Training

How do I become a clinical chemist?

There are several routes to becoming a Clinical Chemist in Canada.  The most common is first to obtain a Ph.D. in a branch of chemistry or life science (often biochemistry or physiology) and then to enter a two-year Postdoctoral Training Program in Clinical Chemistry (one centre has a 3-year program).  Such programs, available at 4 universities in Canada are directed toward acquiring professional competence as well as a small research complement. 

Professional competence is assessed through written and oral examinations set and supervised by the Canadian Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (CACB), a body within the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists (CSCC).  A Specialty Certificate is awarded following successful completion of the examinations.  A few Clinical Chemists enter the field via a Doctoral Program in Clinical Chemistry, which incorporated a hospital laboratory rotation as part of the Ph.D. requirements.

Postdoctoral Training Programs

University of Toronto, Toronto Ontario
Program Head:  Dr. Khosrow Adeli  [k.adeli@utoronto.ca]

McMaster University, Hamilton Ontario
Program Head:  Dr. Stephen Hill  [hillstev@hhsc.ca]
Medical Biochemistry Director:  Dr. V. Tony Chetty  [chetty@hhsc.ca]

Université de Montréal,Montréal, Québec
(D.E.P.D.; Diplôme d'Études Post-Doctorales)
Program Head:  Dr. Roger Sanfaçon  [rsanfacon.hmr@ssss.gouv.gc.ca]

University of Manitoba, Winnipeg Manitoba
Program Head:  Dr. Lorne Seargeant  [lseargeant@exchange.hsc.mb.ca]

For more information on Postdoctoral Training Programs, write to the Program Head at any of the centres listed. If you have a university degree from a university outside Canada or the USA, and need your credentials assess and recognized for one of these programs, please consult the Government of Canada Foreign Credentials Referred Office at www.credentials.gc.ca (1-888-854-1805).

For more detailed information on the examination process, go to the Certification page, which includes the Syllabus (English and French versions), and copies of recent examinations.