National Certification for Pathologists' Assistants
Dated: 2005
In 2005 Pathologists' Assistants became eligible for certification by the ASCP
The AAPA is pleased to announce to its membership and to the pathology community at large that our long held goal of creating a national professional certification program for our members and for the pathologists' assistant profession has at long last been achieved.
From the very beginning, one of the major goals of the AAPA has been to achieve national recognition of the professional status of pathologists' assistants. Toward that end, in 1999 the AAPA initiated formation of the National Commission on Certification of Pathologists' Assistants, with participation of the Association of Pathologists' Assistant Educational Programs (APAEP), American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), Association of Pathology Chairmen (ACP), Association of Directors of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology (ADASP), and with additional representation from National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), American Board of Pathology (ABP), Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), Canadian Association of Pathologists (cap), and the World Association of Societies of Pathology (WASP). Over a period of more than four years, the Commission investigated all aspects of a national certification program and regularly presented its findings to the AAPA Board of Trustees (BOT) for evaluation. After a thorough and diligent examination of all factors, in late 2003, the AAPA elected to pursue a joint national certification program with the ASCP Board of Registry (BOR).
AAPA/ASCP BOR Program for National Certification
During the past year, the AAPA and the ASCP BOR worked as a team to create the memorandum of understanding, which will form a firm foundation for the joint program for national certification of pathologists' assistants. This memorandum defines the relationship between the two groups and outlines each group's responsibilities in offering the program to trained professionals. The memorandum of understanding was approved by the BOR Board of Governors (BOG) on September 12, 2004, and by the AAPA BOT on September 13, 2004. We are extremely proud and happy to be able to offer national certification to all present AAPA Fellows and to all future graduates of NAACLS-accredited training programs. It is a goal long pursued and finally achieved!
Related News
Since its inception, the AAPA has experienced continued significant growth and now has over 800 members including fellows, affiliates, students, institutional, honorary, and sustaining members. Recognition of the profession by the medical community has also greatly increased. In 1993, the AAPA established an affiliation with the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), and together developed an accreditation process setting the minimum standards for PA training programs. The Essentials of Pathologists' Assistant Training Programs can be found at the NAACLS website. In 1994, the AAPA compiled a list of the professional responsibilities of pathologists' assistants that was approved by a review committee of the ASCP. Over the past two years, the AAPA and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) have participated in constructive discussions regarding these professional responsibilities with the common goal to refine them and to define how they fit into the overall "Scope of Practice" for the profession. In this matter, as in all matters relevant to the profession, the AAPA will continue to look out for the best interests of the Pathologists' Assistant.
Future of the AAPA
With the establishment of the AAPA/ASCP BOR joint certification program, the new gold standard has become the nationally certified pathologists' assistant. Since the national certification examination will replace the AAPA Fellowship program as the measure of competency in the pathologists� assistant practice, a major focus of the AAPA has become the provision of Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits to its members. In 2001, the AAPA gained CME provider status through the Professional Acknowledgement for Continuing Education (PACE) program under the aegis of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (ASCLS). Since that time, we have been able to provide our membership with PACE approved CME credits for attendance at our annual conference lectures and workshops, participation in quarterly newsletter quizzes, and attendance at other accredited institutional lectures and workshops. AAPA will continue to be the primary provider of CME credits necessary to maintain professional certification status for the pathologists' assistant, and will be the repository for tracking and maintaining records of CME accreditation for its members. The affiliation with ASCP BOR will also greatly expand the available sources of accredited CME activity for our membership.
ASCP press release
The American Association of Pathologists' Assistants (AAPA) will now be a participating member of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Registry (BOR) Board of Governors. On Oct. 2, 2004, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the ASCP BOR and the AAPA was officially accepted and the two groups will begin offering the only professional certification for pathologists' assistants. AAPA Fellows are immediately eligible for ASCP certification. Beginning Oct. 1, 2005, other qualified candidates will be able to take the pathologists' assistant certification examination to become certified.
According to Patricia Ellinger, MSEd, MT(ASCP)SBB, chair of the ASCP BOR Board of Governors, "Current AAPA Fellows can obtain certification through the BOR by submitting an application to the BOR between Oct. 1, 2004, and Dec. 31, 2005. After Dec. 31, 2005, all individuals seeking certification will have to pass the BOR certification examination to earn the credential. Examination applicants must be graduates of a pathologists' assistant educational program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS)."
National certification for pathologists' assistants is the realization of a long-held dream. In 1972 when the AAPA was formed, its primary purpose was to establish and maintain appropriate educational and professional standards for those working in the field and to seek national recognition and certification for its members.
For more information or to find out how to apply for pathologists' assistant certification contact the ASCP BOR by e-mail at bor@ascp.org or call 1-800-621-4142, extension 1139.