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Please explain the difference between certification, registration and
ASCP membership. There seems to be some confusion and perhaps a
misunderstanding that the CMP will be used to ensure ASCP membership.
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Certification by the ASCP Board of Certification requires
completion of the eligibility requirements and successful completion of
the appropriate certification examination. Previously, certification did
not have an expiration date. Individuals who became ASCP certified in
2004 and beyond (dependent on the category) and all active NCA
certificants are required to maintain their certification through the
Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) every three years.
Certification and maintenance of certification are not based
upon membership in any organization.
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I
am interested in why the CMP was started when every place I have been
employed requires us to have yearly continuing education and regulatory
agencies require continuing proof of our competency.
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This may
be your experience, but many places do not require employees to
participate in obtaining continuing education courses and the
requirements are inconsistent among those that do. Additionally, not all
states require that medical laboratory professionals obtain a state
license to work in the laboratory. This program demonstrates on a
national level that everyone who is awarded the ASCP CMP designation is
assuring the public and their peers that they are maintaining their
competence throughout their career. Nearly all of the continuing
education courses required by employers and regulatory agencies are
accepted for CMP.
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If
one becomes certified in 2004 and beyond but fails to complete or
participate in the Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) program, what
happens? Will ASCP certification be revoked? How do I become reinstated?
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ASCP
Certifications issued effective 2004 and beyond (dependent on the
category) and all active NCA certifications are valid for a three year
period. If someone certified under the CMP fails to participate, their
certification will no longer be valid after the certification validation
date indicated on their certificate. If you allow your certification to
expire and then seek reinstatement, you must submit a declaration form
verifying completion of all CMP points required for your category within
the last three years. You must also pay a reinstatement fee of $50 plus
the $75 CMP application fee.
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I
was certified as an MLT(ASCP) in 1999 and have gone back to school to
get my MLS degree. I am going to graduate this year and hope to take and
pass the MLS exam this summer. Will I be required to participate in the
CMP since I have already been ASCP certified prior to 2004?
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You will
be required to participate in the CMP program in order to maintain your
MLS(ASCP) certification only. You are not required to participate in the
CMP program for any ASCP certification(s) obtained prior to 2004.
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I've been certified for years with the ASCP, will I be required to
participate in the Certification Maintenance Program? The newsletter I
received indicated that the CMP is required starting in January 2004.
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The
Certification Maintenance Program will be required only for those
individuals newly ASCP certified in 2004 and beyond, however voluntary
participation is encouraged for those ASCP certified prior to 2004.
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Will individuals be allowed to start the program before the assigned
date?
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Points
accumulated toward meeting the CMP must be obtained between the years of
certification validation, e.g. if the certification validation period is
January 2012 through January 2015 all points must be completed within
this validation period. Any points obtained before or after your
certification validation period will not be acceptable and cannot be
carried over to a later period.
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I'm not required to participate in the CMP program because I received my
ASCP certification prior to January 2004; however, I plan to participate
on a voluntary basis. For the past ten years, I have actively been
involved in continuing education courses and teleconferences. What years
of my activities will be accepted and what date shall I begin to apply
for the CMP?
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You may
apply for the CMP program by submitting your completed declaration form.
If you applied in January 2012, points would be awarded for any
activities completed January 2009 through January 2012.
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I
recently became ASCP certified and am beginning to obtain points toward
the CMP. Although my certification expires in 2014, should I send in my
exam certificates as I accumulate them or do I wait until I have all of
my points and send them in at that time?
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Please
do not send any documentation to the ASCP Board of Certification for the
CMP program. To apply, you only need to submit the completed and signed
declaration form and fee. Documentation of the required points will be
requested only if your declaration is selected for audit.
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Can the credits I earn toward my CMP count in more than one area?
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Yes,
some activities can be classified into more than one area; however, CMP
points cannot do double duty. For example, a case study in
Immunohematology qualifies as immunology, hematology, or blood banking.
If this case study was assigned 2 CMLE (2 CMP points), you could apply 1
point to immunology and 1 point to hematology OR 2 points to blood
banking OR 2 points to immunology, etc., but you could not apply 2
points to each of these three areas.
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I
am certified as an HTL(ASCP). I have just received the Qualification in
Immunohistochemistry, QIHC certificate which is valid through 2015. Can
I use the same continuing education activities for the QIHC for the CMP?
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Activities related to your area of certification and obtained within the
required time frame will be acceptable for both the QIHC revalidation
and the CMP.
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I'm a Lab Director and would like to know if inspecting a lab fulfills
the 2 points minimum requirement in blood banking, chemistry,
hematology, immunology and microbiology?
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On-site
inspections for laboratory accreditations are only granted 2 points per
year. As a CAP or JACHO Inspector, this point will be accepted to
fulfill one of the required areas in blood banking, chemistry,
hematology, immunology and microbiology. An Inspector for AABB can
receive 2 points in blood banking only. As an Inspector, you will need
to identify on your declaration form the organization you represent and
what one area of the laboratory you wish to apply the point toward.
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In
our laboratory, we participate in CAP inter-laboratory comparison
program and submit our answers as a single laboratory answer. Although
each tech takes the test, we send in one group answer for 24 of us and
we do not receive individual certificates, how may this activity be
documented and how many points is this CAP test worth?
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This
activity is accepted provided documentation of participation can be
established for all individual participants. The employer should
maintain a record of each individual's participation and document the
contact hours. One contact hour equals 50-60 minutes which is equivalent
to one (1) CMP point.
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About employer-offered courses, is there a required assessment that they
should also give along with the lectures? How many hours should be
counted and if there is no other requirement other than attendance, what
makes one not want to get all 36 credits this way?
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Employer-offered courses must be specifically documented by the use of
an attendance sheet, letter or a report provided by the employer
documenting your participation. The number of hours attended are counted
as contact hours and may be counted as: 50 - 60 minutes equals one (1)
contact hour, one (1) contact hour equals one (1) CMP point. If you are
able to obtain all 36 points through employer-offered courses and can
provide the required documentation, this activity would be acceptable.
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I
am an ASCP member living in a foreign country and I would like to
participate in the CMP, what facilities are available for me to gain my
points online?
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Many
membership organizations offer a number of online continuing education
courses. If you belong to a membership or other professional
organizations, we would suggest you contact them directly regarding
online courses which they may offer.
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Please give me some examples of what would count for “in-service” or
employer-offered courses.
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Instructor training, video or audio conferences covering such topics as
laboratory infection control, autoimmune disease or instrument and
equipment training to name a few. Contact hours must be assigned,
certificates distributed, or participation recorded by your employer.
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I
am in a licensure state. Can the credits I earn to maintain licensure
also be submitted for CMP credit?
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Yes,
activities required by state licensure boards will be considered
acceptable activities for the CMP, provided they are formally
documented.
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Are courses in Canada accepted for the CMP program?
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We will
accept courses approved by the Canadian Society of Medical Laboratory
Science (CSMLS).
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As
a Laboratory Supervisor, I verify the certification of my staff.
Currently I am provided with their certification category and year of
certification. What can I expect in terms of certification verification
status for those who do not comply with the CMP who were ASCP certified
after 2004?
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Verification of Certification is available online through the ASCP website. You will be provided with the
individual’s certification category, number and valid dates. If a person is ASCP certified in 2004 and beyond does not
comply with the CMP, their certification will appear as expired and will
no longer be valid.
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Cytotechnologists in California must document 24 hours of approved CE
every two years in order to maintain their California CT license. Will
all California CT's also be required to document and submit the same
hours to ASCP in order to maintain their CT(ASCP) certification?
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Cytotechnologists who are ASCP certified in January 2004 and beyond will
be required to complete 36 points of continued competency activities
every three years. Activities accepted by the California State Licensure
Board will be considered acceptable activities for the CMP.
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Will ASCP provide a list of professional education agencies where
individuals may acquire continuing education?
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The
Board of Certification currently has a partial list of agencies and will
continue to update this list. Each individual will be responsible for
locating the agencies that will meet the activity requirements. Due to
the large volume of continuing education programs, we will not be able
to accommodate any requests for individual program approval.
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What do I need to do if my certification expires?
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If you allow your certification to expire and then seek
reinstatement, you must submit a Declaration Form and documentation of
all points earned within the previous three years as required by your
certification category. You must also pay a reinstatement fee of $50
plus the $75 CMP application fee.
If your certificate has lapsed for ten (10) or more years, you
will be required to retake and pass the certification examination for
reinstatement for your certification.
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When exactly does my certification expire?
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Your
certification is valid through the last day of the month as printed on
your certificate.
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