[Histonet] 2 items.. to post

[Barone, Carol]

Histonetter's:

#1- What are your thoughts on the many new sites for Histology "assistants"....they come very close to sounding like Histotechnicians....which they are not. I am not 100% on allowing another category for "assistants"...but , would like a true differentiation between "assistant", technician and technologistif it must be....since there most decidedly are differences. technicians out there...do you want to go back to being your pathologist's " assistant?" Or, are you a professional, with a title of your own, you earned!

In this time when we are just begining to come from the shadows and emerg as professionals...I believe " assistants" take us back not forward in being professionally recognized.  I think the development of these programs are just a quickie way for pathologists to fill the vast lost of skilled and qualified histologists that are retiring and a way to keep wages repressed...That "assistant" subset,  will wish they had not taken that route father down the road. We should encourage people to enter the excellent programs we have and continue to work for higher education goals with better programs.....What are your thoughts. Would you want to be a histology "assistant"? You know where that will take us. It is merely a short-term fix for a problem that needs more than a band-aid...

#2 It recently came to my attention that AFIP will close on Oct 1. Did anyone ask you, who use AFIP if that was a good idea, or explain why they think it is?  Who thinks what out there?....I think my letter to the President is not enough? But, yours and mine might have some impact on that???? What do you think? It is another way to be your own best advocate for your field. Have a voice...either way...at least it is your voice.