American Board of Applied Toxicology

Information on ABAT

Information on ABAT Certification Examination

The American Board of Applied Toxicology (ABAT)

The American Academy of Clinical Toxicology established the American Board of Applied Toxicology (ABAT) to provide special recognition to practitioners of clinical toxicology who demonstrate exceptional knowledge, experience, and competence. ABAT exists as a self-governing entity whose membership consists solely of all current Diplomates of the ABAT. ABAT is governed by a Board of Directors elected by ABAT membership from among its Diplomates.

All ABAT functions are undertaken in accordance with ABAT bylaws and the bylaws of AACT, these bylaws and all regulations and procedures promulgated by ABAT. ABAT is a not-for-profit organization. No member of ABAT receives or derives any profit from the operation of ABAT and no part of the net income of ABAT benefits any individual member. ABAT is not involved in authorizing or designating any political lobby action. The principal office of ABAT is usually established in the city of the residence of the President.

ABAT Board of Directors

James B. Mowry, PharmD, FAACT, DABAT
President

Thomas E. Kearney, PharmD, DABAT
Vice-President

Karen E. Simone, PharmD, DABAT
Secretary-Treasurer

Elizabeth J. Scharman, PharmD, FAACT, BCPS, DABAT
Past-President

Lee Cantrell, PharmD, DABAT

Daniel J. Cobaugh, PharmD, DABAT

Cynthia L. Morris-Kukoski, PharmD, DABAT

Robert Palmer, PhD, DABAT

Greene Shepherd, PharmD, DABAT

Henry A. Spiller, DABAT

ABAT was created as a not-for-profit organization for the unique purpose of fostering the development of clinical toxicology among the non-physician, non-veterinarian members of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology by:

Advancing the science, study and practice of clinical toxicology;

Improving the quality of clinical toxicology consultation available to the public;

Establishing and maintaining standards of excellence for non-physician practitioners by developing and administering examinations, as well as other criteria, for the certification and recertification of these practitioners in clinical toxicology;

Granting certificates and other forms of recognition to professionals who demonstrate exceptional ability in clinical toxicology and;

Maintaining a registry of ABAT Diplomates and, upon request, furnishing lists of ABAT Diplomates to the public, governmental agencies, health care professionals, and educational institutions.

ABAT Contact Information

Officers

James B Mowry, PharmD, FAACT, DABAT
President
c/o Indiana Poison Center
I-65 @ 21st Street
Indianapolis, IN 46206-1367
Phone: (317)962-2329
Fax: (317)962-5825 or 317-962-2337
E-mail: jmowry@clarian.org

Thomas E Kearney, PharmD, DABAT
Vice-President
c/o California Poison Control System, San Francisco
951 Calle Verde
Martinez, CA 94553
Phone: (415)502-6001
Fax: (415)502-6012
E-mail: pcctk@calpoison.org

Karen E Simone, PharmD, DABAT
Secretary
c/o Northern New England Poison Center
22 Bramhall Street
Portland, ME 04102
Phone: (207)662-7221
Fax: (207)662-5941
E-mail: simonk@mmc.org

Credentialing Committee

Greene Shepherd, PharmD
Medical College of Georgia
Clinical Pharmacy Program
University of Georgia School of Pharmacy
1120 15th Street, CJ-1020
Augusta, GA 30912
Phone: (706)721-4250
Fax: (706)721-3994
Email: jshepherd@mcg.edu

Certification Renewal Committee

Cynthia L Morris-Kukoski, PharmD, DABAT
Phone: (703)632-7838
E-mail: cynthia.morris-kukoski@ic.fbi.gov

ABAT Certification Examination Credentialling Information

Obtaining an application for American Board of Applied Toxicology Certification Examination

Thank you for your interest in the American Board of Applied Toxicology certification examination. The following information will acquaint the prospective applicant with some basic introductory guidelines utilized by ABAT to assess applications. If the applicant meets these qualifications, the applicant is invited to submit an application that will be reviewed in detail by the ABAT Credentialing Committee to ascertain final credentialing status. You must be credentialed to sit for the ABAT Certification Examination. A link to a downloadable application follows the guidelines.

Applicants must meet the following initial criteria to become a candidate for examination:

A graduate of a college or university with an earned doctoral degree in a biomedical discipline. Applicants without doctoral degrees must possess a baccalaureate degree in a health science discipline, such as pharmacy or nursing, followed by a minimum of five years of full-time professional experience in applied clinical toxicology. Scholastic coursework is not considered to be professional experience.

Because the American College of Medical Toxicology and the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology are responsible for certification in their respective areas, applicants holding the Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathy, or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree are not eligible to sit for the ABAT examination.

Completion of at least 12 months of post-doctoral training (i.e., residency or fellowship) in clinical toxicology or a closely related field. Applicants without post-doctoral training must have a minimum of at least three years of professional experience related to applied clinical toxicology after completion of their doctoral degree. To be prepared for the examination, candidates should have considerable clinical experience and an understanding of the clinical and environmental factors associated with various types of toxicological problems. Examples of activities related to the practice of applied clinical toxicology include consulting with medical personnel on patient care issues, administrative responsibility for a poison control center with consultative responsibilities, rendering opinions on product toxicity, teaching clinical toxicology to students, practitioners or colleagues, collaborating with medical toxicologists, and research in applied clinical toxicology.
Applicants must demonstrate experience in all the areas of clinical, research and teaching activities, and leadership. An abundance of experience in one area will not substitute for lack of experience in another.
Applicants holding a degree in a health care profession in which licensing is required must be in good standing with the appropriate jurisdictional board and must be eligible for, or possess, a valid, unrestricted license to practice. A copy of the license must accompany the application.
Applicants must be members in good standing of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology at the time of their application.

Credentialing Committee Review

Following receipt of the completed application and application fee, the candidate's submission is reviewed by the Credentialing Committee. The Committee uses a standardized credential review document among the application reviewers. A formal letter from the President of ABAT will inform the candidate of the committee's decision, and if required, will list areas of improvement the committee felt would allow the candidate to successfully pass credential review on a subsequent submission. Once credentialed, an applicant must take the exam within two examination cycles.

Application Fees

A combined application and testing fee of $400, made payable to the American Board of Applied Toxicology, must accompany the application. If credentialing is denied for any reason, the $300 examination fee will be refunded.

Click here for ABAT Certification Examination Application (MSWord97 format)

Application Deadlines

The deadline for submitting your electronic application is March 1. The paper application and accompanying check for application/examination fees are due March 5.

Application Questions

If you have any questions or problems, please contact the Credentialing Committee Chair at the email address or phone number listed below:

Greene Shepherd, PharmD, DABAT

Chair, Credentialling Committee

Medical College of Georgia

Clinical Pharmacy Program
University of Georgia School of Pharmacy

1120 15th Street, CJ-1020

Augusta, Georgia 30912

Phone: 706-721-4250

Fax: 706-721-3994

E-mail: jshepherd@mcg.edu

ABAT Certification Examination Information

Only those individuals who are credentialled to take the ABAT certification examination may do so. Credentialled applicants must take the examination within two examination cycles. ABAT is committed to providing an examination once per year, but may elect to skip a year if not enough applicants are ready to sit for the exam. A decision is made on or before May 15th of the fall preceding the next examination session whether to proceed with the examination process for that year. The examination is prepared acording to a table of specifications. The examination is given over two days prior to the start of the NACCT meeting. The first day/session involves a written response to case scenarios or situations that would assess the applicant's problem solving skills. The second day/session is comprised of a 100-150 multiple choice answer examination. The Board of Directors grade all examinations. The examinee will usually hear from the President within 4-6 weeks after the close of the NACCT meeting on the results of the examination. A study guide may guide preparation for the examination.