ASCP Renewal Requirement: A Comprehensive Guide
The ASCP renewal requirements are the CMP points or CE (continuing education) credits, that are imperative to attain.
The ASCP Board of Certification assigns these points for each certification; for many credentials, it is 36 CMP points and for few, it is 9 points.
Selective areas in which you need to earn CEUs/CMP points
- Area of specialization
- Lab and patient safety
- Medical ethic
- Lab operations
The American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP BOC) is a benchmark of credentials for medical laboratory personnel.
- It offers a work license to professionals that permits them to do jobs in any worldwide hospital in the best working environments.
- With the power of ASCP certification, you will get double salaries, an honorable position among colleagues, and many professional development programs.
- After every three years, the ASCP BOC passes through the professional certificates from the Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) to insert advanced skills into their experiences.
- To participate in CMP, you need to satisfy the ASCP renewal requirements.
In this article, we will highlight a comprehensive guide to the CMP prerequisites, and you will also learn the process to fulfill them.
Encompassing the ASCP Renewal Requirements
The Board of Certification (BOC) determines the recertification cycle for all ASCP certification types.
Comprehensive details for ASCP renewal requirements:
- The purpose of this certification cycle is to update professional skills with the emerging technologies of the lab medicine and pathology fields.
- It is the era of advancement, where new technologies are introduced every day in all fields of life, including medicine.
- Learning these latest technologies is the compulsion of professionals to compete with their peers and survive in their careers.
- Understanding the need for advancement in the field, the ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) developed the Credential Maintenance Program (CMP).
- This program is repeated every three years and it is for lifelong.
- To meet ASCP renewal requirements, you have to earn CMP points within three years.
The Board divides the 36 points as well:
- You need to get 26 points for lab-related work, including education, immunology, management, etc.
- Medical ethics ( sexual harassment, confidentiality, DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), compliance, IBR, HIPAA, etc.): 1 point
- Lab and patient safety: 1 CMP point
- Area of specialty: 8 points
For 9 points:
- The area in which you are certified: 2 points
- Lab operation or its related works: 5 points
- Patient safety and lab: 1 point
- Medical ethics: 1 point
Credential Maintenance Program (CMP)
For certification maintenance, the ASCP BOC designates the CMP (Credential Maintenance Program).
- This program comes with many learning opportunities that enhance professional competency and add perfection to professionals’s experiences.
- To stay current in the field and maintain certificates, there is no alternative to CMP.
- The objective of this program is to provide the best treatment to patients by educating professionals with the latest technologies.
- For professional convenience, the ASCP BOC determines a complete CMP process that tells you everything.
- To meet continuing education units (CEUs), the Board of Certification (BOC) offers many online CE courses and many other activities for laboratory professionals.
- You have to pay $95 for the CMP application fee and this fee in non-refundable.
- You have to pay a $125 reinstatement fee if you do not send your CMP application on time.
- Special Note: (The ASCP BOC will increase its fee by July 1, 2024, hence, the CMP application fee will be $100 ($5 will increase) and the reinstatement fee will be $135 ( $10 will increase).
The ASCP Renewal Process
Whether you are considering applying for ASCP certification or a recertification cycle, the ASCP provides precise guidance to smooth the process.
To streamline your ASCP renewal process, you must follow the below instructions:
- Login to your ASCP dashboard
- Check your credential’s current status by exploring the section “Check Progress” under “My Education.”
- Check your continuing education units (CEUs) that you earn from ASCP on non-ASCP activities
- You will be prompted to send the CMP declaration after fulfilling all the requirements.
- Make sure to send the declaration before three months so that you can get time for processing.
- After approval of the CMP declaration, your certificate will be updated for the next three years and you will be informed by email notification.
Continuing Education (CE) Credits: What is Necessary to Know
The continuing education (CE) credits are CMP (Credential Maintenance Program) points that fulfill your ASCP renewal requirements.
- You will get these credits by participating in continuing education programs; this is why they are called continuing education credits (CEUs).
- These credits play an important role in maintaining your certification.
- To earn these credits, the ASCP BOC presents many incredible resources and activities.
These resources & activities include:
- ASCP Online CE Courses (bundle to more than 500 courses)
- ASCP Certification Programs (Partnerships with other educational institutions)
- ASCP Membership (presents 6 CMP points and reduces the course of all CE packages)
- ASCP Publication (opportunity to earn credit by authoring in the ASCP publication)
- Live events of ASCP (conferences, annual meetings, webinars, seminars, pathologist meetings, and lab professional meetings offer CE credits after attending).
- Serving the ASCP communities also presents credits for you.
- If you join the ASCP committee, like “ASCP Patient Champion,” you also get the credits.
- The board also permits lab professionals to earn CEUs from ASCP-approved education providers.
ASCP-Approved Education Providers
The ASCP Board of Certification suggests a list of ASCP-approved education providers that bless you with CE credits after finishing their continuing education programs.
These programs comprise online CE courses, ASCP seminars, annual meetings (pathologist or lab professional meetings), etc.
These providers meet your ASCP renewal requirements, are best for professional development, and offer credits in affordable ranges.
Following is the list of ASCP-approved education providers:
- ASCP CMLE: American Society for Clinical Pathology (CheckSample, LabQ, CE Update, Workshops, and Teleconferences for Lab Professionals)
- AGT (Association of Genetic Technologists)
- NSH (National Society for Histotechnology)
- AAPA (American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants)
- AMA (American Medical Association)
- AACC “ACCENT”—American Association for Clinical Chemistry
- AABB
- ASC (American Society of Cytopathology)
- ASFA (American Society for Apheresis)
- ASCLS PACE (American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science)
- ASCT (American Society for Cytotechnology)
- AMT (American Medical Technologists)
- CLMA (Clinical Laboratory Management Association)
- The American Red Cross
- ASH (American Society of Hematology)
- CACMLE (Colorado Association for Continuing Medical Laboratory Education)
- The Joint Commission
- CSMLS (Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science)
How to Handle Your CMP Points?
To control your CMP process and record credit for it, the ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) presents a tool called “My Account Dashboard.”
You can monitor your credential’s existing status, see your ASCP & non-ASCP points, and know about your certification expiration date by utilizing this tool.
For Credential Current Status
- Open your ASCP account with a login
- Click on “My Education” and explore its part of “Check Progress.”
- Press the option of “Track Progress” and choose your specific credential from the drop-down menu.
- Here, you can see the current report of your CMP cycle and certification expiration date.
Track ASCP CE Credits
- Jump into your ASCP account
- Click on “Check Progress” under “My Education” to learn about the ASCP credit.
- All the credits that you earn from ASCP activities enter your ASCP account automatically.
Track Non-ASCP CE Credits
- Open your ASCP dashboard.
- Under “My Education” open the “Check Progress” section.
- Click on “Non-ASCP Credits” under “CMP Credits and Progress” to enter your non-ASCP credits manually.
- Add some necessary information, including date, credit category, etc.
ASCP Success Stories
“ASCP offers a variety of excellent online continuing education courses and activities to help me earn my continuing medical education credits (CME) and meet my Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) and Continuing Certification (formerly MOC) requirements while staying on the forefront of the profession.”
According to Alexandra Harrington, MD, MLS, F ASCP
“ASCP is recognized worldwide as the provider of premier educational material and resources for pathologists and laboratory professionals to learn, share, and grow throughout the entirety of their careers.”
According to Henry Pinder, MD, F ASCP
“Through ASCP’s live events, I have access to education and networking that take my skills and knowledge to a new level.”
Zubair Baloch, MD, M(ASCP) say
Final Thought for ASCP Renewal Requirements
The ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) suggests many activities to meet your ASCP renewal requirements.
All these CE activities are developed to stimulate your career with reasonable learning and satisfy the recertification prerequisites.
In all ASCP continuing education resources, you must rely on the perfect one that not only meets your CE credit criteria but also minimizes your education layout.
For instance, ASCP LabQ presents 36 CE credits for only $99 and some non-ASCP CE providers provide you with free credits, like CAP (College of American Pathologists).
Always keep CMP requirements as a priority and consider the area where you need to get the credits.
Make sure to allocate and complete all Ascp & non-ASCP credits on time so you can send your CMP declaration at least 90 days before your certification end date.
FAQs for ASCP Renewal Requirements
What are the ASCP renewal requirements?
The ASCP continuing education credits are ASCP renewal requirements.
How many CMP points do I need to earn for the Credential Maintenance Program?
It depends on your certificate category, if you have an MLS ASCP certificate, you need to acquire 30 points.
Will the ASCP Board of Certification increase the CMP application fee?
The current ASCP CMP application fee is $95 but it will be increased by $5 in July 2024.
Where can I meet my ASCP renewal requirements?
The ASCP Board of Certification provides many online continuing education programs that enter the CE credit into your ASCP prospect after successful completion.
Abdelhalim Elshawadfy is an ASCP certified Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS ASCP), Specialist in Microbiology (SM ASCP), and Molecular Biology Technologist (MB ASCP) with a distinguished career marked by expertise, continuous learning, and a commitment to elevating the standards of clinical laboratory science. As an ASCP Certification Expert and American Board Certification Expert, Abdelhalim Elshawadfy continues to make invaluable contributions to the field, leaving a lasting impact on the medical community.