Lets just get to the crux of all this shall we. In some states where license rules. It goes like this. I'll use Florida because thats where I am. Back in the day the state offered their own test. 3 of them to be specific, technician, technologist and general lab. The state decided to stop giving test so they went and allowed the ASCP to offer the way to becoming a histotech. Now dont get me wrong, I have a great deal of respect for ASCP, although I do feel they lowered the standards when they got rid of the technical test portion. I know many histotechs that went through a internet AS degreed program, such as Florida State College. a Great program by the way. They still require students to go to campus occasionally and a long technical practicum somehwere. These students get QUALITATIVE CHEMISTRY and microbiology. plus a very intensive practicum. You used to have to take immunology, hematology, phlebotomy and some other stuff I cant remember. Never the less still one of the best colleges to seek good techs from. < yes, Im biased. But here's what I'm seeing. Many of these out of state programs take in students they NEVER lay an eye on. These people pass a test and they are histotechs. And guess what, many of these students all they care about is passing that test and getting that title and fat paycheck much like all I care about taxes is that Ive filled it out and now send me a return (hopefully). I'm going to catch a bunch of stuff for this. But if none of you want to address it, then I have no choice. Because I'm just stuborn that way and I really care about this profession and by god Im getting older and desire for people coming into this profession to have enough knowledge to solve problems. Why? because patient care really is still driving me after all these years. So back to license or requiring ASCP. No, you dont have to have ASCP if youve went though all this other stuff Ive talked about in Florida. You are lisensed. But if you are new, yes you have to get ASCP to get one. But even if you go through a online internet program and DO NOT have a higher education, Florida will still only reconize to license you as a technician. You will need to have some years under your belt as a technician to take the route to become technologist, then more years to become supervisor. There is no real OJT in Florida, you would have to be registered with the state and given a temporary license and you would have to show where you are studying in a approved course to get it. Who knows, maybe you even had your husband do the program for you while you were at work or making dinner. But you still have to pass that test so maybe you are a good test taker. Who knows. Now, if anyone wants to bash me up, go ahead. Because I have had at least 8 people in the last 2 years who couldnt even tell me what stain stains a nucleus who has graduated from a online course. If you want respect, raise the bar. If you raise it so high that I have even half to jump through more hoops , so be it. But dont just ignore where we ALL know the problem is. We are NOT politicians. I care for this place and all of you as professionals and I am sorry for being so blunt because I know this is going to hurt me. Good Day. Kim D
________________________________ From: "pru...@ihctech.net" <pru...@ihctech.net> To: Dorothy Ragland-Glass <techman...@yahoo.com>; David Kemler <histot...@yahoo.com>; Fellow HistoNetters <Histonet@Lists.UTSouthwestern.edu> Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 1:18 PM Subject: RE: [Histonet] Unregistered techs There is nothing volunteer about being ASCP certified as an HT or= HTL where I have worked for the last 35 years, all those employed as HT's = at the U of Colorado must be ASCP certified and I believe this is the case = for most other places doing hospital based Histology, work, right???? ------= -- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: [Histonet] Unregistered tec= hs From: Dorothy Ragland-Glass <[1]techman...@yahoo.com> Date: Mon, May 28, 2012 10:14 pm To: David Kemler <[2]histotalk@ yahoo.com>, Fellow HistoNetters <[3]Histonet@Lists.UTSouthwestern.edu> Dorothy R. Glass, BS,HTL(ASCP),IHC You are so right about = the good old days when you would prove who you were and sit for a paper not= computer exam at a medical school close to you. I sat for the HTL in 1988.= I was so proud to call myself a Histologist after being trained at a Schoo= l of Histotechnology and being ASCP certified. NOW you have people on the j= ob trained just referring to themselves casually as histotects. Not histo t= rainees. Unfortunate for us older techs, it is very offensive considering w= hat we went through in establishing a career not just a job. Some reference= labs is focusing on hiring aids to later, after a few months train them an= d refer to them as histotechs. I hate it when the term is used so freely. Sinserely, frustrated HTL David Kemler <[4]histot...@yahoo.com> wrote: >Good stuff. In the "old" days, 36 years ago for me, taking th e HT(ASCP) >exam it was said that you were "registered" by the ASC= P, because the designation HT is given by the Board of Registry of the ASCP. Many of the NEW folks use the word "certified". After a total o f 39 years (3 years was training before you were eligible) I= still only use registered by the ASCP / Licensed by the State of Florida&n bsp;and call myself a "histologist". > >In those d= ays ( long before the Internet), you took your ASCP exam (HT's, MT's, CT's,= BT's, MLT's) at specially selected medical schools across the US. You= chose the one giving the exam which was closest to where you lived. If you= needed to drive 100 miles or further to get to the examinin= g college on March 15 OR August 15th, (the only dates it was given)&nb= sp;that's what you did. Getting into the exam auditorium before y= ou were allowed to "sit" (that's what it was called) for the exam, was= a challenge. You had to prove that you were who you said you were or you&n= bsp;were not getting in. Once those guarded doors were closed - t= hey were CLOSED! I saw several folks crying outside the auditorium tha= t day n 1975. Chances for cheating were eliminated at every turn. Unfortuna= tely, not so today. So you can see why for us older techs, i= f you were HT(ASCP) it really meant something. Unfortunately, not so t= oday. > >Yours, >Dave >Hist= onetters, > >I see this subject tends to illicit strong s= entiments from >professionals who are impacted or have an impact o= n HT/HTL's (sort of >everyone on the net)?. > >I= am still in school, but I want to fully understand how training, >= ;certification, and registration work for HT/HTL’s. I realize= that >ASCP certification is voluntary, and that some States requi= re some >sort of license or certification, but I’ve never = heard of a “Registryâ€� >for HT/HTL’s. = > >-The way I understand through what I’ve been taug= ht at school is that >Histology is the study of tissue, And that..= . > >-To study tissue there is another science that prepa= res specimens so >they can be studied. And that... > = >-There is a final sequence “Quality Controlâ€� that ve= rifies the science >that prpares specimens is properly done so the= tissue can be studied. >And that… > >In= order for this all to happen successfully and consistently, the >= HT/HTL's make sure that during the whole preparation process, safety = >is observed, proper adherence to federal and state regulations &g= t;maintained, plus train other technicians to do the same, and much &= gt;more. > >If I understood it all correctly I canâ€= ™t help but wonder: > >If HT/HTL's do all of this cruci= al preparation work to make sure >specimens are acceptable for pre= cise microscopic identification of >cells, tissue type, diagnosis = of disease, and other needs: > >"Why wouldn't we want to = have some method that can gage a set of basic >skills to indicate = a level of competency that HT/HTL's should >initially have, in ord= er to enter the field of work that can effect so >many people eith= er directly or indirectly?" > >And also... "Wouldnâ€= ™t having NAACLS accredited training and ASCP >Certifications se= rve to gage those basic skills?" > >And also… "Wo= uld gaging basic skills have a positive impact on the >quality of = patient care and the efficiency of the HT/HTL’s impact on >= ;labs?â€� > >I'm not sure but...this fall… = when I complete my NAACLS accredited >degree program, and voluntar= ily take the ASCP HTL certification exam, >my future employer will= be able to expect a certain level of >competency that I hope to h= ave established through training and >certification. > >Rick T. > >______________________________________= _________ >Histonet mailing list >[5]Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu &= gt;[6]ht tp://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet > = > > > >________________________________ > >From: Rick Tiefenauer <[7]gonavy2...@gmail.com> >To: [8]histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu = >Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 12:52 PM >Subject: Re: [Histon= et] Unregistered techs > >_______________________________= ________________ >Histonet mailing list >[9]Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu< br> >[10]http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing li= st [11]Histonet@list= s.utsouthwestern.edu [12]http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/= histonet References 1. 3D"mailto:techmana12@yahoo 2. 3D"mailto:histot...@yahoo.com" 3. 3D"mailto:Histonet 4. ="mailto:histot...@yahoo.com" 5. 3D"mailto:Histo 6. 3D"http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet" 7. 3D"mailto:gonavy2003@g 8. 3D"mailto:hist 9. file://localhost/tmp/3D"mailt 10. 3D"http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histo 11. 3D"mailto:Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu" 12. 3D"http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/m_______________________________________________ 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