Medical Laboratory Board

Continuing Education

Failure to comply with continuing education requirements may result in disciplinary action against the licensee or registrant. The disciplinary action will be reported on the Department of Health license verification web site.

Medical Laboratory Professionals are required to fulfill twenty-four (24) hours of Board approved Continuing Education (CE) requirements during the two (2) calendar year cycle previous to the renewal of the individual’s license. CE’s also pertain to those individuals that have retired their license and wish to reinstate the license, those licensees whose license has been revoked, and those licensees whose licenses have expired.

Renewals are based on a two (2) year cycle. Every CE cycle will run from January 1 on one calendar year to December 31 of the following calendar year.

For example: January 1, 2020-December 31, 2021 (even year) January 2, 2019-December 31, 2020. (odd year)

The Tennessee Medical Laboratory Board has accepted courses sponsored or approved by any of these organizations:

  1. American Board of Bioanalysis
  2. American Board of Clinical Chemistry
  3. American Board of Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics
  4. American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology
  5. American Board of Medical Microbiology
  6. American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology
  7. American Board of Pathology
  8. American Medical Association
  9. American Medical Technologists (AMT)
  10. American Osteopathic Board of Pathology
  11. American Red Cross
  12. American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
  13. American Society for Clinical Pathologists (ASCP)
  14. American Society of Cytopathology
  15. American Society for Cytotechnology
  16. American Society for Microbiology
  17. Center for Phlebotomy Education
  18. Center for Disease Control
  19. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  20. Clinical Laboratory Management Association and/or its Tennessee Chapter
  21. College of American Pathologists
  22. International Academy of Cytology
  23. National Credentialing Agency for Medical Laboratory Professionals (NCA)
  24. National Laboratory Training Network (NLTN)
  25. Southern Association of Cytotechnologists
  26. Tennessee Association of Blood Banks
  27. Tennessee Department of Health
  28. Tennessee Hospital Association
  29. Tennessee Medical Association
  30. Tennessee Society of Pathologists
  31. Tennessee State Society of American Medical Technologists
  32. Accredited colleges and universities
  33. Hospitals licensed by the Tennessee Department of Health, Division of Health Care Facilities
  34. Laboratories, blood donor centers, plasmapheresis centers, ambulatory surgical treatment centers and collection stations licensed by the Board whose continuing education courses have been approved by the medical laboratory director or his/her designee.
  35. Organizations and entities approved by other state laboratory personnel licensing agencies.
  36. Organizations and entities approved as P.A.C.E. ® (Professional Acknowledgement for Continuing Education) course providers.

Proof of continuing education cannot be in the form of a personal summary. A copy of the certificate awarded showing the topic, hours awarded, and the agency that approved the continuing education should be submitted in response to each random audit.

If your license is active in Tennessee and not in a retired status, whether you practice or not, you are required to meet the current continuing education requirements to renew your license.

You may review the complete requirements for Continuing Education by referring to the Rules and Regulations 1200-6-1-.12.

You may also call the Board’s Administrative Office, toll free 1-800-778-4123 ext.2-5128 or local 532-5128 if you still have questions after review of the Board’s rules and regulations.

Note: Continuing competency is the standard in Tennessee. Continuing education does not preclude individuals from annual competency evaluations per 1200-6-1-.21(2) (b) (4).