ATD 2014 Excellence in Practice Award winner, College of American Pathologists, based in Northfield, Illinois, needed a way to prepare pathologists for increasing expectations in patient care. Enter the Laboratory Medical Director Advanced Practical Pathology Program (AP3). 

In response to significant challenges and opportunities facing practitioners, the College of American Pathologists launched a multiyear campaign to transform the specialty of pathology. Helping practitioners be effective leaders is critical to their future on the patient healthcare team. 

Unfortunately, most have no single source for learning the relevant knowledge and skills to be an effective director. Through collaboration with multiple expert practitioners, the College of American Pathologists developed a special practice that provided practitioners with the critical skills they need to be successful. 

The Laboratory Medical Director Advanced Practical Pathology Program (LMD AP3) is a blended program that combines four critical learning opportunities, including: 

• seven online learning activities

• a 1.5-day workshop facilitated by recognized experts in the field

• a 50-item, multiple-choice, proctored cognitive assessment

• a practical assessment users take to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. 

The design of the program took into consideration how practitioners wanted to learn and the flexibility they needed. 

So far, the practice has been very highly rated by participants. The majority of participants (between 90 and 100 percent) rated the overall value either excellent or good. Additionally, 91 to 100 percent of participants mentioned they intended to apply what they learned. What’s more, the transformation will have an enormous impact on the way specialists practice and improve patient care and outcomes. 

The ATD Excellence in Practice Awards program recognizes results achieved through the use of practices and solutions from the entire scope of talent development. ATD is now accepting applications for the 2015 awards. Learn more about the ATD Excellence in Practice Awards program****.