Perspectives

Sixty Years and Counting – June (Eamer) MacDonald, MLT (G-50)

The following excerpts are taken from a Perspectives article that was published in the Winter 2011 edition of the Canadian Journal of Medical Laboratory Science (CjMLS).

On the first Monday of October, 1948, six young women gathered in the hall at the Pathology Labs, Ottawa Civic Hospital. These were my classmates for the 1948-1949 class of medical technology students, ready to begin our first day of training.  The class consisted of Thelma Taylor, Muriel Patterson, Trudy Shotter, Evelyn Brownridge, Ora Klyne, and myself.  We had all met the entrance requirements, which included graduation from Grade 13, with two science subjects and one math. We were greeted by Margaret Rutherford, head technologist of the Haematology department and chief mentor for the students.  She divided us into three teams of two; Thelma and Trudy, Evelyn and Muriel, and Ora and myself.  Our training was to take 12 months, in which time we would rotate among the various lab departments; three months in each of the major departments of Bio-chemistry, Microbiology, Haematology and the remaining time divided among Histology, ECG and BMR, Blood Banking and Serology, which was taught at the Provincial Lab in downtown Ottawa.

The course was heavily weighted on the practical side of laboratory technology, with instruction provided by the charge technologist in each department. We acquired our theoretical knowledge by reading the textbooks provided, and were expected to study on our own since there was no one assigned specifically to teach the students.  There was no charge for enrolling in the course, and the hospital provided lab coats and lunch.  Five of the six students were from out of town and paid our own room and board for the 12-month period. At the end of the training period, we would take the examinations drawn up by the Canadian Society of Laboratory Technologists and if we were successful, we would be registered with the CSLT and have the initials R.T. (Registered Technologist) after our name.

To read the article in full, view the winter 2011 CjMLS edition.