The National Certification Agency (NCALP) (CE)

Due to recertification requirements, employer personnel policy, and laboratory licensure requirements, participation in a continuing education (CE) program of some sort is necessary. But should that be the only reason - simply to fulfill an obligation? “There is so much to be gained, both personally and professionally, from enthusiastically taking part in CE, and there are many CE activities that take a minimal amount of time and are either free or fairly inexpensive.”-Mollie George, MT(ASCP) Employee participation in CE is definitely noticed. The employee interested in his or her professional development will probably be the one who is asked to head a committee or will be considered more seriously for a promotion. “Participation
NCALP offers certification in a variety of classifications including phlebotomist, clinical laboratory supervisor , clinical laboratory scientist (CLS), clinical laboratory technician (CLT), as well as several specialist categories. Certification is valid for a period of 3 years. NCALP supports the concept of recertification as a mechanism to assess continued competence in the certified category. Recertification is achieved in one of two ways: (1) submission of documentation of approved continuing education in the past 3 years or (2) re-examination. After submitting the proper documentation, individuals are recredentialed for a period of 3 years. A broad range of educational and professional activities are accepted for recertification. The recertification fee is $50, and 36 contact hours are required for each 3-year
National and regional meetings, sponsored by professional societies as well as other organizations, bring a variety of educational workshops to a single location. They provide an avenue for peer networking, interaction with industry experts, as well as an excellent opportunity to obtain CE credits.
Audiocassettes. "In-service Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Science," by Oak Stone Publishing, is a monthly audiocassette CE program sponsored by the ASCLS. Formats are available for individual use or for groups of as many as 6 participants. Topics presented include regulatory compliance, reproductive endocrinology, and CPT coding. The price for individuals is approximately $235 per year and for groups of as many as 6, $375 per year.
Phone Home study. The Colorado Association for Continuing Medical Laboratory Education, Inc., (CACMLE) offers a variety of continuing education programs geared for individual as well as group instruction. Thirty-six home study courses covering blood banking, chemistry, hematology, immunology, management, and microbiology are currently offered. Continuing education credit is given to those who score 80% on a post-course