Those were the days Pamela. The first IF I did we had to make the antibody and everything. I learned a lot back then. I was surprise to find out that the practical part of the registry was no longer done. That to me was one of the most important parts of the registry. You can always look up information in a book but you cannot look up tissue sections to present to the pathologist or research in a book. Knowledge is as important as the actual doing but if you cannot do the work you shouldn't be there.
Frances L. Swain HT(ASCP) A. A. S. Special Procedures Technician Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Center for Orthopaedic Research Barton Research Building 2R28 4301 West Markham Street Little Rock AR 72205 (501) 686-8739 PHONE (501) 686-8987 FAX swainfranc...@uams.edu email -----Original Message----- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Pamela Marcum Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 12:47 PM To: 'Donna Hunter'; 'Hermina Borgerink'; 'Histonet' Subject: RE: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology Ah, the memories of having to find the tissue then gross, process, stain and wait. You are absolutely correct it was a very exciting time to open that envelope and find out I passed the both tests. Doing everything manually from cutting, mounting and staining was nerve racking and worth every minute. I knew what each stain would do and how to make it the best I could by hand. I don't think the automated units give the same satisfaction and don't teach troubleshooting the way we learned it. I made my stains so if it did not work it was on me and no one else. We still do for new stains. I am training someone now. She will know how to make the stains and what will break the stains so even if we get an automated stainer it will be something she will still be able troubleshoot. We do buy some stains as soon as I know she understands why and how to make them. I won't even start on IHC as I began with IF in brain when no kits were available and we made the secondary after buying a primary. It was actually fun to learn and had helped me over the years. Pamela A Marcum University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine Comparative Orthopedic Laboratory (CORL) 382 W Street Rd Kennett Square PA 19438 610-925-6278 -----Original Message----- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Donna Hunter Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 11:53 AM To: Hermina Borgerink; Histonet Subject: RE: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology I agree!!! I remember 29 years ago, I worked full time, had to do my practical after hours and on the weekends was really proud of what I accomplished completing that practical and passing it. Also Sitting in that chair in the big auditorium for the longest 4 hours of my life trying to read and take that test looking at those faded bent paper slides of stains was so proud when I got that envelope stating I passed. I think they need to bring back the old written test and slides that they used before all this computer enhancement. Donna -----Original Message----- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Hermina Borgerink Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 11:29 AM To: Histonet Subject: RE: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology It is my personal opinion that all Histology techs working within a clinical setting today should be certified. Period. Histology requirements are no longer what they used to be as complexity of procedures used in the lab are increasingly becoming more demanding. I started out in 1961 straight out of high school, but since then, over time, have gotten my HT, BA in biology, HTL, and IHQ, all while continuing to work full time. I think it was a terrible mistake to abandon the practical exam for the HT/HTL and rely solely on the written exam to judge the expertise of the candidate for ASCP certification. Automation probably played a crucial part in making the "hands-on" experience obsolete, but I think that practical experience was invaluable because it reinforced and illuminated what the written material was teaching. And while automation undoubtedly has many benefits, unfortunately, it can also promote "dumbing-down" as it requires little or no interaction with the user of the laboratory equipment. While I was getting my personalized OTJ training from a pathologist in a medical school's experimental setting, it was always understood that although we were working with animal tissue, the patient's welfare ultimately was the bottom line. This attitude not only inspired good laboratory practice, but also the desire to learn and to do the best possible job I could. To this day I find it immensely rewarding to perform special and IHC stains by hand and achieve the expected results. So many other professions demand a college education followed by, or in conjunction with, training in a particular skill, so why should our profession be any different? With an increased level of education and training will come a larger pay check and the well-deserved respect so frequently lacking now. Hermina Hermina M. Borgerink, BA, HT, HTL(ASCP)QIHC Wake Forest University Primate Center Department of Pathology Medical Center Blvd. Winston-Salem, NC 27157 Tel. (336) 716-1538 Fax. (336) 716-1515 e-mail: hborg...@wfubmc.edu -----Original Message----- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Kim Tournear Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 9:53 AM To: Histonet Subject: RE: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology I agree with the overseas tech issue...my experience at Ventana Medical allowed me to meet alot of well educated techs from across the ocean. What difference does it make where the education comes from, as long as the candidate is qualified to do the job? I think an ASCP certification should be obtained allowing the applicant to use his/her credentials, and a state license (if applicable) without having to go back for a degree they already have. We knew long before 2005, that the histology world was going in new directions and that a histotech would be required to be certified. I fear that at some point, hospitals will not hire any non-registered techs (of any kind). Just my 2 cents worth.... ~Kim Tournear ~HT (ASCP), QIHC (ASCP) Histology Supervisor Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ ~Don't let your life end before it begins~ OU Rocks!!!! --- On Mon, 2/16/09, Bernice Frederick <b-freder...@northwestern.edu> wrote: From: Bernice Frederick <b-freder...@northwestern.edu> Subject: RE: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology To: "'Larry Woody'" <slappyc...@yahoo.com>, histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Date: Monday, February 16, 2009, 7:28 AM Agreed. Kind of devalues one's education if there are uncertified techs. I also think that it's silly that techs from outside the US are sometimes forced to repeat their 4 years of college when they have the knowledge and the equivalency from wherever and can do the job better than some techs doing it for years. Bernice Bernice Frederick HTL (ASCP) Northwestern University Pathology Core Facility ECOGPCO-RL 710 N Fairbanks Court Olson 8-421 Chicago,IL 60611 312-503-3723 -----Original Message----- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Larry Woody Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 10:10 AM To: rjbu...@yahoo.com; Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Steven Coakley Subject: Re: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology This has been an ongoing issue for so many years in histology, I've always wanted to see a mandatory license in the field but that always starts a firestorm of controversy. If you have surgery, you certainly want a board certified surgeon to do it and same with the Pathologist that looks at the slides so wouldn't you want a certified tech doing the lab work as well? Larry A. Woody Seattle, Wa. ________________________________ From: Rene J Buesa <rjbu...@yahoo.com> To: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Steven Coakley <sjchta...@yahoo.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 7:58:26 AM Subject: Re: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology A hospital that relies on uncertified techs to do histology work is motivated by the pursue of costs cuts (you can call it greed!) and shows total disregard for quality of work and patient care. They may end losing all those savings when settling a legal case. René J. --- On Wed, 2/11/09, Steven Coakley <sjchta...@yahoo.com> wrote: From: Steven Coakley <sjchta...@yahoo.com> Subject: [Histonet] uncertified techs in Histology To: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 9:55 AM Any thoughts or experiences with my fellow HT/HTL's(ASCP). What the big advantage do all these facilities think there gaining by going with unregistered techs, especially when theres always ongoing quality issues when theres so many trained certified HT looking for work? In my area of the country I can't believe how many Hospitals go this way. _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic mail transmission has been sent by Northside Hospital. 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