Fwd: RE: [Histonet] Salary Scales

Mon May 19 12:21:56 CDT 2008

Fact of the matter is...We have always been "the red headed step child
of the lab". I think we always will be as well. There still exists an
attitude in the main lab ,and labs in general, that anyone can be a
Histotech.  I remember in a lab I once worked that when a new person
would come in.....they would be walked through a gauntlet of people and 
introduced to the lab techs and of course "Mr. Leslie... he works in
Histology". Didn't even get respected as a Lab tech just the person that
works in Histology though I was, in fact, trained in Clinical Path
before entering Anatomical Path.
   And what about the Pathologist, that after complaining that a piece
of equipment was failing, said to me " oh you Histotechs are all
alike...You drop out of life and become a Histotech and then complain
about it". Again illustrating the lack of respect for the Histotech. So
as long this continues it will never change.....

Just my two cents worth....

Completely agree with Charles. That "McDonald hiring attitude" is
similar to the one used at the start of the XXth century by pathologists
all around when hiring to train in histology low pay hospital
personnel.
  Now who SHOULD promote a correct policy of hiring licensed personnel
for histology.
  I strongly believe that this ought to be the sole and dedicated
lobbying task of the National Society for Histotechnology. Nothing else
but this!
René J.

"Charles.Embrey" <Charles.Embrey <@t> carle.com> wrote:
  Glen, I think the one loophole with supply and demand that hurts
histotechs the most is that there is more than one source for supply.
When demand is high and supply is low, as it is in both cases for
histotechs right now, pay should go up. I have watched pay increase
across the country since I entered the field many years ago, but not to
the point it should have. The big downfall is the alternate source of
supply. I actually heard a pathologist recently say, "It would be easier
to just recruit someone from McDonalds and teach them to embed blocks
and cut slides." In the vast majority of labs you do not have to be a
certified Histotechnician to do the job. Try to get a job in the medical
lab as a lab tech without an MT or MLT and see how quickly you can be
hired. I know ASCP has tightened the OJT route to require more education
but until labs are forced to hire only HTs or HTLs to do the job, the
alternate supply channel with exist. I'm afraid that we can shake our
fist
 at this as much as we like but the problem is just outside our sphere
of control.

Chuck 

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of
Dawson, Glen
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 7:35 AM
Cc: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Salary Scales

I think we are talking about side issues and not the bigger picture
here. I believe that many histotechs return to this "salary discussion"
because we are puzzled as to why histotechs are so lacking in both pay
and respect. I've said it before that we are in a pickle because of 3
basic reasons. Number one would be the fact that histotechs were bench
trained for so many years with no degree needed. Number two is the fact
that the vast majority of histotechs are female and sexism is alive and
well in our world today. Lastly, pathologists have not made a point to
strengthen a histotechs place in the lab/hospital. Don't get me wrong,
some Pathologists go out of their way to champion our cause but most,
especially in the past, had/have a vested interest in seeing that
histo-pay is kept low.

The puzzling thing is that basic principles that sould govern the
status/pay of a profession like histotechnology such as supply&demand or
complexity of the job doesn't seem to apply in our case. The result is
that we are confused as to why things don't get better for the
profession and we sometimes beat our chests and say things like "we
rule" or ins
inuate that we are more important than we are...perhaps to
stroke egos that could use some stroking every once in a while.

Just My Opinion,

Glen Dawson BS, HT & QIHC
IHC Manager
Milwaukee, WI 

-----Original Message-----
From: Jennifer MacDonald [mailto:JMacDonald <@t> mtsac.edu] 
Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2008 8:52 PM
To: Rene J Buesa
Cc: Dawson, Glen; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu;
histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Salary Scales

While I agree with Renee that histotechs have to make many decisions, I
don't necessarily agree that they make more decisions that other areas
in the lab. I worked in the clinical lab for many years and had to make
many decisions regarding the adequacy of a specimen and interpret the QC
before that result could be released. Manual differentials require that
the tech know the morphology of all cell types. Cross matching blood for
transfusions requires interpretation before that blood can be released
for transfusion to the patient. An error in cross-matching can kill the
patient. I can tell you that my stress level as a Medical Technologist
was much higher than my stress level as Histotechnician. There are many
more examples where the knowledge and judgement of the tech will
determine the outcome of patient result reporting and treatment. The
pathologist does not make the final decision for the Med Tech before
they release results to the clinician. We were also responsible
 for notifying the clinician when the patient results were critical. 
Jennifer 

Rene J Buesa 
Sent by: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 

05/15/2008 09:22 AM 

To
"Dawson, Glen" , histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 

cc

Subject
RE: [Histonet] Salary Scales

Glen:
And it will keep that way until histotechs star demanding what is
deserved!

Have you realized that histotechs are the only specialists in the
medical lab that have to make decisions all along the process?
When to reject a too thick slice of tissue to assure proper
processing?
What part to embed to cut?
Up to where trim the block discarding parts of the specimen FOR EVER?!
Which section to take or which to discard FOR EVER?!
When to stop differentiation in a special stain?

There is no other area of the ML that has to take so many decisions,
and they are better paid. And will be until the HTs decide to take
action and demand what is deserved.
Just my opinion (as usual!).
René J.

"Dawson, Glen" wrote:

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Shawn Leslie  HT(ASCP)
Scientific Research Manager
Anatomic Pathology
University of Florida
School of Veterinary Medicine
352-392-2235 ext 4555