New Learning Pathways
We're Here to Help Your Career Thrive
PHOTOGRAPHY: SYDA PRODUCTIONS/ADOBE STOCK
In the Fall 2025 CJMLS, we reviewed the meaningful contributions of the New Professionals Task Force — a volunteer group of CSMLS members in the early stages of their careers who told us what they and their peers need to start their careers off right. Those conversations inspired us to design several new programs, one of which is our new Learning Pathways to help you navigate our very deep Learning Centre. As Canada’s national professional association for medical laboratory professionals (MLPs), CSMLS has decades of experience offering continuing education programs and courses. But we know that a library as large as ours can also become a challenge to navigate. So, we’re offering you a map! Our Learning Pathways are flexible, guided learning experiences designed to help you build the skills needed to achieve your professional goals. Developed by volunteer subject matter experts, each pathway curates the most relevant content from the Learning Centre into a cohesive sequence of courses and resources. So far, we have launched three pathways, with more planned for the future. Whether you are a new professional feeling anxious and uncertain about your career path, an experienced MLP aiming to climb the leadership ladder but unsure of the skills required, or a medical laboratory assistant (MLA) looking to expand your knowledge or explore alternative career options beyond routine positions, our Learning Pathways provide easy-to-use resources that will help you find the answers you need.
How do the Pathways work?
To streamline your educational journey, the pathways compile key topics and themes from various formats, including Express Courses, Intensive Courses, webinars, CJMLS articles, quizzes and more. Each pathway follows a structured yet flexible curriculum. You can complete the whole pathway, or just what you need, and move on.
Pathway 1: New Professionals
If you’re newer to the medical lab profession, it’s understandable if you feel anxious about planning your career and figuring out your next steps. Transitioning from school to the workplace involves significant learning, and it can be intimidating to navigate interviews or even change jobs. This pathway will help you understand how to land your first or next job, master both in-person and virtual networking, clarify expectations in the lab role, and learn the unwritten rules of working in a laboratory, among other important topics.
Some of the resources included in this pathway are:
- “How to Network and Get the Ideas, Advice and Help You Need” (Webinar)
- “Surviving Laboratory Culture: What I Would Have Done Differently” (CJMLS article)
- The Objective Lens “Episode 30: A Coffee Invitation to Career Development” (Podcast Episode)
Pathway 2: Leadership
As a more experienced MLP, you may feel confident in your current role but are starting to think about seeking new challenges. If one of your career goals is a move to leadership but you are unsure how to prepare, this pathway is designed for you. It offers resources to help you identify and build on your strengths, address skill gaps, and develop essential leadership competencies. Topics include communication, interpersonal skills, strategic thinking and decision-making.
Resources in this pathway include:
- “Leadership is for Everyone — Yes, That Means You” (Webinar)
- Quality Systems for the Clinical Laboratory (Course series)
- “From Bench to Business: Transferable Skills that are Applicable Outside of the Lab Environment” (Webinar)
Pathway 3: Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLAs)
The MLA roles in Canada have evolved significantly in recent years. Whether you are adapting to new responsibilities, seeking to expand your career options, or refreshing your skills, this pathway is designed to support your professional development. You will explore soft skills and emotional intelligence tools to help you thrive in a changing work environment, examine diverse career outcomes, and learn about emerging trends such as automation and artificial intelligence.
Some of the resources included in this pathway are:
- “MLAs in Transfusion Medicine!? Rethinking Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program’s (HRLMP) Transfusion Medicine Labs” (Webinar)
- “Exploring Medical Laboratory Careers in British Columbia” (Webinar)
- “Safety in the Laboratory” (Webinar)
CSMLS is here to support you at every stage of your career. We hope these Learning Pathways help you achieve your professional goals and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to supporting a thriving and successful career in medical laboratory science.
To learn more about this and other CSMLS projects, please stay tuned to eNEWS and our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.