The Ultimate Guide to ASCP Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

The ASCP continuing units (CEUs) are specific points that you need to update your ASCP certification through CMP (Credential Maintenance Program)

The ASCP BOC suggests many activities to earn the CMP points including:

• ASCP online continuing education courses
• ASCP live events include live webinars and annual meeting
• ASCP membership that manages your CMP by offering CEUs
• Many other activities, like serving ASCP communities, joining the  ASCP committee and publication offer you continuing education.

The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) demands certified pathologists and laboratory professionals earn continuing education credits for their certification maintenance.

The ASCP BOC offers you a work license that is enough to perform the job in any worldwide hospital, but it is only valid for three years.

Once it expires, you cannot use it to do your duty as an ASCP-certified professional, and you have to activate your certification by participating in CMP (Credential Maintenance Program).

The ASCP CMP or certification renewal process, requires continuing education units to revive your certification.

In this article, we will explore the best sources and activities that help you get the ASCP continuing education units (CEUs).

ASCP Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

The ASCP continuing education units (CEUs) are the requirements of the ASCP certification renewal process.

The ASCP Board of Certification determines the number of CEUs for every specific certification.

For instance, for MLS ASCP certification, you need to get 36 CEUs, and for MLA ASCP, you need to earn 9 CMP points.

You have to get these points in three years before the date of your certification expiration.

You have to get these points in different areas, like in specialization subjects, lab operations, medical ethics, and lab and patient safety.

Understanding the distribution of 36 CEUs

Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS ASCP) = 36 points

• Chemistry, blood banking, microbiology, and hematology: 2 points in each
• Medical ethics (IRB, HIPAA, confidentiality, DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), sexual harassment, compliance, etc.): 1 point
• Patient safety and laboratory: 1 point
• Lab operations, including immunology, education, molecular diagnostics, and management: 26 points

Comprehending the distribution of 9 points

Medical laboratory Assistant (MLA ASCP): 9 points

• Area of specialization: 2 points
• Lab operations, including education, management, molecular diagnostics, etc: 5 points
• Medical ethics: 1 point
• Lab operations and safety: 1 point

Tracking of ASCP Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

The ASCP BOC offers you the best tool, “My Education,” to track and add your ASCP and non-ASCP CE credits.

You can track your credits by following the below instructions:

• Open your ASCP account
• Under “My Education,” explore the section “Check Progress” to track and enter your CE credits.
• Here you can find all the information about the credits, including the number of credits, the area of credits that you have gotten or need to get, etc.
• The credits that you get from ASCP will automatically enter into your ASCP prospects.
• But if you get the credits from non-ASCP activities, you have to enter the credits manually.

Exploring the ASCP Online CE Portal

The ASCP BOC provides a bundle of online products that are handled through the ASCP online learning portal.

These more than 500 courses are available every time whenever you want and enough to sharpen your skills and meet your ASCP continuing education units (CEUs).

All these courses are designed for laboratory professionals, residents, and pathologists.

Once you purchase these courses, you can access them after login to your ASCP accounts.

These courses include:

• Lab Management University (LMU)
• University of Pathology Informatics
• CE Packages
• Patient Safety
• Leadership Institute
• ASCP Case Reports
• On Demand Webcasts
• ASCP Case Reports
• LabQ

Features of ASCP CEU Programs

The ASCP BOC offers online courses, certificate programs, live events, and quality assurance programs for lab professionals, all these programs are valuable for your career.

The ASCP CEU programs not only provide you best content that improves your learning but also CE credits to manage your CMP.

Features of ASCP CEU programs:

ASCP Case Reports

• Self-study tool that comprises 8 different series encompassing a major area of clinical and anatomic pathology.
• Explain the content with high-resolution digital images
• Present CME or CMLE credits per exercise

CE Packages

• Over 500 CE packages that meet certification, institutional, and licensure CE requirements.
• You can search them by content area, specialty, sub-specialty, discipline, or products.
• The bundle of CE packages comprises one-year unlimited online CE packages and multi-credit online CE packages.

ASCP LabQ

• It is a self-learning tool that describes 18-real life case studies.
• Demonstrate the lab challenges and their solutions
• It delivers 6 hours of credits in clinical chemistry, clinical immunology, hematology, microbiology, molecular diagnostics, transfusion medicine
• For lab and patient safety, it also presents 2 credits.
• 39 hours of continuing education medical laboratory credits, offer 2 credits per exercise.

ASCP Patient Safety

• Educate the pathologists and lab professionals about case-based safety practices
• Introduces new skills
• Offer 8 modules on patient safety
• Each module offers 1 ASCP continuing education unit (CEUs)
• 5 modules out of 8 provide credits for medical ethics.

Resident Question Bank

• It is a comprehensive education tool that is actionable for residents
• It comprises a hundred of multiple questions that use images, references, and educational feedback.
• Meet the requirements of the CC.

MLS ASCP Review Course

• Specially designed for medical lab scientists
• It covers the entire exam content and also offers information about the ASCP exam process.

Inside the lab Podcast

• Cover the everyday current topics of pathology and lab medicine.
• Once you access the “inside the lab podcast” you get a link to claims of credits
• 1 CME/CMLE credit per exercise.

Virtual Pathology Grand Rounds

• Navigate the topics of clinical pathology, laboratory medicine, and anatomic pathology.
• Can run on your computer or mobile
• Once you complete the VPCR, you will get a link to earn ASCP continuing education units (CEUs)

Course Highlights

• ASCP Case Reports: It 8 series highlights the topics of clinical chemistry, forensic pathology, renal pathology, transfusion medicine, microbiology, hematopathology, surgical pathology, and cytopathology
• ASCP LabQ: LabQ demonstrates the topics regarding clinical immunology, clinical chemistry, microbiology, molecular diagnostics, hematology, and transfusion medicine.
• ASCP LabQ Histology: It is the best study tool for histologic technicians and histotechnologists and highlights the content of histotechnology.
• ASCP LabQ Phelobotomy: The best tool for practicing phlebotomists and covering the topics of phlebotomy.
• ASCP Patient Safety: Its 8 modules cover the content of Epidemiology of Error, System Thinking and its Effects on Patient Safety, Human Factors, Safety-enhancing Technology Patients, Communication, Culture of Safety, Methods and Tools for Evaluating Safety Events, and Fundamentals of Quality Improvement.

Membership Benefits and Pricing

The ASCP membership is the best program of ASCP that offers great relief to pathologists, laboratory professionals, and residents.

If you are a member of ASCP, you will get an exclusive discount on all services, including continuing education resources that you get from ASCP.

ASCP membership benefits on educational products

One-year Unlimited CE Packages (Lab professional)

• Member price: $39
• Non-member Price: $190

Multi-credits Online CE Packages

• Member Price: $7 per credit
• Non-member price: $8 per credit

LabQ Clinical Laboratory Volume Online 2023

• Member Price: $99
• Non-Member Price: $109

ASCP Patient Safety

• Member Cost: $175
• Non-member Cost: $250

Resident Question Bank

• Member Cost: $450
• List Cost: $498

MLS Online Review

• Member Cost: $49
• Non-member price: $59

Navigating the Certification and Recertification Process

If you are going to apply for ASCP certification, you must follow the below instructions.

• Your first task is to determine the certification and eligibility requirements
• Eligibility requirements may be related to your education, lab experience, or training experience.
• You can check your eligibility by using the tool “BOC Eligibility Assistant” or routes.
• Create an account on the ASCP website if you do not have ( if have one, you only need to log in)
• Select your certification category and eligibility route
• Verify all information
• Complete the application form and send it with application fee.

For recertification:

• You only need to login to your account
• You can check your credential’s current status by clicking on “Check Progress” under “My Education.”
• Make sure to check your ASCP and non-ASCP continuing education units (CEUs).
• Once you meet all the requirements, you can submit your CMP declaration for review to the Board of Certification.
• Keep all the required documents and all must be originals at the time of audits
• Once you complete the process, you will receive a notification about your certificate update.

Final Verdict for CEUs

The ASCP Board of Certification is the world’s first (founded in 1922) organization that offers certification and recertification to U.S. and International candidates.

It offers incredible services that fulfill all institutional, certifications, recertification, and licensure requirements.

For your ASCP continuing education units (CEUs), the board determines a lot of courses, activities, and programs.

Besides this, the ASCP membership program is what you really need.

It eliminates your educational expenses by offering you products at low cost.

Furthermore, membership streamlines your journey of getting CE credits by accessing Ascp publications, live events, etc.

FAQs for ASCP Continuing Education Units (CEUs)