Professional Certification and Credentialing

Professional Certification and Credentialing

In 2005, pathologists’ assistants became eligible for certification through the ASCP, fulfilling the AAPA’s long-standing goal of establishing a national certification program. This effort began in 1999 with the formation of the National Commission on Certification of Pathologists’ Assistants, involving key organizations like ASCP, NAACLS, and ABP. After years of analysis and collaboration, the AAPA partnered with the ASCP Board of Registry in 2003, formalizing the agreement in 2004 to define responsibilities and launch the certification program.

Professional Certification

Overview: May be required by your employer.
Legal Status: Carries no legal rights or restrictions in professional practice.
Administration: Managed by an external body (ASCP)
Professional certification is a voluntary process offered by organizations that establish standards for specific professions. It enables individuals to demonstrate their knowledge, experience, and skills for a particular job. Employers may require certification to ensure employees meet defined standards. The American Society for Clinical Pathology’s Board of Certification provides certification programs for pathologists’ assistants. For more information, visit ASCP Certification.

Credentialing

Overview: May be required by your employer.
Administration: Managed internally by your employer.
Credentialing is the process by which healthcare institutions assess the qualifications and backgrounds of professionals through objective evaluation of their current licensure, training, experience, and competence.

ASCP Certification & Current CMP Requirements

If you hold certification through the ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) as a PA(ASCP)CM, you are required to participate in their Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) to maintain your certified status.

Key Details

• To remain certified through the ASCP, participation in the CMP is mandatory.
• Certification lasts for three years. The expiration date can be found on your BOC certificate.
• To maintain your certification, you must renew online at: ASCP Certification Renewal.

Renewal Requirements

• You are required to submit a completed declaration form along with the CMP renewal fee (separate from the ASCP membership fee) at least two months prior to your certification’s expiration.
• If accepted without audit, your declaration will result in a new certificate valid for three years.
  • A percentage of declarations will be audited by the ASCP BOC. If audited, submit documentation of all Continuing Education (CE) activities for the specified period. Documentation requirements are listed on page 6 of the ASCP BOC CMP Booklet.

CMP Requirements

As of January 1, 2022, the following requirements have been established for PA(ASCP)CM certification:
Total Points Required: 60 points during a three-year period

• 1 point in laboratory or patient safety (e.g., quality control, quality assurance)
• 20 points in general anatomic pathology
• 15 points in macroscopic examination and staging of cancer cases (new requirement). This credit can be obtained with:
  • AAPA membership: 20 credits offered per year starting in 2019
  • AAPA conferences: Various lectures to fulfill the advanced cancer credit requirement
  • Hospital cancer conferences: Most fulfill the advanced cancer credit requirements
  • Authorship: Papers on cancer cases can count as CE for the advanced cancer credit (e.g., chapters for grossing guidelines are worth 7 credits)
• 1 point in medical ethics (new requirement)
• Remaining 23 points in anatomic pathology, management, education, or other clinical specialties

Fees

• Required Fee: ASCP BOC CMP ($95/3 years) is required to maintain your PA(ASCP)CM certification.
• Optional Fee: ASCP membership ($99/year) is optional and not required to maintain your certification.

*All fees are subject to change by the ASCP BOC.

AAPA Continuing Education

The AAPA is an approved provider of continuing medical education (CE) programs through ASCLS P.A.C.E.®
All ASCLS P.A.C.E.® credits are approved by ASCP for certification renewal.
The AAPA offers PA-specific CE topics, including conferences with renowned speakers.
AAPA members receive 20 free CEs annually (up from 15 in 2019).
The following are P.A.C.E.® approved credits and are automatically entered into your AAPA CE Journal upon completion:

• AAPA Annual Conference, Spring Meeting, and Summer Meeting: 1 CE per lecture attended; 1 CE per hour per workshop
• Live stream Annual Conference lectures: 1 CE per lecture attended
• On-demand recorded lectures from the AAPA Annual Conference: 1 CE per lecture, with completion of a quiz for each lecture
• FREE AAPA Journal quiz: 1 CE per quiz
• FREE AAPA monthly CE e-Blast (manuscript or webinar) quiz: 1 CE per quiz
• AAPA Beyond the Bench series: 1 CE per case study, with completion of a quiz for each article

AAPA CE Tracking

AAPA members can track and report CE through the AAPA CE Journal, which automatically records PACE credits.
Once earned, AAPA PACE credits are reported to the ASCP BOC weekly if your ASCP ID is in your profile, eliminating the need for manual entry.
Manage your ASCP BOC Credential Maintenance through the AAPA without manually reporting credits.
Members can earn free CE by visiting the CE Store and Conference pages.
Participation in the ASCP BOC Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) is required to maintain certification.

Additional Resources

For more information on certification maintenance and CE requirements, visit: ASCP Board of Certification.
Access the ASCP BOC CMP Booklet here: ASCP BOC CMP Booklet.
Renew online at: ASCP Certification Renewal.
AAPA My CE Journal