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The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) has celebrated more than 100 years of impact and influence in the field of pathology and laboratory medicine, and has become synonymous with excellence in advocacy, education, and certification for pathologists and laboratory professionals.
Founded in 1922, a group of 39 physicians formed ASCP to achieve important goals to further the laboratory in healthcare. From promoting the efforts of clinical laboratory methods in the diagnosis of disease to stimulating original research in clinical laboratory work, ASCP has long been a leader in advancing the practice and understanding of pathology and laboratory medicine. Additionally, ASCP has been instrumental in establishing uniform standards in the field and encouraging better cooperation between healthcare providers and the laboratory.
In 1936, ASCP joined forces with the American Medical Association to create the American Board of Pathology, offering certification in anatomic and clinical pathology.
To say that the original group of physicians succeeded in their aims is an understatement. More than 100 years later, ASCP is the largest professional organization of its kind for pathologists and laboratory professionals. By 1940, ASCP published its first issue of the peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Pathology, contributing to medical and scientific research in areas of pathology and laboratory medicine. Today it publishes an additional peer-reviewed Laboratory Medicine, along with the Society’s magazine, Critical Values.
From its earliest years, ASCP has had a focus on inclusion. It was the first medical society ever to elect a woman president, Emma S. Moss, MD, in 1955. Since then, ASCP has also been an inclusive place for non-physician members of the Society, electing its first medical technologist to its Board of Directors in 1992, an important step in elevating non-pathologist laboratory professionals.
Today, ASCP is recognized as the leading Society of its kind, with a global membership and impact, and its influence on the field of pathology laboratory medicine is unparalleled. It has more than 100,000 pathologist and laboratory professional members across multiple specialties, including pathology, hematology, microbiology, and molecular diagnostics, certifying new members every year in many sub-specialties.
Since its inception, ASCP has continued to abide by its four pillars of values:
Knowledge
ASCP provides rich, multilayered learning experiences through a variety of methods and mediums, with relevant subject matter experts and cutting-edge curricula.
Advancement
ASCP plays a significant role in advocacy for its members and the professional community, helping interpret the latest regulatory actions and promote beneficial developments. The Society pushes for higher laboratory standards and dedicated best practices, proper funding, and initiatives to address workforce shortages.
Collaboration
ASCP forges alliances with other medical societies, non-governmental organizations and government agencies, to cultivate stronger connections for members and expand collective resources.
Global community
ASCP has a global reach with connections and programs in such places as Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.
ASCP continues to drive change in the U.S. and around the world through its many initiatives including the Leading Laboratories Recognition Program; Partners for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment in Africa, which provides rapid cancer diagnostics, care, and treatment to Sub-Saharan Africa; the ASCP Foundation to support diagnostic medicine and public health; and numerous collaborations with PEPFAR to bring pathology and laboratory medicine to under-resourced countries.