ANZSCO 234611: Medical Laboratory Scientist

Skill Level: 1 | Assessing Authority: AIMS

Medical Laboratory Scientists are normally employed in medical pathology laboratories, and they work in the field of laboratory medicine. They conduct medical laboratory tests on blood, body fluids and tissues and apply knowledge and methodology from various scientific disciplines to assist clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human disease. Responsibilities include the quality and reliability of test results and may include interpretation of these results and the development of new test procedures.

Skills Assessment Pathway

Applicants who desire to migrate to Australia as a Medical Laboratory Scientist under the General Skilled Migration visa categories are required to have their skills assessed by AIMS.

Option 1 – AIMS Accredited Degree

Those who have completed an AIMS accredited program will be classified as a Medical Laboratory Scientist ANZSCO 234611. Applicants will not be required to take the AIMS Medical Laboratory Scientist Professional Examination.

A list of current AIMS accredited programs can be found on the AIMS website.

Option 2 – Acceptable Science Degree

Applicants who do not hold an AIMS-accredited degree will be assessed in two stages:

Stage 1: a document assessment, and

Stage 2: is a written examination (the AIMS Medical Laboratory Scientist Professional Examination).

Stage 1: Document Assessment

The minimum requirements are:

• That an applicant has completed an acceptable science degree (AQF level 7 or 8 qualification); and
• A minimum of two (2) years full-time (or part-time equivalent) postgraduate professional experience in a medical pathology laboratory, one (1) year of which must be completed wholly within the five (5) year period immediately prior to applying for assessment will usually be assessed as eligible to sit the AIMS Professional Examination.

Stage 2: Professional Examination

If applicants pass stage 1 Option 2, they will be required to take the AIMS Medical Laboratory Scientist Professional Examination.

• The AIMS Professional Examination is a Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) paper consisting of 150 single response questions to be completed in three (3) hours.
• The examination consists of seven (7) sections covering the following professional disciplines: Anatomical Pathology*, Chemical Pathology*, Genomic Pathology, Haematology*, Immunopathology, Medical Microbiology* and Transfusion

Science*. Questions MUST be attempted in all sections and those disciplines asterisked (*) MUST be passed (i.e., at least 50% in each discipline). To pass the examination overall, 80 questions MUST be answered correctly.

Option 3 – Postgraduate studies with medical laboratory experience

Option 3 is for applicants who do not hold an AIMS accredited degree, or who do not have a degree/s with subjects that meet the AIMS minimum requirement for an acceptable science degree, or meet the criteria of being relevant to pathology, may be assessed as a Medical Laboratory Scientist if their qualifications and skills satisfy the following requirements.

Applicants will be assessed in two stages:

Stage 1 a document assessment, and

Stage 2 a written examination (the AIMS Medical Laboratory Scientist Special Professional Examination).

Stage 1: Document Assessment

The minimum requirements are:

Academic qualifications:

A science degree/s with subjects relevant to life science or biological science or medical /biomedical science or veterinary science; and

• a professional discipline specific taught Master degree (AQF level 9) with a pathology laboratory based research project; or
• a professional doctorate (AQF level 10) in a professional discipline; or
• a Doctor of Philosophy (AQF level 10) that has a research topic and laboratory techniques with application in the conduct of medical laboratory tests to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and prevention of human disease.

Work Experience:

Evidence of at least two (2) years full-time (or part-time equivalent) of relevant post-doctoral employment at the required skill level in a medical pathology laboratory, one (1) year of which must be completed wholly within the five (5) year period immediately prior to applying for assessment.

Stage 2: Professional Examination

If applicants pass stage 1 Option 3, they will be required to take the AIMS Medical Laboratory Scientist Special Professional Examination.

• The AIMS special professional examination is an essay, short answer and multiple-choice question paper to be completed in two (2) hours.
• Questions in this paper focus on pathology laboratory operations and include topics on laboratory accreditation, quality control, quality assurance and quality systems, pre-analytic factors impacting laboratory results, regulations and requirements governing laboratory operations e.g., health and safety, safe transport of samples, waste disposal, ethics, integrity of patient information etc. The pass mark for this paper is 50%.

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