February 7, 2009: More on Certification and Recertification

There have been some bumps in the road as the newly merged Board of Certification becomes operational.   Some issues were encountered with the merging of the NCA and ASCP-BOR data bases.  It was intended that for active NCA certificants, their NCA contact information would over-write any older information that was in the old ASCP-BOR data base. Apparently in some instances, that did not happen, and the old information was retained.

All NCA certificants are encouraged to visit the Board of Certification web site by June 2010 to set up a profile with their most recent information, including email address.  On the web page, http://ascp.org/FunctionalNavigation/certification/CertificationMaintenanceProgramCMP.aspx

Select Create Account from the menu on the right.  If you run into issues with access, feel free to contact ASCP-BOC staff for assistance. The BOC has added customer service staff and has reduced wait time for calls to be handled. If you need to go above the person who is helping you, the certification director is Gerry Piskorski.

Former NCA certificants who are due to recertify in February are encouraged to use the on-line declaration to enter continuing education credits. Remember that during 2010, any distribution of laboratory-related CE credits is acceptable.

The merger agreement between NCA and the old ASCP-BOR provided that all sponsoring organizations would have access to the data base of certificants for purposes of marketing membership in their member organizations, ASCLS, ASCP, and AGT. (As of 2/5/10, ASCLS does not yet have the newly merged data base.)  Remember that certification and membership are not the same thing! ASCP as a membership organization is marketing a dual membership and recertification program called re-Member. Although this offers a discounted rate over separate recertification and membership, please renew your ASCLS membership and recertify through the BOC when recertification is due, and encourage your colleagues to do the same.

Your ASCLS representatives to the BOC are pushing for clearer “unbundling” of the BOC from the ASCP membership organization. We have also raised the issue of required distribution of credits for recertification.  Some of these concerns will take some time to resolve.

Feel free to contact me with your concerns.

Kathy Hansen

December 15, 2009: The Changing World of Certification

Part of the reason for the merger at this time is that the philosophical differences that divided the BOR and NCA (and led to the formation of NCA in the mid 1970’s) have been resolved.  These are:

• Certification of the profession by the profession.  (The new 26 member BOC does include five pathologists, but 20 of the members are laboratory professionals.  The previous NCA Board did not have any physician members.)
• Recertification by continuing education (CE) as a condition for maintaining certification status.  (NCA always required this; ASCP has required for those certified since 1/1/04.)
• Use of job analysis as the basis for competency-based, legally defensible examinations.

These principles are part of the new BOC policies.  The existence of one major certification agency will also reduce confusion among students and employers about qualifications.

Since its founding in 1928, ASCP has certified more than 400,000 laboratorians and estimates that as many as 250,000 of them may still be in the work force at this time.  NCA, founded in 1976, brought about 75,000 active and inactive certificants to the merger.

As you may know, the former titles of the various certifications have also been changed/combined as part of the merger, with the most visible change being the use of Medical Laboratory Scientist for the baccalaureate degree generalist.  This new title is more consistent with those used in Europe and much of the rest of the world.

Those who had active status with NCA or who have participated in the ASCP certificate maintenance program were automatically transferred to the new titles on 10/23/09.  ASCP has used the superscript CM to designate those who are recertifying, either voluntarily or because it is required for them (see below).

Here are the various scenarios that apply to those previously certified by one of the former agencies:

• Certified by ASCP prior to January 1, 2004:  This conferred “lifetime certification”, although these individuals are strongly encouraged to voluntarily participate in the recertification (certificate maintenance) program.  If not recertifying, these individuals will continue to use the old MT(ASCP), MLT(ASCP), PBT(ASCP), etc designations.
• Certified by ASCP after January 1, 2004:  These individuals are required to recertify by submitting documentation of continuing education every three years to the certificate maintenance program.  They will use the new designation of MLS(ASCP)^CM , MLT(ASCP)^CM, etc.  If they do not recertify, they are considered to be no longer certified, and any caller to the BOC will be told that they are not currently certified.
• Certified by NCA at any time and have continued to recertify:  Those with current certification status with NCA (remember that one of the founding principles of NCA was to require recertification) have been transferred to the BOC data base and have received the new titles of MLS(ASCP)^CM , MLT(ASCP)^CM, etc.

• Certified by NCA at any time and have not continued to recertify:  These individuals are NOT considered certified at this time.  Any caller to the BOC to verify certification status will be told that they are not certified.  These individuals have the option at any time to begin participating in the recertification (certificate maintenance) program by submitting evidence of CE.  They can then use the new titles of MLS(ASCP)^CM , MLT(ASCP)^CM, etc, and will have to continue to recertify every three years.

Note:  Those who recertify during 2010 may use either the former BOR or NCA criteria for distribution of CE credits.

I am a board member of the new BOC and am serving on the certificate maintenance (recertification) committee.  Please feel free to contact me about questions or concerns that you may have.

Kathy Hansen