[Histonet] Histotech vacancies

[Lee & Peggy Wenk]

A couple of comments on this topic, dear to my heart, of course.

First, the good news is that we are up to 32 HT and HTL NAACLS accredited
programs in the US. I know that's not a lot, but a few years ago, we were
down to 21! So a big hand to those programs who have survived, and to those
who have just started up in the last half dozen years. Aye!

Second of all, most of the new programs are college based, so they accept
and train more students per year than the 1-4 students trained by most
hospital based programs. So more students are being trained each year.

Third, several NAAClS accredited histotech programs have gone to on-line
and/or  teleconference teaching. These programs do the theory training over
the internet, email, teleconferences, etc. But the "students" are people in
real histology labs around the US, already working as your own histotechs or
trainees. In addition to doing the required reading, attending "class" via
internet/etc, mailing in homework, taking exams, these students also have to
cut their own slides, do their own staining, and mail these sets into the
colleges for evaluation. They get evaluated by the college, and have to turn
in sets without knife lines, no folds, H&E with nuclear pattern and 3 shades
of eosin, trichromes where the muscle is red red and the connective tissue
is blue blue, etc. Their supervisor monitors their taking the exams and
gives them time to complete and send in all the slide sets. So many more
students can be trained via web-based or teleconferences at these NAACLS
accredited HT/HTL programs, and in parts of the country were there are no
"regular" NAACLS HT/HTL programs.

Now, a little commercial - if you are interested, I'm giving a workshop at
the NSH Symposium on how to start a NAACLS accredited HT/HTL program, #31,
Sunday Oct. 28, Sunday, 1-4:30 pm. I'd love to have 50 HT/HTL programs
around the US in a few more years. Come yourself, and learn how to set up
various types of programs. Contact your local community college or
university, and let them know about the shortages, and invite them to send
someone to the workshop. If there is a MT or MLT program at your nearby
college/university, definitely contact them and invite them to attend. We're
all accredited by the same organization, and the college classes are often
the same - anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, etc. I think they
would be thrilled to open up another avenue for their students. (P.S. No, I
don't get a commission based on how many people attend. I just want to help
get more HT/HTL programs started, so that we don't have this problem of
shortages and poorly trained histotechs.)

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
Program Director
Schools of Histotechnology
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Vickroy, Jim
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 12:15 PM
To: 'histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: [Histonet] Histotech vacancies


Like a lot of hospitals we have been unable to find qualified applicants for
a histotech position.  We are at least exploring other options.  One of the
options include hiring someone with a biological background and enrolling
them in an on-line histotech training program.  After completion of the
program the applicant would take the certification examination.    There are
a few schools out there that have full time programs but many individuals
are not in a position to take six months off to attend them without
receiving a weekly paycheck.  In addition my experience has been that these
schools only take a small amount of applicants each session.  So with more
positions than students has anyone else come up with a creative way to train
and hire histotechs and any suggestions to on-line programs that have been
worthwhile.



Jim Vickroy
Technical Supervisor - Surgical and Autopsy Pathology Memorial Medical
Center



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