[Histonet] Unregistered HT

[Rene J Buesa]

This very long thread deals with a very complicated and ages long issue so I would like to add my opinion.
The fundamental issue is that the pathologists do not respect the histotechs because for them the only thing that matters is that the sections are good, well stained and finished on time. That is all!
If they can get some well trained chimpanzees doing these tasks they would be OK with that and they do not give a dam about how much we make or what we know as long as the sections are goo, well stained and on time. Sometimes they decide to "do something" is a histotech completely sick and tired of being disrespected threatens to leave to other lab.
The other factor against the histotechs are the managers that prefer to pay the least amount possible and see a histotech with higher education as a potential "money pit" for their budget because they will have to pay them more.
Additionally some histotech with higher education are not the best from the quality results point of view and perhaps those with more experience and quality of work are those old histotechs with 20 or more years of experience that usually have been grandfathered and some not even graduated from high school.
When I started in this trade (1952) I remember that I was in pre-medical year and learning how to do the basics (embed, section, stain) with the hope of being contracted at the "wonderful" salary of $30/month but that was not to be because the professor head of the department gave the position to a cousin of him and I was supposed to train her, something that did not occur because I left and he had to start all over again.
Hiring a janitor or a cleaning lady to do histology work was not an infrequent occurrence in the mid 1950's and even 30 years later.
Why? Again because what the pathologists wanted out of the histotech i.e. good sections the cheapest the better.
How this can be solved? It has to start with the pathologists and the administrators, and also with the histotech. We need to demand respect and I coincide that the NSH has done little in that respect.
The issue is not only to study and become more knowledgeable in our trade, that is of paramount importance to do a better job, to be able to understand the procedures and be able to trouble shoot but unfortunately many histotechs see this trade as "a decent way or earning a salary" and that is all.
Two final caveats: not all pathologists are born equal, neither all administrators.
René J. 


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