[Histonet] ASCP - lots of questions!!!

[pam marcum]

 Amen Pearl.  

We histologist are often still thought of as the ugly step children in the
laboratory and the only way we can become swans is to realize we can do it
and get the education the other areas of ASCP and CLIA require.  It is a big
bullet to bite however those who are grandfathered in aren't required to go
back for a degree.   We  just need keep up now.

NSH has helped us and has given us a way to get CEUs however, they have been
slow in getting to the education issues with ASCP as we histologist  fought
it.  Those of us old enough to remember should start reminding every one
about the early nineties when the CD markers were first coming into IHC and
some hospitals starting to develop these labs.   A  large number of them
thought they needed hematologist or  MTs to run them.  The medical
technologist had the education and training for complex testing and we did
not.  It took several years for lab managers and pathologist to realize the
hematologist knew very little if anything about how to handle tissue. It is
very different from fluids and smears as we know.

Many states have NSH state organizations and ways to get CEU's now and then
of course the national meeting as well at teleconferences.  We can do it and
move forward to get the recognition we all want if we do it together and
stop talking about how hard it will be. 

 We are currently (chronically) in a shortage of histologist in all
registered phases for ASCP  (HT, HTL, QIHC etc) and it is getting worse. 
More schools have been opening for us and more ways to get registered with
education.  We need to tell our children in schools about Histology and how
exciting and needed it is so we get more of them into our profession.  Tell
them we get the specimens from CSI and help them solve cases.  In this day
and age it is the a great way to start and any thing that gets attention use
IT.  

  I don't want the profession I have been in and loved for over 35 years to
become a lab aid position because we waited too long, thought it was to hard
and did not modernize the requirements when we could.  Now Pearl and I have
both put our feet in it so you can be angry at two of us or join in and make
it better for Histology and the field we all love or we would not be reading
HistoNet.

Pam Marcum   
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Gervaip <@t> aol.com
Date: 02/28/05 20:44:26
To: pruegg <@t> ihctech.net; histonet <@t> pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] ASCP - lots of questions!!!
 
>From what I read, those newly registered will be required to have CEUs in
order to renew their registry with the ASCP.   I have not ready  anything
that
is going to require those that have been registered to acquire  CEUs.  I
have
thought that eventually we will all be required to have the  CEUs  in order
to
renew membership.  Why did the ASCP not do  that?
 
    I think it is a good idea.   But what  will happen if one does not renew
their registry?  What kind of regulations  are going to require that the
histologists renew their membership?    How are they going to enforce this? 
And if
it turns out that this will be  required of all of us ...  what is to keep
labs from hiring  unregistered (unrenewed membership).  Is this really going
to
amount to  anymore then a pile of beans?  It would be nice if it did.
    As it is, there are some pathologists that feel a  monkey can crank that
microtome.   No respect for our  professions.  This is really a true
statement.  Here in the state of  Louisiana when Licensure came up for
medical
professionals, we were not  included.   Intentionally not included.  Not
just an
oversight.  Manicurist and hair dressers here are licensed, but not the
histotechnologist!
And some of this disrespect has been earned! It has taken so long for  us to
accept the fact that we need college.  How many of us out there can  say
that
we have kept up with new technology in our field?  If you are a  member of
this histonet server and an NSH member you most likely have taken  those
giant
steps forward.  Think of all the folks you know in histology  that think
they
know it all and yet you would not want them in your lab!   Maybe if we do
this
and bit that bullet,  get our  education (four years of college) and CEUs
CLIA
might recognize us!   CLIA might just realize that we are a professional
group
that can do  "complicated" tests, such as flow, fish and probes.  If they
knew how  complicated immunohistochemistry is, they just might take that
away
from us  too!  If they knew that we are the professionals that make that
final
diagnosis they might not let us work in the lab!   They can do all the 
blood
work and do all kinds of tests....   but they still need  us!
    My apologies,if I have offended anyone.    My cage just got rattled and
I
just can't be quiet anymore.
 
Pearl,  from Louisiana
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