[Histonet] (para)formaldehyde

[Kathleen Roberts]

This is exactly the tack I take with the graduate students who take our 
Toxicological Pathology course, except I don't have the luxury of 6 
months to teach them.  They put to use the theory they are taught in the 
class in their lab project, where they gross, fix, process (in a 
machine),embed, cut and stain animal tissues-then they are to read the 
slides and attempt to diagnose which toxicant the animals were given.  I 
warn them that I make it look VERY easy and that the learning curve for 
microtomy is high and requires time and lots of patience.  I make sure 
they have difficult tissues (though I will start them out with easier 
ones in the beginning), and they are taught about artifacts and how to 
prevent them.  They all walk away with a lot of appreciation for 
histology and what I do for a living.  They may never do it again, or 
pay my lab to do histo for them as part of their research, but they know 
what's involved, at least.

-Kathleen Roberts
Rutgers University

Rittman, Barry R wrote:

>While it is true that most people are "trainable" most post docs generally do not have the time to put in to become proficient, and in any case we may not have the time to train them. When they learn about lab techniques it is generally only from the point of view of "what is the minimum that I need to know as I only have a very limited time to do this". 
>Histotechs in general are continually learning outside this narrow box. Without this attitude work would become a never ending tedious task.
>
>I think that what most people do when teaching post docs the basics of tissue preparation is give them samples that will always work. This gives them a false impression and they will often believe that histology is very easy. It is only if given some of the challenging material that histotechs have to cut that they will get a true appreciation of the level of skill involved.
>While may pathologists have a very good idea of the processes involved in turning out sections, some do not and share the same opinion that many post docs often have.
>If I had my choice I would make it mandatory for all post docs and pathologist to spend 6 months in a lab in order to experience the range of problems that can occur. I have found that those post docs and pathologists that have some experience in a histo lab are much more considerate of the work carried out by histotechs and more realistic with their requests.
>My opinion.
>Barry
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Rene J Buesa
>Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 8:54 AM
>To: 'Mikael Niku'; 'Tony Henwood'; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; 'Geoff McAuliffe'; Bernice Frederick
>Subject: RE: [Histonet] (para)formaldehyde (was: in situ question)
>
>Very good everything you said EXCEPT for "Post-doc are not tech and never will be" because anybody and everybody that is willing to learn and pay attention to what they do CAN and WILL become a good tech. 
>Being a tech is NOT a genetic trait within the great scheme of evolution, you know?
>René J.
>
>--- On Wed, 8/27/08, Bernice Frederick <b-frederick <@t> northwestern.edu> wrote:
>
>From: Bernice Frederick <b-frederick <@t> northwestern.edu>
>Subject: RE: [Histonet] (para)formaldehyde (was: in situ question)
>To: "'Mikael Niku'" <mikael.niku <@t> helsinki.fi>, "'Tony Henwood'" <AnthonyH <@t> chw.edu.au>, histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu, "'Geoff McAuliffe'" <mcauliff <@t> umdnj.edu>
>Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 8:39 AM
>
>We receive tissue from researchers that was fixed in PFA. It goes into 10%
>NBF once it hits the processor. Sort of becomes s moot point for us. A lot
>of times it's a result of reading a VERY old paper or method (or so
>we've
>discovered)and they don't know any better. Post-docs are not techs and
>never
>will be.
>Bernice
>
>
>Bernice Frederick HTL (ASCP)
>Northwestern University
>Pathology Core Facility
>Histology supervisor
>ECOGPCO-RL 
>710 N Fairbanks Court
>Olson 8-421
>Chicago,IL 60611
>312-503-3723
>
>
>
>
>      
>_______________________________________________
>Histonet mailing list
>Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
>
>_______________________________________________
>Histonet mailing list
>Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
>  
>