August 13, 2019 Issue No. 6 One-Stop Online Clinical Preceptor Training Resource Although a gold standard for clinical preceptor training has not been identified as of yet, there are various valuable preceptor programs and resources available. The CSMLS Research Network has identified that a compiled list of such training programs would be useful to share nationally. As such, CSMLS has created a webpage containing information of the publicly available programs that the Research Network programs use. Training programs that have been created in-house and are not publicly available are not included in this online resource. Visit the Clinical Preceptor Training website for more information. Contact research@csmls.org if you would like more information, would like to post a program or resource, or would like more information about what in-house programs have been created. Thank you, Item Writing Volunteers!We would like to thank all our item writing volunteers who packed their suitcases, flew across the country and came to Hamilton for a few days of item writing in July. With their help, we developed and reviewed questions for our MLT General certification exam. We couldn’t have done it without them. Indigenous Resource to Foster UnderstandingIn June, CSMLS launched an online resource for members on their learning journey of Indigenous culture and health. Also provided is information about the relation between health, patient care and the medical laboratory. Practice Makes PerfectWe are excited to announce the addition of a practice test to help candidates prepare for the CSMLS Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) General certification exam*. The practice test will give those preparing for CSMLS MLT certification an understanding of how actual exam questions are structured as well as an understanding of the pacing needed to complete the exam within the time allotted. The practice test consists of 210 multiple choice questions covering all MLT competencies. After completing the practice test, students will be shown whether each question was answered correctly or not, allowing them to identify areas that may require additional study and confirm whether they are prepared for the CSMLS MLT certification exam. Those individuals who did not pass the June exam, and are registered for the August or October sessions, will have access to the practice test at a 75% off discount. All other candidates will pay regular pricing of $185 for members and $245 for non–members. Emails will be sent to those registered for the exam within the coming weeks. *Currently, only available in English. Update on June 2019 exam sessionThe June 2019 Exam session was our first offering of the MLT General exam on the computer-based platform for CSMLS. We were excited to use this platform to bring our testing standards in line with best practices in high-stakes examinations. However, unforeseen issues interrupted the delivery of this examination session and it was not the experience we anticipated for exam candidates. A detailed investigation has revealed that the excessive restart issue was caused by a defect in the test delivery software. The defect was introduced as part of a software update released just prior to the CSMLS certification exam date. An unforeseen consequence of the update was that it created instability in the platform. The defect was identified and corrected on June 13, 2019. We can assure you that the test results have been validated and we have discussed these issues with the Canadian Alliance of Medical Laboratory Professionals Regulators (CAMLPR), who have endorsed this exam session. However, due to the disruptions and irregularities many candidates experienced during the June 11, 2019 exam session we are offering all candidates who were unsuccessful in the MLT General session a free retake of this exam attempt. CAMLPR has agreed that the June 11 Exam will not count against candidates as an attempt. All candidates have received our communication for their next steps. Teaching Students with PodcastsRecently, we received a good news story from Jennifer O’Leary, an educator who has integrated episodes of The Objective Lens podcast into her course curriculum. We are happy to hear that educators have been able to adopt the podcast as an effective teaching tool for students of medical laboratory science. Haven’t heard any episodes yet? You might enjoy “The Lone Ranger,” which provides practical tools to help medical laboratory professionals navigate working solo. After that, check out “Oh the Places You’ll Go,” which talks about how volunteering within the profession can be both personally and professionally enriching.
Call for Grant SubmissionsCSMLS is excited to offer its members the opportunity to apply for two grants. For more information contact research@csmls.org. Funding: FOUR grants valued at $500 each. DEADLINE: Sept 13, 2019 Simulation and Clinical Placement Grant Funding: TWO grants valued at $1000 each. Deadline: Oct 21, 2019
New! Simulation Curricula DatabaseAt the CSMLS event “Uniting Simulation Education” held on Nov 15th 2018, we discussed the need for a simulation database and what programs required to help share their resources. The Medical Laboratory Simulation Curricula Database is designed for academic programs and clinical laboratory settings to exchange simulation curricula. The Database is a repository of simulation curricula across all simulation modalities, scenario development tools and templates, and learner assessment tools for evaluation or research. Check out the database and share with your coworkers and administration. We need to collect tools to populate the database! What can you contribute? If you have questions, please email Laura Zychla (lauraz@csmls.org). |