April 18, 2019 Issue No. 4 Report on the State of CSMLS Computer Based Testing (CBT) Phase One – MLA Exam, 2019-FEB-28: The CSMLS CBT process rolled out smoothly and generated a 99% approval rating among all MLAs across Canada. While there were some minor issues, all were dealt with professionally and quickly, leaving an overall good impression. Phase Two – MLT General Exam, 2019-JUN-11: While the back-end processes necessary to set up the exam on the computer-based platform are being completed on schedule, the delivery of exam sites has been an issue for our candidates in the Atlantic Provinces and in northern BC. While Northern BC was resolved fairly quickly, and NS and NL are well on their way to being so, currently issues in NB remain. Our vendor is working diligently to sort them out. We are expecting this to be resolved shortly. Thankfully, the second iteration of the MLA exam is running smoothly. Phase Three – MLT Clinical Genetics and Diagnostic Cytology, 2019-OCT-15: This is planned to take place for the October exam session. Currently, we are determining whether Clinical Genetics will still have a paper component (for images) but we are working with our vendor for a suitable computer based solution. The Newly Certified Graduate Employment ReportThe Newly Certified Graduate Employment Report examines the employment rate of medical laboratory professionals who were successful in passing the CSMLS certification exam within a specified year. It provides an indication of labour market needs for professionals and employers as well as vital information for academic programs and students evaluating entrance into the profession. 93% of newly certified medical laboratory technologists surveyed said they were employed at certification level by six months after certification. There are more stats where that came from. Read the full CSMLS Newly Certified Graduate Employment Survey (2017 Graduates) here: National Medical Laboratory WeekCelebrate National Medical Laboratory Week from April 21-27, 2019 with your students. We’ve created an online toolkit with free materials, like web banners and pre-written social posts, to help you recognize, appreciate and celebrate the critical work medical laboratory professionals perform every day. In addition to this toolkit, we urge you and your students to share the website medlabprofessionals.ca with friends, family, coworkers and the entire world. With this website, the public can learn how medical laboratory professionals are essential members of any patient’s health care team. Clinical Preceptor Training Webpage LinkIn discussion with the CSMLS Research Network (reps from 13 academic programs), medical laboratory academic programs are using different clinical preceptor training methods and guides which are tailored to local needs. At present, a gold standard has not been identified. However, there is a wide variety of valuable preceptor programs and resources available. The Research Network identified that compiled list of such training program would be useful to share nationally. CSMLS has created a webpage containing information of the publicly available programs that the Research Network programs use. Not included, are those training programs that have been created in-house and are not publicly available. 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. Centennial College Preceptor Workshop and Training EventCentennial College is hosting a Preceptor Workshop and Training Event on Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Please RSVP by Tuesday, April 23, 2019. Admission is free. This workshop offers professional development sessions designed to extend your knowledge as a preceptor and explore ideas, challenges, and solutions for building effective preceptorships for your Centennial MLAB students. The day will also include breakout sessions and the opportunity to connect with other preceptors in similar roles. For more information about the event use the RSVP link. The Textbook Reference Lists Have Been Updated |