Find the program that fits your plan.

Questions about picking a program

• Which ABES program gets me working the soonest?

  Medical Laboratory Assistant is the shortest, at 19 weeks. But length is only half of it: how often a program starts decides when you can begin.

  • Unit Clerk and Medical Office Assistant starts almost every month.
  • Medical Device Reprocessing starts a few times a year.
  • Practical Nursing starts only a couple of times a year.

  In the table above, sort by Shortest first, then check Next start.

• Health Care Aide or Practical Nursing: how do I choose?

  They are separate credentials with very different commitments. Length and tuition for both are in the table above.

  • Health Care Aide is a certificate. Tuition covers books, scrubs, immunization records and the Alberta Health Care Aide provincial registry exam fee. Practicum: 320 hrs with Calgary-area employers. Entry: Grade 10 English or a Canadian Language Benchmark of 7.
  • Practical Nursing is a diploma approved by the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta. Practicum: 765 clinical hrs via AHS & partners. Afterwards you write the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination to register as an LPN. Entry: high school standing, including Biology and Math.
• Medical Laboratory Assistant or Medical Device Reprocessing: which lab program fits me?

  Start with the entry requirement, because it decides the question for a lot of people.

  • Medical Device Reprocessing asks for two years of post-secondary training in health care or life sciences, plus Grade 10 English or a Canadian Language Benchmark of 7. It runs in partnership with Alberta Health Services. The work is surgical instruments, not patients. Practicum: 8 weeks full-time (320 hrs) in AHS sites.
  • Medical Laboratory Assistant runs in partnership with Alberta Precision Laboratories. The work is patient facing. Practicum: 5 weeks full-time via Alberta Precision Labs, in phlebotomy.
• Unit Clerk and Medical Office Assistant, Pharmacy Assistant, or Dental Office Administration: which office program?

  The three are within a week of each other in length, so choose by the setting you want to work in.

  • Unit Clerk and Medical Office Assistant gives you a dual diploma in both roles, with training on the Epic and Connect Care system Alberta hospitals use. Practicum: 6 weeks full-time, with Alberta Health Services or a private medical office.
  • Pharmacy Assistant is open to work permit holders as well as permanent residents and citizens. Practicum: 6 weeks full-time (240 hrs) in a pharmacy.
  • Dental Office Administration trains you on the dental practice software offices actually use, including RecallMax. Practicum: 4 weeks full-time in a Calgary dental office.
• Does funding work the same way for every ABES program?

  Yes. The options are the same across the board.

  • All ABES programs are designated, so every one is eligible for full-time and part-time funding from Alberta Student Aid.
  • Indigenous sponsorship is billed directly to Treaty 7 nations and the Métis Nation of Alberta, where that applies.
  • An admissions advisor can walk you through payment options for the program you pick.

  What changes is the amount you fund. See Tuition in the table above.

• Do I have to find my own practicum, whichever program I choose?

  No. ABES arranges your placement for you, at no extra cost, in every program. Where you go and for how long differs:

  • Dental Office Administration: 4 weeks full-time in a Calgary dental office
  • Medical Laboratory Assistant: 5 weeks full-time via Alberta Precision Labs
  • Pharmacy Assistant: 6 weeks full-time (240 hrs) in a pharmacy
  • Unit Clerk and Medical Office Assistant: 6 weeks full-time
  • Community Support Worker: 7 weeks full-time
  • Medical Device Reprocessing: 8 weeks full-time (320 hrs) in AHS sites
  • Health Care Aide: 320 hrs with Calgary-area employers
  • Practical Nursing: 765 clinical hrs via AHS & partners