Specialist - General Qualifications

Applicants must be persons of good moral character, high integrity, and good repute and must possess high ethical and professional standing.

Only permanent residents of the United States of America and its territories and possessions or of Canada and its territories are eligible for Certification.

Education

Applicants must possess an earned Bachelor's Degree in one of the natural sciences, from an institution acceptable to the Board (acceptable institutions are those accredited by regional accrediting commissions recognized by the United States Office of Education (USOE), those whose pertinent education programs, e.g. in chemistry, were at the time accredited by national accrediting agencies recognized by USOE and other institutions at the discretion of the Board).

Applicants must have adequate education in biology, chemistry, which may include pharmacology or toxicology. (An example of adequate education in chemistry is satisfactory completion of college level studies in chemistry, including accredited courses in inorganic, organic, analytical and physical chemistry).

Professional Experience

Applicants must possess at least three (3) years of full-time professional experience (or the part-time equivalent there-of) in forensic toxicology, acceptable to the Board, at least three (3) years of which must be acquired subsequent to completion of a Bachelor's Degree.

At least one (1) year of the professional experience must have been acquired during the three (3) years immediately preceding the date of application.

Applicants are required to document a record of appropriate professional activities in forensic toxicology, in keeping with the concept that "forensic toxicology is the study and practice of the application of toxicology to the purposes of the law."

Applicants must be engaged in the practice of forensic toxicology at the time of application for Certification.

Examinations

Applicants who meet the requirements in Sections 1,2, and 3 above will be admitted to the examination administered by the Board (ABFT).

Applicants must successfully pass a comprehensive written examination on the principles and practice of analytical toxicology.

The Procedures for Application and Certification are given separately.

General Provisions Concerning Certification

The right to deny Certification is reserved.

Certificates of Qualification as a Forensic Toxicology Specialist are valid for five (5) years, and are renewable, according to standards and under conditions established by the Board, for an appropriate fee.

Persons holding a valid Certificate of Qualification issued by the Board are entitled to use the designation "Forensic Toxicology Specialist of the American Board of Forensic Toxicology" and the initials "FTS-ABFT" whenever professionally appropriate.

Certificates issued by the Board are not transferable. They remain the property of the Board, but every person to whom a Certificate has been properly issued is entitled to its continued possession unless and until such Certificate is revoked.

Certificates may be suspended or revoked for appropriate cause, under an elaborate system of safeguards for the individual concerned.