ASCP Exam in Advanced Clinical Psychopharmacology

The next exam will be offered:

Monday, October 25, 2010, in Glen Oaks (Queens), New York (the day after the ASCP Fall Meeting)

In order to take the exam, you must:

1. Have an MD or DO degree*

2. Be board certified or "board eligible" (in any medical specialty)*

3. Have a current medical license*

4. Be a member of ASCP (Note: registration fees for non-members will include

      membership dues for 1 year) 

5. Send the registration form, membership application form (if not a member), payment,    

      and evidence of degree*, board eligibility/certification*, and licensure*

      to the ASCP office.

[* = or international equivalent]

• Frequently Asked Questions (updated May, 2009)
• Application Form for 2010  
• Suggested reading list
• Rules for Exam Registration (updated May, 2009)

Basic Information On The Exam

As indicated by the name of the exam, the ASCP Examination in Advanced Clinical Psychopharmacology is intended to measure the individual's fund of knowledge and clinical expertise in advanced clinical psychopharmacology. 

The exam title contains the word "advanced" because all board eligible/board certified physicians have basic knowledge of psychopharmacology.  Passing this exam does not measure basic competency in the area, but rather superior knowledge and expertise.  

The word "clinical" indicates that the exam is not about basic science (although there are questions about drug mechanisms, interactions, etc.)  Rather, the focus is the clinical use of psychopharmacologic agents. 

The coverage of the exam is broad, and the exam includes questions related to all major classes of psychotropics (e.g., antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers). Although the exam does not cover psychopathology or diagnosis per se, these factors are often the context for questions on psychotropic drug use.

A list of recommended texts and journals is available from the ASCP central office and on the ASCP web site ( www.ascpp.org ).  This is a general list, as the goal of the examination is to encourage broad study of the field, rather than focus on a few resources. 

ASCP does not provide sample questions. In board-style exams, a few questions cannot represent the exam as a whole. Sample questions could be misleading either in the direction of being more or less difficult than the majority of the exam.

 MORE (FAQ on Exam)

Good luck in your studies.