Academy of Veterinary
Clinical Pathology Technicians


Promoting Excellence in Veterinary Clinical Pathology



RESOURCES





tIPS FOR THE APPLICATION



The application form may change from year to year. Only submit the current year’s application form. Remember that neatness is important. If we can’t read it we can’t score it. Don’t procrastinate. Be aware of the deadlines and dedicate time to work on the application process. Give out personal recommendation forms early and follow up with reminders. Be sure to use only abbreviations from our list, remember to be detailed oriented and be sure everything is signed appropriately and cross-referenced as instructed. Have someone proofread the application information for content, grammar, spelling and flow.





knowledge list



Candidates should know, understand, recognize and utilize the information contained in the AVCPT Knowledge Topic List. This list should be used as an aid in preparation for sitting for the AVCPT examination. The topics listed are in addition to the AVCPT Skills List, and although some overlap will occur, any topic that appears on either list is suitable information for examination. However, unlike the skills list, you are not required to provide proof of skill mastery for the knowledge list. The examination will provide evidence of this information. It is strongly suggested that candidates utilize the AVCPT Recommended Reading List for review of the AVCPT Knowledge Topic List items. 



CONTINUING EDUCATION





Keep careful documentation of continuing education as it pertains to clinical pathology. Keep photocopies of the course description provided by the organization providing the CE as proof that the continuing education is related to clinical pathology. The course description should include the organization, title, speaker, and date. A photocopy of a document provided by the organization or speaker that includes the number of hours of continuing education you received must be provided as proof of attendance.



SKILLS LIST





Give the skills list early on to the veterinarian and / or veterinary technician specialist (VTS) who is going to sign it. Keep a copy of the skills list and use it as a checklist each time you get a case to match the skill to ensure that all skills are covered.



CASE LOGS





Submit more than the minimum number of cases for the case logs. If one or more cases are not deemed acceptable by the committee, your application may be rejected if only the minimum numbers are submitted. Keep hand-written case notes and results to be entered into the electronic forms at a later date. Update the electronic forms on a biweekly basis.



CASE REPORTS





Case reports may be rejected if the required format (length and spacing) is not followed. The patient outcome is not the primary focus of writing case reports demonstration of knowledge and understanding of analytical processes are critIcal. Copy the laboratory results that go along with each case report. You may want to use an accordion file to organize each case report. The discussion of quality assurance and quality control do NOT count toward your word limit.



Quality Assurance/Assessment and Quality Control



Quality Assurance/Assessment (QA)



Procedures in pre-analysis, analysis and post-analysis that oversee the entire clinical pathology process with a goal to minimize error and improve laboratory results. 1., 2.



Common Quality Assurance Procedures include but are not limited to:



Development and utilization of Standard Operating Procedures for the entire process

 Client and Veterinary-Health-Care-Team initial and ongoing education and communication

 Appropriate patient identification, preparation, evaluation, handling and history collection prior to sample collection

 Proper patient handling, and specimen collection, identification and handling prior to analysis

 Appropriate selection, storage, handling and utilization of supplies, instruments, reagents and quality control materials

 Following the veterinarian’s orders for appropriate tests to be performed

 Following of manufacturer’s utilization, quality assurance, storage, maintenance, repair instructions

 Utilization of external quality control materials/procedures

 Maintaining logs of quality control results to monitor shifts and trends

 Running complementary tests on the same specimen (ex. blood smear review to complement instrument)

 Utilizing manufacturer’s and practice established “flags” indicating the necessity for a review results and repeat testing

 Proper use of appropriate reference intervals

 Documentation of repairs, regulation maintenance, updates, control data, inventory management and storage,  Proper record maintenance and transfer of information

 Transfer of appropriate information to the client 1., 2.



Quality Control (QC)



Procedures that monitor performance of instruments, other types of diagnostic systems (ex. immunology/serology test packs), and veterinary team members to assist in identifying reliability of results. 1., 2.


Internal Quality Controls


Quality control processes that are “built into” the instrument, reagent systems, test packs, rotors, cartridges, slides, strips, and other unit devices to evaluate specific functions of the system, but not necessarily the entire system or the veterinary team member performing the analysis. 1.,2.


External Quality Control


Quality control procedures that are performed by veterinary team member, that is not “built into” the instrument or unit device to evaluate the reliability of results. 1., 2.


Quality Control Materials / “Running Controls” / Controls


Materials of known quantity of an analyte used to evaluate the entire process including the veterinary team members, materials and applicable instruments used in the process. Depending on test and analyte, controls may be “true positives”, “true negatives”, high, low or typical analyte levels. These are commercially prepared.1., 2.

In-clinic Quality Control


External and Internal quality control procedures performed in the practice by the practice staff 1.


External Quality Assessment / Proficiency Testing


A program where a sample is run by external laboratories in addition to the practice laboratory, and results compared or where samples are supplied by a proficiency testing organization to be analyzed in the practice laboratory with results compared to the proficiency testing organization’s verified results. It must be recognized that different methods of analysis may influence the values, and there is the “individuality” variable even when using the same methods that may influence the results. 1., 2.


References

1. American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP), ASVCP Guidelines: Quality Assurance for Point‐of‐Care Testing in Veterinary Medicine - Version 1.0 Sections 1-3, Appendix, (May 2013). (Section) Pages: (1) 1-2, (2) 5-8, 29-32 52, (3) 13-15, 18-19 Available at: http://www.asvcp.org/pubs/qas/newQas/PDF/ASVCP%20POCT%20QA%20Guideline%20May%2 02013.FINAL.pdf. Accessed: April 15, 2006


2. Barger AM, MacNeill AL, Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Techniques for Veterinary Technicians, 2015, Wiley-Blackwell, Ames IA, pp 233-243


Suggested Reading:

American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP), Principles of Quality Assurance and Standards for Veterinary Clinical Pathology, 2009. Available at: http://www.asvcp.org/pubs/pdf/ASVCPQualityControlGuidelines.pdf, Accessed: April 15, 2006.


Zajac AM, Conboy GA, Veterinary Clinical Parasitology, 2012, Wiley-Blackwell, Ames, IA




Disability accommodations are available as requested by the exam taker. Please email our secretary at avcpt.vts@gmail.com to request accommodations and to provide the necessary documentation.



Disability accommodations are available as requested by the exam taker. Please email our secretary at avcpt.vts@gmail.com to request accommodations and to provide the necessary documentation.



ABOUT US



The Academy of Veterinary Clinical Pathology Technicians (AVCPT) thanks you for your interest in becoming a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Clinical Pathology – VTS (Clinical Pathology). AVCPT‘s purpose is to advance the area of and promote excellence in the discipline of veterinary clinical pathology. The veterinary technician specialist (VTS) in Clinical Pathology will demonstrate superior knowledge and performance of clinical pathology techniques, which will promote improved client service and confidence, as well as enhanced patient care.




email us at avcpt.vts@gmail.com