[Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical - To stick a Pin

[Weems, Joyce]

I don't understand how a student of any program would have not a portion of their program dedicated to these skills. We partner with Darton College and their students to do a certain number of hours for their "Clinicals". They know how to do those things, are trained by the clinical coordinator for the program, and are graded on their work. 

Are they prepared to go into a lab and work like they've done OJT for 1-2 years? Not at all, but they need to be hired with the understanding that they will need time and patience to develop their speed and their skill. 

My 2 cents... 


Joyce Weems 
Pathology Manager 
Saint Joseph's Hospital 
5665 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd NE 
Atlanta, GA 30342 
678-843-7376 - Phone 
678-843-7831 - Fax 


-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Matthew Lunetta
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 13:59
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical - To stick a Pin

Hey all,

I found Peggy's comments on why the practical was discontinued to be very interesting. Of late I have had some experience with a new HT that graduated from a program and passed the current HT exam. 
So, as they say in Great Britain, to stick a pin in the ASCP reasons.

This new fresh and shiny HT has all the book knowledge we needed them to have. What they did not have was any technical skills.
1) never used a microscope or centrifuge.
2) no special staining experience
3) no embedding experience
4) no cutting experience

When they cut or embed they are no were near the speed, accuracy or quality that is needed in our industry. While they can answer any question you ask them they just do not have the technical skills one would expect from a new graduate.

I have learned several lessons from this experience.

1) I am so very glad I was one of the last HT's to have taken the practical
2) Any new HT's will be taking a practical if I am involved in the selection process.
3) I will question they quality of any new HT from this particular program

While I am sure that there are many new HT's that do have the skills needed, this one experience has caused me to be more cautious.

Respectfully,

Matt Lunetta
BS, HT (ASCP)




Message: 2 
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:09:46 +0200 
From: "Gudrun Lang" 
Subject: AW: [Histonet] Re: peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical 
To: "'Bob Richmond'" 
Cc: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Message-ID: <8B7976B131854ABC8DB236FAB5026851 <@t> dielangs.at> 
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" 

Dear Dr. Richmond 
Here in Austria we have a job open for a pathologist with 5 years 
experience. ;) 
Please, think it over to come. Lovely mountains, lovely techs... 

It sounds, like you are from that sort of pathologist techs dream of. 
Gudrun 


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- 
Von: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] Im Auftrag von Bob 
Richmond 
Gesendet: Dienstag, 30. August 2011 04:43 
An: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Betreff: [Histonet] Re: peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical 

I really appreciate Peggy Wenk's analysis of the practical examination 
and why it had to be dropped. I never really understood the issue 
before. 

I must confess I always enjoyed helping the prospective examinee 
obtain exactly the right tissue. 

"No, this endometrium is poorly preserved. We'll arrange with surgery 
for a completely fresh specimen - I'll block it initially for the 
diagnosis, then we'll fix it overnight and then block it exactly to 
specifications. - Ick - this one's been curetted - we'll get another 
one". 

"I'll block the margins of this colon resection specimen, then we'll 
pin a portion of tissue onto paraffin and fix it flat overnight." 

"Next time I do an autopsy we'll get a lumbar spinal cord in the 
intact dura. I'll open the dura dorsally and ventrally with iridectomy 
scissors, then we'll hang it in neutral buffered formalin for two 
days. Then I'll tie the dura and dependent nerves with a cotton 
string. When you embed you'll remove the string, taking care that dura 
and nerves remain in position. After that it's all yours. If it 
doesn't work the first time, we've got three more levels in the jar." 

OK, I'm a geek, I'm 72 years old, I got a right. 

Bob Richmond 
Samurai Pathologist 
Knoxville TN 

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