[Histonet] ASCP exams and applicants

[Lee & Peggy Wenk]

There have been several inquiries lately, about how a histotech
trained/working in the US or in a foreign country can take the ASCP HT/HTL
exam. I'll try to answer the questions in this email. So if not interested,
please hit delete now.

For the complete application booklet, go to:
http://www.ascp.org/Certification/CertifyingExaminations/cert_procedures/def
ault.aspx
Click on "Download Procedures for Examination and Certification booklet in
PDF format"

In the US, there are two categories:
- Histologic Technician, also known as Histotechnician, or HT
- Histotechnologist, or HTL

In each, there are two routes:
- Going through a NAACLS program, which I won't cover, as each program has
different requirements. For more information about HT/HTL programs, go to
www.naacls.org click on find a program, and then click on HT or HTL.
- Experience route, also known as on-the-job experience, or OJT

For each OJT, there are three requirements:
- college classes
- amount of experience and type
- where received training

For HT, the requirement is: 
Associate degree or at least 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of
academic credit from a regionally accredited college/university with a
combination of 12 semester hours (18 quarter hours) of biology and
chemistry, AND one year full time acceptable experience in histopathology in
the U.S., Canada or a CAP/The Joint Commission (JCAHO)/AABB accredited
laboratory within the last ten years under the supervision of a pathologist
(certified by the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic Pathology), or an
appropriately board certified medical scientist.

For the HTL, the requirement is:
Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college/university with a
combination of 30 semester hours (45 quarter hours) of biology and chemistry
AND one year full time acceptable experience in a histopathology laboratory
in the U.S., Canada or a CAP/The Joint Commission (JCAHO)/AABB accredited
laboratory within the last ten years. This year of experience must be under
the supervision of a pathologist (certified by the American Board of
Pathology in Anatomic Pathology) or an appropriately board certified medical
scientist. 

For both HT and HTL, the experience requirement is:
To fulfill the experience requirement for the Histotechnologist examination,
you must have experience, within the last ten years, in the following areas:

Fixation, Microtomy, Processing, Staining 

So, what does this mean?
A. Degree: It doesn't have to be a degree in histotechnology, or even
biology or chemistry. But make certain you have the minimum number of
classes. For those from a foreign country, make certain that a 2 or 4 year
degree in your country is the same in the US. Your foreign transcript will
have to be evaluated by an approved company (list found in booklet and on
web page). Sometimes, a 4 year degree in some foreign country is only equal
to 3 years of college in the US.

B. Classes: As you notice, there are no requirements as to WHICH biology and
chemistry classes to take. My personal suggestions, to help understand
histotechnology, would be:
- HT - microbiology, anatomy, physiology, intro to biochemistry/organic
chemistry
- HTL - same as HT plus immunology, histology, organic chemistry,
biochemistry; helpful would be genetics and/or molecular pathology
- helpful to both - medical terminology, intermediate college algebra

C. Experience: 
Must have done fixation, microtomy, processing and staining. Notice, it
doesn't say all types of tissue, so if you only work on skin, that counts.
If you only work with animal tissue, that counts. If you only use one
fixative, that counts. If you only do frozen sections, or only paraffin
sectioning, or only EM block resins, that counts. If you only do H&E, or
only 1 special stain, or only IHC (or no IHC but do other special stain) -
these all count. However, realize that you will be asked questions on all
fixatives, processing, all stains including IHC. So you will have to study,
study, study. The experience must be within the last 10 years. Yes, you can
combine several labs' experiences if you have to. You will need each
pathologist to sign off on your experience.

D. Type of Lab Experience:
The lab you are working in must be in the US, Canada, or be CAP/JCAHO
accredited, in order for you to be eligible to take the HT/HTL exam. The
experience must be under a ABP board certified pathologist. If the
pathologist is a veterinary pathologist in the US/Canada/CAP/JCAHO, that
also counts. You would need to contact ASCP BOR for more information. If you
are working for a PhD in a university, it might count. Call ASCP BOR and
talk with them about what type of qualifications the PhD person would need. 

If, however, you are working outside the US or Canada, and your lab is NOT
CAP/JCAHO accredited, there is no way that you can qualify to take the exam.
You would have to get a visa to work in the US, and find a US lab willing to
hire you. Once you obtain the experience, then you would be able to take the
HT or HTL exam (as long as you have the education, etc.). Since there is a
shortage of histotechs in the US, you might be able to find a lab that is
willing to help you obtain a visa, or would be willing to hire you if you
have a work visa or a green card (permanent residency). I don't know how you
would go about doing this. Sorry. Maybe this is where one of the companies
that lists what labs are looking for histotechs might be able to help you.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073