Add a scope of practice

Medical Laboratory Scientist

Registered Medical Laboratory Scientists seeking employment as a Medical Laboratory Technician or Medical Laboratory Pre-Analytical Technician, need to hold an APC as a technician or a pre-analytical technician.  You must apply to the Council to add the scope of practice. 

As a Medical Laboratory Technician or Medical Laboratory Pre-Analytical Technician you:

• will be required to work under the direction of a registered medical laboratory scientist or other appropriately registered health practitioner; and
• medical laboratory technicians must meet the Council's recertification requirements for medical laboratory technicians. 

Registered pre-analytical technician seeking employment as a technician, you can apply to the Council to add the scope of practice.  Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis but take into account whether you hold an approved qualification or are an overseas trained applicant.

Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science & Graduate Diploma in Science

Medical Laboratory and Pre-Analytical Technician

The two qualification programmes providing registered Medical Laboratory Technicians or Medical Laboratory Pre-Analytical Technicians an alternative route to Medical Laboratory Science registration are:

• The Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science (Medical Laboratory Science) offered by Massey University (Palmerston North Campus) 
• The Graduate Diploma in Science offered by Auckland University of Technology 

You can only apply to enrol in either of the programmes offered if you are a registered medical laboratory technician or a registered medical laboratory pre-analytical technician, and have worked for at least 12 months fulltime in a suitable medical laboratory in New Zealand prior to commencement of either programme.

We understand Massey University are no longer taking new enrolments for the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science (Medical Laboratory Science). Please contact Massey University for any questions relating to the programme. 

Employment

You must be employed in an ISO 15189 accredited diagnostic medical laboratory as a registered medical laboratory technician and provide evidence to the Council (prior to the commencement starting the programme) of support from your employer to undertake the practical (laboratory) components of the programme.

Should you change employment during the course of your graduate diploma study programme, you will need to provide the Council with evidence of support from your new employer.  Your new employer (diagnostic medical laboratory) will need to be ISO 15189 accredited.

Approval process

You must have Council’s approval to take the Graduate Diploma Programme route to registration as a Medical Laboratory Scientist.  You need to provide the Council with the following documentation:

• Diploma Route to Registration application form completed by your employer
• Evidence of enrolment in the Graduate Diploma in Science 

On completion of the Graduate Diploma in Science:

Once you have completed the Graduate Diploma in Science course of study and applied on-line to the Council for registration as a medical laboratory scientist; you must be able to show that, post enrolment, you have a minimum of 2 years fulltime (or equivalent) work experience in a ISO 15189 accredited diagnostic medical laboratory. 

Applying for an APC

Once you are registered, you must apply to the Council for an annual practising certificate (APC).