Credential Renewal

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(Edited)

         I finally managed to finish up all the credits needed to renew my certification. To work as a registered medical laboratory scientist (MLS), you need to do that every three years. What is the perk of staying registered? Well, the pay grade and employment opportunity are different.

         It's also super easy to send in my renewal application online through the ASCP website. I did all my continual education material through them. So, the process should be smooth since I am not importing anything from outside sources.

         Of course, there's a $95 processing fee for my application. It's a good thing I only have to do this every three years. I paid $70 to access most educational material for one year. It does annoy me that I would even have to shell out $165 every couple of years to maintain my credentials. But, that's the game.

         Even though my license lasts until the end of the year, it's better to get things rolling ahead of time. It would appear that it takes 30 days to even process the application. So, if you procrastinate too hard, you may not make the deadline.

What happens if you don't renew your certification?

         Well, you become a unregistered tech. There could be pay reduction (or less raise). If you ever choose to become registered again, you would have to take the board exam again. It costs $240 to even sign up for the exam. Not to mention that you'd need study materials and time.

         This isn't the first time I have renewed my credentials. Should I change my career down the road, I can still choose to keep them if I go through the process. In fact, many medical professionals who go beyond MLS have chosen to maintain that suffix.



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11 comments
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(Edited)

It is always a benefit to maintain a certificate. I had a lifeguard certificate I would renew every few years even though I was no longer an active Lifeguard, but the renewal training did help maintain the skills needed, to get myself and or others out of trouble.

Continuing or updating of ones skills/education that should not be ignored, you never know when you will need them for a just in case things in life go wrong.

edit: Oh I forgot, congratulations.

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Thanks!

Yeah, it's not too expensive to maintain, so I might do the same thing you do when I move on to the next thing.

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congratulations! I remember the post where you talked about it.

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Yeah, won't have to worry about it for another 3 years.

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Oooohhh didn't know you were also part of the health care professional career. I didn't renew my Nursing license and just gamble my future for a Physician's license. Can't even say I did the right thing when this career path isn't even my thing. I'd most likely be a freelance digital artist somewhere out there on a parallel timeline.

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Yeah, I work in the lab.

Being a physician is quite the commitment. Although, I do know people who changed path later on.

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Congrats. I understand what you are saying. My wife has a license that she has to renew every so often and she has some organizations she is a member of that hit our pocketbook pretty hard every year. I have a certification that I have to get so many hours of professional development to keep. Sadly, my certification has had zero difference in what I get paid...

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In some ways, it’s like a racket. But, it is risk mitigation for employers.

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Cool didn't know you worked in a lab. Up at the U ?

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