Better job prospects. Higher salaries. The respect of your colleagues. The confidence that comes from knowing you’re fully qualified to be a top-notch laboratory professional. Since 1928, certification by the ASCP Board of Registry (BOR)/Board of Certification (BOC) has been the industry standard for laboratory professionals. Certification by the ASCP-BOC confirms your professional qualifications and opens doors to a better future—with bigger paychecks.

Accredited by American National Standards Institute ANSI—the national and international body that has created a benchmark of excellence in US voluntary standardization and conformity assessment systems since 1918 and an organization which assesses conformity to an international standard (ISO/IEC, 17024) for the recognition of certification bodies at the national and international level—the ASCP-BOC is considered the “gold standard” industry designation in certification for laboratory professionals. This is supported by the fact that more than seven times as many laboratory professionals seek out ASCP BOC credentials than any other lab credentialing organization. The exams themselves are developed by a faculty of highly respected experts who meet regularly to ensure quality, relevancy, and currency of the exams. The tests are administered through a state-of-the-art, computer-based adaptive technology that challenges the candidate with dynamic questions of ever-increasing difficulty, assuring a precise assessment of his or her knowledge and skills.

It’s not only laboratory career professionals that benefit from ASCP Board of Certification credentials. Students can look forward to having a respected, independent credential to go along with their academic degree or certification. Academic program directors, such as John Snyder, Dean and Director at Ohio State University at Lima and Professor of Allied Medical Professions in its College of Medicine, appreciate that ASCP credentialing reaffirms that their schools are preparing students for success in today’s labs. “I know from personal experience that BOC certifications are held in high esteem throughout the academic and laboratory medicine communities.” ASCP BOC testing and credentialing also help support programs’ third-party accreditation processes with organizations such as the American National Standards Institute.

Laboratory managers depend on ASCP BOC credentials to help ensure the quality and professionalism of the facilities and staff they supervise. Heather D. Renko, BS, HT(ASCP), manages a staff of five at a regional medical center. She stated that she will often hold positions open until an ASCP BOC certified individual becomes available. “I’m looking for individuals who have shown the professionalism and dedication to earn this credential,” adding that BOC certification is the “gold standard” anywhere in the country and increasingly, internationally.

The ultimate benefit of ASCP BOC credentials is, of course, the quality of care that patients receive. As E. Blair Holladay, Ph.D., SCT(ASCP)^CM, and Executive Director of the Board of Certification says, “The practice of high quality laboratory medicine is always a team effort. By working together, we’re creating a better future for ourselves and the patients we serve.”