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

Wed Aug 31 08:36:04 CDT 2011

Histoland:

I have to agree also.  Programs that are graduating students with none of the skills listed in Matt's message are not doing their students or the profession any favors.  Programs certified to produce graduates should be required to place these students in rotations that give them practical experience and manual skills.  As a University based hospital we collaborate with area programs to provide their students with a practical rotation.  Believe me they must get up to speed quickly under our tutelage and leave having learned the skills or they do not pass our rotation.  If programs are just training students to pass the ASCP written exam without any practical experience either on site at the program or in collaboration with real labs then that is indeed a sad state of affairs and one that we as professionals should address via NSH and ASCP.  The practical may not have been the answer for everyone but we should not allow students to graduate without basic practical skills.  Thanks.

Joe Galbraith
Univ of Iowa

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Shirley A. Powell
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 7:32 PM
To: Weems, Joyce; Matthew Lunetta; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical - To stick a Pin

I second that Joyce.
sp

________________________________________
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Weems, Joyce [JWeems <@t> sjha.org]
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 6:17 PM
To: Matthew Lunetta; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical - To stick a Pin

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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