ASCP Certificate Programs

LMU Fundamentals

Lab Management University (LMU) is a self-paced certificate program that improves competency in laboratory management, with customizable options for all skill levels. 

The customizable LMU Fundamentals program lets you choose 25 out of 40+ on-demand courses covering all key management concepts. Topics range from essential knowledge to more specialized and advanced topics.

Upon completion, you will earn your certificate in laboratory management and be fully qualified to move on to LMU Advanced.

Course Area Highlights

Hone your skills covering five core competencies and expand your technical understanding in key areas.

• Personnel Management
  
  • Identify training and certification needed for medical laboratory sciences professionals
  • Diagnose performance problems and implement coaching best practices
  • Understand delegation and effective communication skills
  • Apply modern elements of management theory
  • Learn essential elements for strategic planning
  • Apply influence strategies to promote patient safety and improve patient outcomes
• Operations
  
  • Learn about the CLSI Quality Management System (QMS) framework for the laboratory
  • Recognize the differences between implementing a commercially available and a laboratory-developed test
  • Understand competency assessment requirements for testing personnel from a regulatory and accreditation agency (e.g. CAP) perspective
• Financial Management
  
  • Identify key strategies in pathology revenue cycle management
  • Discuss the importance of budget preparation in the context of operational planning.
  • Prepare and justify a budget for a hospital or clinical laboratory
• Informatics
  • Explore Digital Pathology
  • Review Tips for working with inspectors
  • Understand how different LIS systems affect your laboratory
• Compliance
  • List the basic elements of a model compliance plan
  • Learn the main OSHA regulations that direct a laboratory safety program
  • Understand how a Quality Management system contributes to patient safety 

LMU Advanced

The LMU Advanced program offers 10 courses on advanced laboratory management topics.

Upon completion, you will also earn your advanced certificate in laboratory management.

Course Area Highlights

Hone your skills covering five core competencies and expand your technical understanding in key areas.

• Personnel Management
  
  • Develop effective mentoring skills for all technical and administrative levels within your organization
• Operations
  
  • Apply workflow analysis methods to improve lab processes
• Financial Management
  
  • Review the use of the strategic planning process in budget preparation
• Informatics
  
  • Understand how to design, validate, and implement auto-verification rules using CLSI guidelines
• Compliance
  
  • Learn to develop an individualized quality control plan 

Overview

ASCP is proud to collaborate with the American Pathology Foundation (APF) to develop and deliver a variety of courses to further your skills and knowledge in laboratory management. Through these comprehensive education resources you can achieve your career goals and improve the performance of your lab.

Courses

Created for pathologists, residents and laboratory professionals, LMU is a customizable program for individuals planning on moving into management positions, or who are in the management realm and want to bolster their experience. Discover why LMU has already grown to over 12,000 participants worldwide.

LMU Core Competencies Package

Are you looking for discipline specific training in just one or two core areas and not the full Lab Management University offering? Or do you want to try a taste of LMU before you buy the complete Fundamentals package? Then the LMU Core Competencies Sample Pack is the ideal offer for you.

Flexible and customizable, LMU was created for everyone, including those who are either currently in or aspiring to be in leadership positions in the lab. Available course options covering varying skill sets and experience levels teach Lab Professionals, Pathologists, and Pathology Residents alike the practical skills needed to elevate their careers.

Course Area Highlights

The LMU Core Competencies Sample Pack for ASCP Members only and allows you to sample the incredible content available in LMU by creating a customized package. Pick from any of the five core areas:

• Personnel Management
• Operations
• Financial Management
• Informatics
• Compliance

LMU Focus

Looking to advance your skills in a particular area? LMU FOCUS is a great new way for non-supervisory Laboratory Professionals and other lab staff to concentrate on discipline specific training courses contained in the individual modules of Lab Management University.

Pick a complete distinct module from any of four LMU Fundamentals competency areas that contains all the courses, ranging from essential knowledge to more specialized and advanced topics, in a specific discipline.

Earn upto 1.5 CME/CMLE Credits per course.

Course Area Highlights

Personnel Management
• Identify training and certification needed for medical laboratory sciences professionals
• Diagnose performance problems and implement coaching best practices
• Understand delegation and effective communication skills

Operations
• Learn about the CLSI Quality Management System (QMS) framework for the laboratory
• Recognize the differences between implementing a commercially available and a laboratory-developed test
• Understand competency assessment requirements for testing personnel from a regulatory and accreditation agency (e.g. CAP) perspective

Financial Management
• Identify key strategies in pathology revenue cycle management
• Discuss the importance of budget preparation in the context of operational planning.
• Prepare and justify a budget for a hospital or clinical laboratory

Compliance 
• List the basic elements of a model compliance plan
• Learn the main OSHA regulations that direct a laboratory safety program
• Understand how a Quality Management system contributes to patient safety

Overview

University of Path Informatics (UPI) is a joint effort between the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and the Association for Pathology Informatics (API).  The UPI Certificate Program consists of 20 custom courses: 12 core and 8 elective course are required to earn the certificate.

University of Pathology Informatics (UPI) is a case-based program, where you act as the project leader developing a pathology informatics needs assessment for a laboratory. It focuses on four essential laboratory informatics competencies:

• Information Fundamentals
• Information Systems
• Workflow & Processes
• And Governance & Management

Requirements for Earning a Certificate

You are required to complete 20 courses across four laboratory informatics competencies, to earn the UPI Certificate of Completion. These include tasks and topics such as: 

• Preparing an Executive Brief
• Information Fundamentals
• Information Systems
• Workflow & Processes 
• Governance & Management

All courses are offered online; however, a select number of pre-approved live sessions will be offered at the API and ASCP live meetings at additional costs. 

• Twelve core modules, modules 1-12, are required. 
• In addition, you must also take eight enduring materials electives. 
• Choose electives appropriate for your individual skill needs to meet the 20- course requirement. 
• To receive credit for online or live courses, you must pass an online quiz with a score of 80% or better in three attempts.

Review the UPI Course Syllabus

Course Components 

All online instructional strategies are approximately 90 minutes and consist of: 

• A pre-reading assignment
• An engaging online multimedia activity
• Knowledge checks
• Case studies
• And the downloadable eBook Pathology Informatics: Theory & Practice

Each course also includes a post-test of five to 10 questions. You are allowed three attempts to take the test and need a score of 80% or higher. You can earn 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, CMLE, or SAMs CME credits for each course completed.

Learning Objectives

After completing 20 required and elective on-demand courses, you will be able to:

• Conduct an informatics audit of existing lab systems including hardware, software, peripherals and databases
• Create a high-level dataflow diagram of the laboratory network
• Document existing workflow and create a high-level redesign of workflow process in light of a new LIS
• Prepare an executive brief addressing:
  
  • The challenge of legacy systems
  • Opportunities for process improvement and integration with EMR
  • Workflow impact of a new LIS
  • Suggestions for next steps

How to Complete UPI

The curriculum focuses on the four laboratory informatics competencies: Information Fundamentals, Information Systems, Workflow & Processes, and Governance & Management. UPI participants also have access to a wide variety of bonus materials, including Pathology Informatics: Theory & Practice (eBook).

Course Prerequisite

The first module, Welcome to UPI Certificate & Needs Analysis, focuses on the steps involved in developing a needs analysis and executive briefing for informatics tools and systems for the laboratory. This module also introduces the University of Pathology Informatics Certificate of Completion program, including details about its instructional approach, curriculum, and requirements for completion.  Please complete this course first before moving on to others.

Student Assessments

Self-assessments can be very helpful in determining where your strengths and weaknesses lie. The following assessment will help you determine areas to work on as you progress through the UPI program. The assessment will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. 

This skills assessment is a requirement for completing the first course in the University of Pathology Informatics program. 

• Please review and answer the questions honestly to determine the areas upon which to concentrate. 
• The results will not be shared with anyone and are for research purposes only. 
• Once you have successfully fulfilled the requirements for the UPI Certificate of Completion, you will be asked to complete this assessment again.

Complete the Self-Assessment

Comprehensive Leadership Training for the Laboratory Medicine Team

The Leadership Institute is the lab team’s complete resource for practical, customizable leadership training developed to enhance pathologists’ and laboratory professionals’ effectiveness in the lab.

Facilitated by ASCP’s organizational and leadership experts, the Leadership Institute teaches participants to adapt their behavior, communication skills, and leadership styles to be effective in a variety of workplace situations.

ASCP Leadership Institute Scholarship

Every year, a laboratory professional and a pathologist are selected to receive a scholarship for the Leadership Institute Certificate Program and five hours of one-on-one coaching from ASCP’s team of leadership experts. Learn more about how to apply for this scholarship, which is supported by the ASCP Foundation, at the link below.

Learn More

Leadership Certificate Program

Hone your leadership skills at your own pace with the Leadership Institute’s Leadership Certificate program. With 12 on-demand courses that offer CME/CMLE/SAMs credit, the certificate program provides practical leadership skills to advance your career.

Strengthen Your Skills, Advance Your Career

Gain insight into your own leadership behavior and identify areas for improvement by taking the pre-course self-assessment included with each course. Self-assessments can be downloaded for future reference.You will earn up to 1.5 CME/CMLE/SAMs credits per course, as all courses are accredited through the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and can be completed with approximately one to two hours of work.

You will receive the Leadership Certificate upon completion of the program.

Download the Leadership Institute Certificate Program Syllabus

Course Area Highlights

These courses will teach different communication and conflict skills, leadership styles, and how to become more situationally effective through courses such as:

• Conflict Prevention and Resolution Discovering
• Your Own Diversity
• Groupthink and the Abilene Paradox
• Listening with a Purpose
• Organizational Savvy
• Reacting to Change
• Stress Analysis and Coping Resources
• Team Dynamics
• Time Mastery

On-Site Facilitation

Enhance the effectiveness of you and your laboratory staff by booking on-site facilitation of a Leadership Institute course your institution. ASCP’s organizational and leadership experts will teach practical leadership skills in an interactive environment, and attendees will gain tools for success while earning CME/CMLE credit.

Customize Courses for Your Laboratory’s Needs

• Choose from a variety of courses designed to enhance participants’ effectiveness in the lab.
• Enjoy enhanced opportunities for skill building and team building offered by in-person discussion with peers and facilitation by ASCP’s organizational and leadership experts.
• Give your team insight into their own leadership behavior and identify areas for improvement through self-assessments included with each course.
• Offer your team members up to 1.5 CME/CMLE/SAMs credits per course, as all courses are accredited through the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).
• Provide your team with the opportunity to apply courses offered via on-site facilitation towards completion of the Leadership Certificate program.
• Tailor courses to your needs and wants, focusing on how you and your team can apply the skills you have learned.

Download the Leadership Institute Catalog

Personal Coaching

Take your career to the next level with one-on-one leadership coaching from ASCP’s organizational and leadership experts. Receive in-person or telephone training and guidance catered specifically to your professional needs and goals and tailored to your schedule.

Receive Customized Training

• Accelerate your learning by working one-on-one with one of ASCP’s organizational and leadership experts.
• Tackle a specific leadership challenge or strengthen a particular skill.
• Adapt your coaching experience to fit your schedule through in-person or telephone sessions.
• Gain access to the Leadership Certificate program with 12 on-demand courses that offer CME/CMLE credit and include self-assessments.