By: Alli Hill, Recruiting Associate, Lab Director Services

One CLIA-approved board certification is the American Board of Clinical Chemistry (ABCC). There are three certifications available through this board: Clinical Chemistry, Toxicological Chemistry, and Molecular Diagnostics. All three of these certifications meet the requirements of CLIA to qualify as a high-complexity Lab Director, and in this guide, we will explore each certification and the process by which one can prepare to apply and sit for these exams.

 

How to Apply

There are three steps to apply for the ABCC exam: online application form, submission of required documents, and the application processing fee.

1. Online Applications are found here for Clinical Chemistry and Toxicological Chemistry and here for Molecular Diagnostics, The applications will include the following information:

• Contact information
• Undergraduate and Graduate training

(see below for specific certification requirements)

• Postdoctoral training
• Professional experience requirements
• Upload a current CV as a single PDF and list 3 references

2. Documents required: Email the below documents to ABCCadministrator@aacc.org

• Official transcripts and/or credentials evaluation sent by the institution
• Degrees obtained outside of the United States must additionally have a credentials evaluation report by an acceptable agency. Some examples of credible agencies can be found here.
• Letters of recommendation from all references
• If you are in a postdoctoral training program, then you must also have a letter of recommendation from your program director.

3. Application fees are as follows:

• $500 application fee
• $250 California Licensure Exam Fee
• $200 Exam Fee Per Part (Clinical Chemistry, Toxicological Chemistry)
• $400 Exam Fee (Molecular Diagnostics)

(Note: if you are unsuccessful in passing an exam, you will need to pay the $500 application fee and the exam fees again to schedule your next attempt.)

 

Clinical Chemistry Certification Requirements

[as stated by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry website Clinical Chemistry – American Board of Clinical Chemistry – All Rights Reserved (abclinchem.org)]

1. Possess a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in a chemical, physical, biological, or clinical laboratory science.
2. Have completed at least 28 undergraduate or graduate course hours in Type A Courses and 2 course hours in Type B and/or Type C Courses. Course Classifications are detailed below.
3. Five years of full-time professional experience in clinical chemistry conducting non-waived testing with an active CLIA certificate.

The Clinical Chemistry exam consists of two parts:

Part A is a 3-hour exam that is based on Calculations and Problem-solving on the following topics: general biochemistry, case-based approach to problem-solving in clinical chemistry, statistics and quality control/assurance, and regulatory and management calculations.

Part B is a 3.5-hour exam on Analytical and Clinical Issues related to the following topics: principles, characteristics, and limitations of instrumentation and technologies, interpretation of clinical findings and laboratory data, basic pathophysiology, quality control, quality assurance, principles of lab statistics and process evaluations, sample handling, preparation, interferences, and pre-analytical variation and guidelines, and regulations in clinical lab management.

 

Toxicological Chemistry Certification Requirements

[as stated by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry website Toxicological Chemistry – American Board of Clinical Chemistry – All Rights Reserved (abclinchem.org)]

1. Possess a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in a chemical, physical, biological, or clinical laboratory science.
2. Have completed at least 28 undergraduate or graduate course hours in Type A Courses and 2 course hours in Type B and/or Type C Courses. Course Classifications are detailed below.
3. Five years of full-time professional experience in toxicological chemistry conducting non-waived testing with an active CLIA certificate.

The Toxicological Chemistry exam consists of two parts:

Part A is a 3-hour exam that is based on Calculations and Problem-solving on the following topics: analytical techniques, toxicology, therapeutic drug monitoring, and basic statistics as applied to toxicology.

Part B is a 3-hour exam on Analytical, Toxicological & Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Issues related to the following topics: principles, characteristics, and limitations of instrumentation and technologies used in a clinical or forensic toxicology or therapeutic drug monitoring laboratory, interpretation of clinical and forensic findings and laboratory data, and basic pathophysiology and forensic requirements.

 

Molecular Diagnostics Certification Requirements

[as stated by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry website Molecular Diagnostics – American Board of Clinical Chemistry – All Rights Reserved (abclinchem.org)]

1. Possess a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in a chemical, physical, biological, or clinical laboratory science.
2. Have completed at least 20 undergraduate or graduate course hours in Type A and/or Type B Courses and 10 course hours in Type A, B, and/or Type C Courses. Course Classifications are detailed below.
3. Five years of full-time professional experience in molecular diagnostics conducting non-waived testing with an active CLIA certificate.

The Molecular Diagnostics exam consists of one part. The exam is 3 hours long and is based on Calculations and Problem-solving on the following topics: principles, concepts, and methodologies of molecular diagnostics, as well as the usage of molecular biology techniques as applied to clinical chemistry.

 

Course Classification

• Type A: analytic, organic, physical, or general chemistry or biochemistry
• Type B: toxicology, animal biology, molecular biology, medical genetics, genetics, microbiology, or immunology
• Type C: material or computer sciences or bioinformatics

 

Exam Preparation

While the American Board of Clinical Chemistry does not offer any practice exams, here are a few suggestions to help guide your studying efforts.

For Clinical Chemistry:

• A list of suggested study resources can be found here.
• The ABCC also offers a list of core competencies that can help provide a guide of what topics to focus while studying for an exam: ABCC Core Competencies for General Clinical Chemistry Exam (abclinchem.org).

For Toxicological Chemistry:

• A list of suggested study resources can be found here.

For Molecular Diagnostics:

• A List of suggested study resources can be found here.
• There is not a core competencies guide for the Molecular Diagnostics test; however, the link above includes guidelines, databases, and other useful resources from various websites.

 

Scores, CE Requirements, and Reapplication

Reapplication:

If you are unsuccessful in passing one or more exam parts, there is a limit of two attempts per part. Failure to take or pass exam parts during your eligibility period will terminate said period. If you only pass one part of the certification and fail the other part, you have until the end of your eligibility period to pass the remaining part. Failure to do so will lead you to need to retake both parts in your next eligibility period. You may reapply for certification once per specialty, but you must allow one exam period to pass between eligibility periods. A new online application, processing fee, exam fee, and three letters of recommendation must again be submitted in order to obtain a new eligibility period.

Successful Candidates:

To become an ABCC diplomate, you will have successfully passed all exam parts within your 3-year eligibility period. This 3-year period begins immediately after your application qualifies you as a Candidate. The eligibility period gives you 7 exam periods to successfully pass all the parts required for your certification. You may only be eligible for one specialty at a time. Successful candidates must document 50 contact hours of continuing education (CE) credit every two years in order to remain listed as an active Diplomate. New Diplomates are not required to begin earning CE until a year after they have passed their exams.

CE Requirements:

All diplomates will be notified every two years of their CE requirement. A maintenance fee of $250 is required at the time of renewal. All CE must reflect the scope of clinical laboratory medicine in any area of laboratory medicine totaling 50 hours. These hours are split into two categories. Category 1 is traditional CE from an accredited provider and must be a minimum of 30 of your CE hours. Category 2 is CE obtained from professional activities and can only be a maximum of 20 of your CE hours. Details on these categories can be found here.

 

Next steps

If you’ve successfully completed your ABCC exam and are now seeking new career opportunities, Lighthouse would be happy to assist you! We have an extensive network of clients in need of lab directors to fill full- and part-time positions, including remote opportunities. Reach out to us at any time to schedule a free consultation with our Lab Director Services Team!

 

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