[Histonet] HTL Flash Cards?

[Lee & Peggy Wenk]

I had never heard of them, so I looked them up on the website. Morrison
Media www.mo-med.com

They sell all kinds of flashcards and study guides for lots of tests. Under
the E-H category, where the HT and HTL flashcards have a link, there are
also links to Electrician exam, Paramedic exam, First Responder test,
Funeral Service test, GED, GRE, GMAT - you get the idea. 

According to their general blurb, they have experts in the field writing the
flashcards. Does anyone know any histotech involved in writing the
flashcards? I'd love for them to talk about this.

I think for some people, having flashcards would fit with their style of
learning - give them soundbites of information on topics, instead of having
them read entire books. Or use this as a supplement to studying. Or have
them in their purse/pocket where they can pull out a card and study on the
go, instead of a book.

But I do have some concerns about the flashcards and the test taking
information this company supplies. If there is someone out there who helped
write the cards, or someone who has bought the cards to respond, that would
be helpful.
- They have topics divided into 2 tests (have to pay separate for them) - HT
and HTL. But when I look at what's on the HT exam vs. what's on the HTL
exam, I have some concerns.
- HTL need to know chemical fixatives, HT are supposed to know chemical and
physical fixation.
- HTL need to know autolysis, HT are supposed to know autolysis and
putrefaction
- HTL need to know acid decalcification, HT are supposed to know
decalcification and chelation
- HT are supposed to know Immunofluorescence, Electron microscopy, Carbowax
and Celloidin, which are not listed on the HTL topics (yet ASCP HTL exam
would include these topics, but ASCP HT exam would not)
- The only stains listed for HT are H&E, Mucopolysaccharides, Hyaluronidase,
Gomori Trichrome. 
- HTL stains include Connective tissue, PTAH, Bacteria, Fungus, Gram,
Auramine-Rhodamine, Exogenous pigments, Minerals. Yet on the ASCP HT exam,
all these stains are also required for the HT exam.
You get the idea.

Also, under the "Histotechnology Exam Secrets Study Guide", they are saying
that their histotechnology exam study guide will help people "beat the test
taking game", and that their research in the HT and HTL exam offered by ASCP
"reveals specific weaknesses that you can exploit".

Basically, what followed were test taking tips - how to guess to your
advantage, how to tell the difference between right answers and clever
sounding traps, how random bits of information often give away the right
answer, how to look for key words to identify the correct answer, etc.

Yet I know that the ASCP Board of Registry has (or at least did have) a
psychometrician on staff - someone with a PhD in test writing, who works
with the histotechs and pathologists writing the exam questions, to
eliminate all the above "clues".

Between this company's "tips" and the customer testimonials that they only
studied for 1 week (one case, 5 hours) and passed the exam - I'm worried
about people who aren't studying for the HT/HTL exam, and think these test
taking clues will help them pass. This isn't like taking the GRE, where you
can get by with some math and grammar background that can to be refreshed -
the HT and HTL exams are based on a LOT of information that has to be
LEARNED and APPLIED.

The other concern I have is that the 3 flashcards they show as examples are
still MEMORIZED information. What test takers have problems with are the
PROBLEM-SOLVING and TROUBLESHOOTING aspects of the HT and HTL exams. Yes,
they need to know what the oxidizer in the retic stain is, but they also
need to know how to tell if it isn't working, or what to do if they run out,
etc.

So I'd love to hear from someone involved with writing these
flashcards/study guides, and would love to hear from someone who actually
bought them and used them.
 
Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
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 Kristen
Yaros
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 4:12 PM
To: Histonet
Subject: [Histonet] HTL Flash Cards?

Has anyone heard of these? I just came across this site and was wondering if
anyone has used these pre-made flash cards.

http://www.flashcardsecrets.com/histotech/

--
Kristen Yaros, HT (ASCP)CM
Histotechnology Society of Delaware
Correspondence Secretary
histotechkb <@t> gmail.com
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