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Board Examination Certification Boot Camp

The Laboratory Director Board Certification Examination Boot Camp is a multi-week virtual program facilitated by board-certified professionals, designed to help jump-start the studying process for the board exams required to direct high-complexity laboratory testing. The Camp runs twice a year in the spring and fall and aims to align with scheduled examination dates.

Questions?

Contact APHL’s Leadership Programs team: [email protected].

About the Board Exam Boot Camp

With an ever-increasing number of laboratory directors reaching retirement age, now is a great time to ensure you’re eligible to become a high-complexity laboratory director by taking the board certification exam!

Jump start your studying process with the Laboratory Director Board Certification Examination Boot Camp, a multi-week virtual program facilitated by board-certified professionals to:

  • Enhance your study efforts.
  • Allow you to practice with other professionals planning to take the Board Exam.
  • Keep your motivation high.
  • Learn helpful hints from board-certified laboratory directors and other subject matter experts.

Boot Camp Sessions

Tuesday evenings, 7:00–8:00 pm ET in the Spring and Fall

Get Involved

Are you preparing to take the board certification examination? Or are you qualified and interested in helping others prepare for their exam?

Please read the Boot Camp Roles and Responsibilities for detailed information on the ways that you can be involved.

To join APHL’s Board Certification Boot Camp program as a participant, email [email protected] to be registered on the Boot Camp ColLABorate. Join the Fall or Spring weekly calls using the link in the flyer.

If you have a doctorate and are preparing to take a Laboratory Director Board Certification examination or if you are currently a laboratory director get involved in our program! Contact us at [email protected] and request to be registered in our Laboratory Directory Board Certification Boot Camp ColLABorate Community. 

  • ​Sign up in advance to our weekly boot camp calls as a Lead Moderator.
  • Find the link to join the weekly Fall or Spring sessions in our flyer. 

Are you qualified (e.g., knowledgeable in weekly session topics) and interested in helping others prepare for their examinations? If so:

  • Sign up in advance to be a subject matter expert (SME) on a weekly call.
  • Join the call as an SME and participate in the knowledge sharing to help provide technical information about boot camp questions and responses.
  • Find the link to join the weekly Fall or Spring sessions on our flyer.

Please read the Boot Camp Roles and Responsibilities for more detailed information on the ways that you can be involved with the Laboratory Director Board Examination Boot Camp.

Spring 2026 Boot Camp

The Spring ​ 2026 sessions are focused on microbiology and molecular diagnostics to support campers studying for the American Board of Bioanalysis (ABB) and American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM) exams.  See an overview of the schedule in the dropdown below, or download a copy.

The Spring 2026 Laboratory Director Board Examination Boot Camp Sessions will run February 3 - May 19. These sessions take place on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm ET are being recorded.

The Spring 2026 sessions focus on areas that support campers studying for the American Board of Bioanalysis (ABB) and American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM) exams.

  • February 3: Antimicrobial resistance

  • February 10: Directing laboratory administrative functions (personnel assessment and management, facility needs, finances, QMS, PT program)

  • February 17: Differential and selective media, key biochemical reactions and properties

  • February 24: Gram positive and negative cocci and gram negative bacilli 

  • March 3: Amplification of nucleic acids, nucleic acid biochemistry

  • March 10: Anaerobes and Mycobacterium 

  • March 17: Organisms, infectious diseases caused, modes of transmission, epidemiology and clinical significance 

  • March 24: OSHA and general safety and security in the laboratory, infectious shipping regulations

  • March 31: Directing laboratory testing functions (troubleshooting, SOPs, Sensitivity/Specificity/PPV/NPV, test quality control/root cause/result reporting)

  • April 7 (90 Minutes): ABB Molecular Diagnostics Examination focus preparation - Biochemical and Inherited Genetics and Assays (FISH, Blots, and Arrays), miscellaneous molecular

  • April 14 (90 Minutes): ABB Molecular Diagnostics Examination focus preparation - Molecular Diagnostic Approaches (PCR, Sequencing, Amplification and Mass Spectrometry)

  • April 21 (90 Minutes): ABB Molecular Diagnostics Examination focus preparation – Solid tumors, hemopathology, other oncology

  • May 12: ABMM Examination focus preparation - Infectious disease case studies

  • May 19: FINAL BOOTCAMP SESSION: ABMM Examination focus preparation - Case studies and medical consulting

Please note that exact Boot Camp topics and the length of the camp may vary.

Spring 2026 Boot Camp Flyer

Boot Camp Resources

We utilize a variety of resources to assist laboratorians studying for the board exam:

The aim of the Practical Guide, which was updated in 2024, is to provide guidance and a curriculum framework for potential public health laboratory directors (PHLD) and laboratory leaders. It outlines the unique competencies required of today’s PHLD, as well as the board certification requirements for laboratory directors of high-complexity clinical testing laboratories as mandated by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). Additionally, it offers resources to help individuals review core curriculum materials in preparation for board certification examinations. 

The purpose of this community is to provide a forum for individuals interested in pursuing director-level positions within public health laboratories, and for those particularly interested in taking one of the board certification exams. In this forum, a panel of board-certified laboratory directors, subject matter experts and other APHL volunteers are ready to answer your questions, provide advice and guidance, or suggest additional resources related to leadership positions and board certification requirements. 

To join APHL’s Board Certification Exam Boot Camp ColLABorate Community, please email [email protected]​. 

The APHL Boot Camp utilizes a game-based learning platform, Kahoot!, during live sessions each week. Campers are expected to actively participate, with points awarded based on the accuracy of their answers and response time. The game helps subject matter experts track question discussion needs and allows campers to assess their knowledge of the subject area. To participate in live sessions, please email [email protected]​. 
APHL Boot Camp offers a Quizlet Classroom with digital flashcards organized by various laboratory and scientific topics typically covered on the most popular Board Examinations. Flashcard sets are continuously added to the site. 

Please note that participants are responsible for meeting all exam requirements with the exam body of their choice, and no assistance is available from APHL regarding eligibility questions or exam fees.