[Histonet] tried posting this once already... didn't work.

[Kristen Broomall]

Ok now....

"As far  as I know (and this is mostly a guess) there aren't any 2 year
programs at tech  schools or anything like that. 
 Histology is kind of an anomaly that  way.  Taught in hospitals and
clinics, but not schools."

I'm sure someone else has already jumped on this one but, even though the
numbers are diminishing, there are still colleges that offer 
degrees in Histotechnology. I just graduated from one last year and in fact
am helping to teach this year's students. 

Here's a link: http://www.nsh.org/education/schools.html

I have a Bachelor of Science and decided to return to school several years
later to get an Associate of Science in Histotechnology. I think that my
previous schooling only strengthens what I've learned in Histology. I don't
know if I would retain half as much knowledge if I didn't already have a
science background. I know that getting a 2 year degree after a 4 year
degree is a bit backwards, but I'm pleased to tell you that I made a huge
career leap forward by becoming a histotech. I've been a histotech for
almost a year now & I can tell you that I'm still learning new things
everyday and it is really rewarding to do stuff like finally get a ISH
protocol right and be able to work out an immuno that just won't work right.
I love what I do now and honestly, my 4 year degree helped me to get the
histotech position that I have now. Just please don't put down the benefits
of a 4 year degree. Knowledge is power.

Kristen Broomall, HT (ASCP) 



-----Original Message-----
From: TheBestTime23 <@t> aol.com [mailto:TheBestTime23 <@t> aol.com]
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2005 6:28 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] tried posting this once already... didn't work.


OK.  I really wasn't expecting much of a response from my post, and  was 
really surprised by what I got.  I want to start by apologizing to all  that
I 
have offended.  It surely wasn't my intent.  And while I have  thought of a
lot 
of things to say in response to your many e-mails, I will try  to keep this 
within reason.  
First:  I like my job.  I feel very fortunate to have gotten into  a field 
that pays me well, keeps me interested and has a lot of potential for
growth.  
I take pride in the work that I do and I love learning new things  every
day.  
I have recently gotten the opportunity to train on immunos and  I couldn't
be 
more thrilled.
Second, and probably more to the point:  I was really trying to make a  
comment about the requirements for being a histotech, not a statement about
the  
job itself.  The e-mail I was responding to had mentioned 4 years of
college as 
a pre-req, and I thought that was an excessive amount.  I  probably have a 
skewed point of view, having dropped out of college after only  one
semester, 
but I think that there are many bright and talented people that  haven't
gone to 
college that could still do wonderfully as histotechs.  If  you had 4 years 
of college as a requirement and add another 2 to learn the histo  stuff,
you're 
looking at 6 years.  You could become a pathology assistant  in that amount 
of time and be earning a whole lot more when you were done and  still be 
working in a similar field.  That was my only real point.  I  understand
that they 
want people to have more education and that's fine.  I  like the way that
the 
ASCP also takes credit hours into consideration and is not  just looking for
a 
degree.  But 4 years, in my opinion, is too much.   WAY too much.  I would 
hate to think how many very talented histotechs we  would not have now had
the 
requirements been that stiff 20 years ago.
I guess my third point is more of a question.  I know how I got to be  a 
histotech.  I basically fell into it.  I knew someone who worked in  a lab
and I 
started as a lab aid, heard about on the job training and went from  there.
I 
know a lot of people who started that way, or as phlebotomists or  something

similar.  How many people got started in a similar way?  I  also know that
most 
people get a totally blank look on their face when you tell  them that you 
work in histology.  I had certainly never heard of it  before.  How many of
you 
had?  I can't see many people looking through  a course list and saying to 
themselves, "oh, histology, that would be perfect  for me", because most of
them 
wouldn't know what the heck it was.  As far  as I know (and this is mostly a

guess) there aren't any 2 year programs at tech  schools or anything like
that. 
 Histology is kind of an anomaly that  way.  Taught in hospitals and
clinics, 
but not schools.  Maybe the on  the job training wasn't such a bad thing.
At 
least it would get those  remaining empty spots full, until some more 
concrete method of teaching our  craft is set up.  Just another thought.
One that I 
hope won't get me  into any more trouble  : )
 
My apologies,
 
Megan
Grateful new histotech

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