What a medical laboratory technician does
Medical laboratory technicians, often called medical laboratory assistants, collect and prepare specimens for testing. Their work includes phlebotomy, specimen labelling and processing, data entry and, in some settings, performing ECGs or basic point-of-care tests. Accurate labelling and handling protect the reliability of every result. For an employer, a skilled technician keeps collection waits down, reduces recollections and gives patients a calm, competent experience.
This role is different from a medical laboratory technologist, who performs and interprets laboratory analyses and must be registered with the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario (CMLTO). Technicians and assistants are not regulated in Ontario, so training and hands-on skill need careful checking. Finch confirms the candidate's program, certification and phlebotomy experience, and makes sure the duties you describe fit the role you are hiring for.
Typical responsibilities
- Collect blood and other specimens using safe venipuncture techniques
- Label, process, centrifuge and prepare specimens for testing or transport
- Enter requisition and patient information accurately into the laboratory system
- Perform ECGs or point-of-care tests where the setting requires
- Follow infection prevention, biohazard and specimen handling procedures
- Maintain supplies and clean equipment and collection areas
Qualifications and credentials
- Medical laboratory assistant or technician diploma or certificate from a recognized program
- Certification through the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS), which many employers prefer
- Demonstrated phlebotomy experience, including with children or older adults where relevant
- Knowledge of specimen handling, labelling and transport requirements
- An understanding that technologist duties, such as performing and interpreting analyses, require CMLTO registration
Who hires a medical laboratory technician
- Community laboratories and patient service centres
- Hospital laboratories
- Medical and specialty clinics with collection services
- Fertility, research and diagnostic clinics
- Occupational and insurance testing services
Where we recruit medical laboratory technician candidates
We fill medical laboratory technician roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- Confirm the training program completed and any CSMLS certification
- Review phlebotomy experience and the patient groups the candidate has worked with
- Check knowledge of specimen labelling and handling protocols
- Confirm the role's duties fit an unregulated technician rather than a regulated technologist
- Check references from lab supervisors
Interview questions to ask
- How do you make sure every specimen is labelled correctly during a busy morning?
- What do you do when a draw is unsuccessful and the patient is anxious?
- How do you put a nervous patient at ease before a blood draw?