American Society for Clinical Pathology

In February 2006, ASCP acquired the cytology product line of the Midwest Institute for Medical Education (MIME). At the time, it was the only national cytology proficiency testing provider. In 2009, ASCP acquired the medical technologist led National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA). The baccalaureate-level certification designations Medical Technologist (MT) and Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) were replaced by Medical Laboratory Scientist, MLS(ASCP)CM. In 2021, ASCP acquired the Clinical Laboratory Management Association (CMLA). CMLA had advocated against laboratory personnel licensure as an unnecessary cost. == Board of Registry (BOR)==

The ASCP Board of Registry (BOR) was established in 1928 as the "Registration Bureau for Technicians" as the first certification agency for clinical laboratory personnel in the US. In 1933, ASCP began to assess individuals for academic and clinical prerequisites, and those who passed a board examination were granted certification. The initial certifications included a written and practical component. In 1939, the BOR publishes the first book outlining the educational curriculum for medical technologists entitled Curriculum for Schools of Medical Technology. In 1948, the written essay portion of the certification was deemed too cumbersome to assess, and the certification was switched to a multiple choice and true-false assessment that could be graded on a machine and provide exam statistics. In 1994, BOR changed their examination format to Computerized adaptive testing (CAT). The lawsuit, and the focus on pathologists over medical technologists spurred other medical technologist societies, such as the American Society for Medical Technology (ASMT) to promote the creation of their own certifying boards. The BOR bylaws were updated following the transition from the American Society of Clinical Pathologists to American Society for Clinical Pathology. ==Board of Schools (BOS)==

In 1949, ASCP stablished the Board of Schools (BOS) for accrediting medical technologist programs and published the Essentials of an Acceptable MT School. In 1973, following antitrust litigation by the United States Department of Education, the ASCP Board of Schools became the independent National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. ==Initiatives==

In 2022 ASCP received a multi-year grant over $1M to promote the CDC OneLab initiative, a network of laboratory professionals and testers to support rapid, large-scale responses to public health emergencies. == Certifications ==

ASCP offers a number of certifications. International certifications taken outside the United States are denoted as ASCPi. As of 2022, there were 580,000 ASCP and 20,800 ASCPi certificates awarded. In 2023, the number of MLS ASCPi applicants exceeded the number of MLS ASCP applicants. Outside the US, the Philippines is largest ASCPi market with a third of eligible Filipino graduates applying for the MLS (ASCPi) certification annually. The credential is not required for practice in the Philippines, but is appealing for its international work eligibility, primarily immigration to the United States. Accreditation agencies The following lists the eligible programs under accreditation agencies • National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) • Medical Laboratory Technician/Medical Laboratory Scientist • Histotechnician/Histotechnologist • Cytogenetics • Diagnostic Molecular Science (can sit for the Technologist in Molecular Biology exam) • Pathologists' Assistant • Phlebotomy • Clinical Assistant (can sit for the Medical Laboratory Assistant exam) • Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) • Cytotechnologist • Specialist in Blood Banking • Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) • Medical Laboratory Technician ==References==