"Acceptable experience", for the on-the-job route (OJT), as defined by ASCP
to sit for the HT or the HTL exam is the following:
". . . you must have experience, within the last ten years, in the
following areas:
•Fixation
•Microtomy
•Processing
•Staining "
So, the PA met the requirement:
- they fix tissue in formalin and maybe something else
- using a cryostat is microtomy
- if they ever load the tissue on the processor, then they process (And if
you think about it, freezing tissue is a type of processing - it's changing
the consistency of the water in the cells)
- H&E is a stain
The same can be said for someone working in Mohs, who only does FS and H&E
on skin.
The same can apply to someone working in EM, who fixes with glut and osmium,
uses an ultramicrotomy on resin blocks, stain with metal salts.
They meet the criteria. As would someone working just in a GI lab, or with
just rat tissue, or only doing IHC.
There is no ASCP HT/HTL criteria of what type of tissues, what type of
processing, which stains are required, how many/how fast. That allows for
histotechs in many different labs working with very different tissues,
stains, embedding media, microtomes, etc., to be eligible to sit for the
histo exams. We don't want to make demands that are too strict, which would
make a lot of people ineligible to take the exam.
By making the requirements generic enough so that a lot of histotechs in a
lot of different types of lab will be qualified to sit for the exam,
unfortunately, there will be some people who slip in who may not really be
qualified (like the PA). But remember, he had to have studied the book
enough to pass the written exam. That says something.
So again, it comes back to be supervisor who is thinking about hiring the
person. Either have the person prove during the interview that they really
can microtome paraffin blocks, do an H&E, and/or coverslip. OR, use the 3
months probation and get rid of the person if they can't perform the duties
of a histotech. I think most histotech supervisors are nice people, but
sometimes we are too nice. We don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. We like
to give people lots of chances. But sometimes, we HAVE to be the supervisor,
and do what's best of the lab and the patient.
Peggy Wenk
-----Original Message-----
From: Morken, Timothy
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 3:11 PM
To: 'Pam Marcum' ; Emily Sours
Cc: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical - Tostick
a Pin
But, to take the test you need an affidavit from the pathologist that you
worked in the histology lab for at least a year. So something fishy there...
Tim Morken
-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Pam Marcum
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 11:54 AM
To: Emily Sours
Cc: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical - To
stick a Pin
I will clarify. This person worked in the gross room as a PA and decided he
wanted an HT. So he watched over the shoulders of the histologists and
learned enough to see the basics and then studied for the exam without ever
cutting or staining a slide in Histology. His theory was - I cut frozens
and do H&Es it won't be hard to pass a test with no practical and no one is
checking to really see what I know besides what I learned in books and
through acquiring testing examples so why not. Guess what it was enough and
he has an HT now. I don't believe he has ever worked in the field as he is
gone now and somewhere out of state.
Pam
----- Original Message -----
From: "Emily Sours" <talulahg...@gmail.com>
To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 12:52:43 PM
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical - To
stick a Pin
How do you become a certified HT and not have any lab experience?!
That's crazy.
Not that i know anything about being an HT, but I'm a lab tech and I can't
imagine going into the job never having been in a lab at all. What exactly
do they teach you?!
Emily
A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted.
You should live several lives while reading it.
-William Styron
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