[Histonet] The monkey cranking the microtome
Paul Bradbury
histology.bc <@t> shaw.ca
Tue Mar 1 19:55:29 CST 2005
Ooohh! I am sure that this will not be the only response you get to your
e-mail !!
For someone who has been qualified only since December, you are taking a
very condescending attitude toward a profession that you obviously do
not fully appreciate. If your only experience of histotechnology is that
of section cutting and mass producing sections, you have overlooked
major portions of the responsibilities of being a technologist.
I am sure there are some workers out there who do "just crank the
microtome" and who do not have any other career ambitions. These are the
same people who describe themselves as "just a histotech", as though it
were something to be ashamed of. If this is truly your attitude, I
would suggest that you find another profession ... and quickly.
The difference between "just a histotech" and a true histotechnologist
is the same as the difference between an unmotivated short-order cook
flipping hamburgers and a well educated chef preparing a gourmet feast.
To the "just a histotech", it is just a job, a way of making few bucks
without having to expend much effort. To the true professional, it is a
career that requires a sold background in chemistry, biology,
immunology, and physics, along with a wide range of experience.
A well-educated histotechnologist is a vital member of the diagnostic
team, without his/her participation and knowledge, an accurate diagnosis
will not be possible. A diagnostic pathology laboratory can only be as
good as the technologists who work in it. If they are minimally trained
and unmotivated, they will not be appreciated, and the standards of the
laboratory willl reflect that. If they are well-educated, knowledgeable,
and enthusiastic about their profession, they will be respected by the
other members of the diagnostic teams, and their advice will be sought
in determining the best procedures for diagnosis.
In the few months since your qualified, have you had chance to do any
immunohistochemistry, frozen sections, renal biopsies, lymphoma studies,
muscle biopsies, histochemistry or immunofluorescence? These are the
skills required of a qualified technologist ... these are the
investigations that can determine the future course of a patient's life.
The success of any endeavour, whether it is a career, a sport, or a
relationship, will be proportional to the effort that is put into it. If
you are not willing to put effort and dedication into this career, you
will not achieve any level of satisfaction ... and you will fail. Go to
the nest NSH meeting, I defy you to say that "there was nothing I did
not already know". You will gain a new (obviously much needed) insight
into the profession of histotechnology.
Paul Bradbury
Kamloops, BC
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