CAREER PATHWAYS
Lessons from Boot Camp: One Laboratorian’ s Journey
By Jennifer Crew, PhD, HCLD( ABB), public service administrator, Illinois Department of Public Health
I began working at the Illinois Department of Public Health in 2007 as a laboratory research scientist in molecular diagnostics, where I developed assays for communicable disease testing and newborn screening. I spent 10 years in this position before receiving promotions to supervisory roles in Newborn Screening and, finally, in Virology, which is my current position.
Along the way, I have been lucky enough to participate in many APHLsponsored training programs and meetings, including conferences on tuberculosis, advanced molecular detection, and training in the use of molecular detection and tandem mass spectrometry for newborn screening.
For around five years, APHL has sponsored the Laboratory Director Board Examination Boot Camp to assist candidates interested in obtaining the High Complexity Laboratory Director( HCLD) certification. The certification can be gained by passing tests administered by the American Board of Bioanalysis( ABB) and American Board of Medical Microbiology( ABMM). I have wanted to obtain an HCLD for some time, and I was inspired by a previous director who had gone through the process when I began working at my laboratory.
After receiving an introductory email from APHL regarding Year Two of Boot Camp and receiving encouragement from management, I decided to give it a try. I found that my first round of Boot Camp was overwhelming— although I had felt sure of my knowledge of general quality assurance / quality control( QA / QC) and of molecular diagnostic testing, I realized there was more that I needed to know. I decided to independently study before applying to take the exam. This was lesson # 1: Boot Camp helped me understand how much I didn’ t know.
I spent the next two years studying the basics as I had time between SARS-CoV-2 testing and a measles outbreak at work. I returned to Boot Camp in 2023 better prepared. By that time, Boot Camp had changed as well.
The Boot Camp’ s lead facilitators, who I thought of as“ counselors,” had incorporated Kahoot! software, which turned the weekly review session into a competition. This was a good motivator for me and boosted my confidence. Since the counselors have all passed the exams, they are good coaches in the test-taking experience. They emphasized that,“ If you can rule out an answer that you know is wrong, your chances of choosing the correct answer are a lot better.” Furthermore, content from the sessions was transformed into flashcards that were reviewable on Quizlet software. This approach made it easy to prepare for the exam whenever I had a spare block of time, without needing to lug around textbooks or an ABB General Knowledge binder.
Boot Camp also incorporated material pertinent to the Molecular Diagnostics specialty test from ABB, using contributions from laboratorians who had recently taken the exam. The content included good textbook resources and areas that Boot Camp participants should review. Boot Camp’ s resources serve as lesson # 2: Concentrate study efforts on what you need to know for the exam.
Part of the Boot Camp“ homework” is for participants to submit questions that can be used in the weekly review sessions. I found this to be a small, achievable task that helped keep me on track. Maintaining your focus while studying on your own is difficult, especially over the course of a year or more, and having a small community to keep you accountable never hurts! This also led to lesson # 3: Keep at it!
In Spring 2024, I took both the ABB General Knowledge and the ABB Molecular Diagnostics exams. I had spent a lot of time preparing for the General Knowledge exam, and I passed it easily. However, I did not pass the Molecular Diagnostics exam on the first try. I had assumed that working in the field for 20 years would be enough preparation, but I had ignored fields of testing aside from public health, like cancer diagnostics.
Knowing what I needed to learn( and relearn), I took the ABB Molecular Diagnostics exam again in Spring 2025, and I passed it! Since I passed both exams, I achieved a High Complexity Laboratory Director certification.
I am thankful for APHL’ s Laboratory Director Board Examination Boot Camp and the counselors who helped me achieve my HCLD. Although there is no single way of exam preparation that works for everyone, the Boot Camp was a good tool( and community) for me. g
4 LAB MATTERS Fall 2025 PublicHealthLabs @ APHL. org
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