The National Registry in Clinical Chemistry was organized in 1967 to certify clinical chemists and clinical chemistry technologists who meet the standards for certification. There are educational, experience, and examination standards for certification by NRCC. Applicants voluntarily present their educational and experience credentials to the Registry as part of an application to sit for examination. After applications are approved, candidates sit for examination. Candidates who pass the examination are then certified. Certification is renewed in one- or three-year increments after a review of continuing experience, education, and training.

NRCC started a certification program for toxicological chemists in 1987.

A Task Force on Safety Certification met in Washington, D.C. in 1994 and proposed the creation of a certification program for persons with responsibilities of Chemical Hygiene Officers as outlined in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Laboratory Standard. In 1996 a national panel of chemists developed guidelines for an examination based certification program and NRCC assumed the responsibility of developing, implementing, and administering a certification program for Chemical Hygiene Officers. NRCC certification of Chemical Hygiene Officers began in 1997.

A Task Force on Environmental Certification met in Washington, D.C. in 1994 and recommended establishing a certification program for Environmental Analytical Chemists. The Task Force saw a need for a certification program to identify chemists and technicians prepared to handle specific environmental problems related to protecting the environment in the public interest. In 1997 a national panel of chemists developed guidelines for an examination based certification program and NRCC assumed the responsibility of developing, implementing, and administering a certification program for Environmental Analytical Chemists and Environmental Analytical Technicians. NRCC certification of Environmental Analytical Chemists and Environmental Analytical Technicians began in 1998.

In 1997 the Center for Laboratories of the Health Care Financing Administration recognized certification by NRCC as a means of qualifying individuals as clinical consultants and directors of high complexity testing under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments. Various states have passed legislation recognizing NRCC certification as a method of obtaining licensure by certain laboratory personnel. Certified chemists may use their listing in the NRCC annual directory as one credential supporting their expert witness status. Basically, individuals seek certification to enhance their professionalism in their career fields and among their peers.

In 1999 the name changed to National Registry of Certified Chemists.

The Registry is a non-profit organization incorporated in the District of Columbia. Its sponsors include major chemical organizations in the United States. Each of these organizations periodically nominates individuals to serve on the Registry’s Board of Directors. Those elected to the Board of Directors may be re-elected and may serve a maximum of three full, consecutive, three-year terms.

The responsibility for evaluating applicants is vested in a Credentials Committee of the Registry. Three members of the Board of Directors are selected at random and on a rotating basis to serve as a Credentials Committee for each completed application. If a Credentials Committee does not reach a unanimous decision to approve or disapprove an application, the application is referred to the full Board of Directors for action.

Applicants shall be evaluated without regard to age, sex, race, religion, national origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Applicants must be of high ethical and professional standing as attested to by references.

Except for pre-experience candidates, applicants may sit for an examination, under one application, a maximum of three times within five years of the date of the application.

Certificates are valid for the year of initial certification and may be renewed thereafter in one- or three-year increments. Names of holders of initial certificates and renewed certificates are published annually in a directory. To be valid, certification must be continuous from the year of initial certification. Certificates are not transferable.

Applicants who are denied approval to sit for an examination or who are denied certification due to failing an examination or who are denied renewal of certification may appeal such actions to the Board of Directors within sixty days after notification of denial has been mailed by NRCC. Emeritus status may be granted, without fee, for reasons of (1) normal retirement from active practice, (2) permanent disability precluding active practice, or (3) retirement for other reasons after 20 years of NRCC certification.

Applicants for certification as a Clinical Chemist must possess a minimum of a bachelor's degree in one of the chemical, physical, or biological sciences from an institution acceptable to the Registry. At least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of appropriate college level studies in chemistry plus 8 semester hours (12 quarter hours) of additional science courses are required. Acceptable science courses include: chemistry, computer science, general biology, genetics, molecular biology, pharmaceutical science, pharmacology, physics, and physiology. Transcripts must be sent directly by educational institutions to NRCC.

Applicants also must have acquired a minimum of six years of acceptable experience in clinical chemistry subsequent to obtaining the bachelor's degree. Two years of this experience must be clinical laboratory experience dealing with human specimens for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes. These two years should be acquired during the six years immediately preceding the date of application. The following are acceptable for the remaining four years.

(a) Up to four years of the experience may be in research projects if concerned with a subject of a clinical nature and with material from human subjects. This could include development of clinical methods.

(b) Up to two years of the experience may be in instrument development where the instrumentation concerns clinical chemical analysis.

(c) Up to four years of the experience may be in special government laboratories which are not primarily concerned with living, human patients, such as Medical Examiner, Coroner, and Public Health laboratories.

(d) Up to four years of the experience may be where animals are the primary subjects, if the techniques are similar to those used for humans.

(a) a Master's degree and four years experience* (two of which must be broad clinical laboratory experience);

*Graduates of ComACC-accredited programs require only three years experience.

(b) An earned doctor's degree and two years experience (both of which must be broad clinical laboratory experience).

Questions are screened and edited by the Examination Committee to ensure subject matter accuracy and relevancy. Reviewers' comments are evaluated by members of the Examination Committee in a final review of each question. Items approved through these steps are included in a special file from which the Examination Committee selects each form of the examination.

Questions will emphasize (1) Analysis and (2) Evaluation. The examinations will also include questions concerned with (3) Patient Preparation, Specimen Collection and Handling, and , to a lesser extent, (4) Management and Administration.
 

                04-01-2001....................San Diego, CA (ACS meeting)

                04-25-2001....................Ithaca, NY (SEHSA meeting)

                06-05-2001....................New Orleans, LA (AIHA meeting)

                06-05-2001....................local sites/proctors

                07-26-2001....................Alexandria, VA (LS&EM Conference)

                08-13-2001....................Arlington, VA (WTQA '01)

                08-26-2001....................Chicago, IL (ACS meeting)

                10-01-2001....................local sites/proctors
 

RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATION

The purpose of renewed certification is to track continuously a certificant's ongoing employment experience and training and to ensure the annual directory is up-to-date. Certified Clinical Chemists must apply to the Registry for renewal of certification in one- or three-year segments. 

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To receive an application/information packet click  nrcc6@aol.com then enter CLINICAL CHEMIST in the subject field and enter your postal mailing adress in the message field.