These assessments will streamline the registration process, ensuring that new registrants possess the current knowledge and skills necessary for public safety.
- Starting November 1, 2025, all internationally educated medical laboratory technologists (IEMLTs) and non-traditionally educated applicants (BSc, MSc, PhD) must follow the CAMLPR Pathways application and registration processes. These include prior learning assessments and competency assessments (entry-to-practice exam).
- Beginning March 1, 2026, CAMLPR will administer these assessments to all registration applicants, including those educated domestically, based on the new CAMLPR competency profile. Those entering an accredited medical laboratory sciences program on or after March 1, 2026, will be required to pass the CAMLPR assessment (exam).
- For applicants who have not been registered for practice prior to these dates, CAMLPR will work with key partners to develop a transition plan.
Details and timelines will be determined by the CAMLPR transition group following consultation with key partners.
The newly developed competency profiles provide a comprehensive framework outlining the essential skills, knowledge, and judgment required for safe, efficient, and ethical practice within each field of MLT. These profiles serve multiple purposes:
- Standardizing Assessments: Ensuring that the assessment of education and practice is consistent across various settings, thereby upholding public safety and performance standards.
- Defining Ethical Expectations: Supporting professional integrity by detailing the ethical conduct expected from practitioners.
- Guiding Professional Development: Offering a clear pathway for practitioners to assess and enhance their competencies for career growth.
Development Process:
- Spring 2023: Subject matter experts were engaged to verify and clarify the knowledge required of entry-level practitioners.
- Summer 2023: The Competency Development Advisory Committee (CDAC), comprising representatives from CAMLPR, the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS), MLTs, educational institutions, and other key stakeholders, provided input on the competencies.
- Fall 2023: MLT stakeholders, including clinical practitioners, employers, educators, and government representatives, reviewed the competency profiles through an online survey.
- Winter 2023-24: Employers were surveyed regarding techniques and competencies required in Core Lab Settings.
The CAMLPR Steering Committee refined the draft competency profiles based on feedback from each stage of the process. This approach ensures the profiles reflect current requirements and are adaptable to future changes within the medical laboratory technology sector.
More information on the new registration process will be forthcoming from CAMLPR.
We look forward to supporting you in this transition.
Sincerely,
Adam Chrobak
CAMLPR Board Chair
Registrar of The College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Manitoba (CMLTM)