There are three main types of organizations that govern medical professionals: certification, accreditation, and professional.
Certification refers to the process of deeming an individual competent within a particular field (e.g., an MLT has passed a certification exam). MLSs and MLTs must maintain certification by completing continuing education units on a periodic schedule. Leading up to certification, an individual must have completed all educational requirements. Certification and credentialing are used synonymously.
The main certification organizations include:
- American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
- American Medical Technologists (AMT)
- American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB)
- American Board of Pathology (ABPath)
Accreditation refers to the process of recognizing an organization's compliance with the regulatory standards of the industry (e.g., a laboratory has satisfied the safety regulations as confirmed by inspection agencies).
The main accreditation organizations include:
- College of American Pathologists (CAP)
- The Joint Commission (TJC)
- Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation (COLA)
- Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB)
Professional refers to a membership network of laboratory professionals who strive to improve health care and advocate for their profession. Many certification and accreditation organizations are also professional organizations.
The main professional organizations include:
- American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS)
- American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
- American Medical Technologists (AMT)
- American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB)
- College of American Pathologists (CAP)
- AABB
- Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine (ADLM, formerly AACC)
