[Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical -

[Mayer,Toysha N]

Candace, 
 I was much in the same boat as the other person you mentioned.  I trained at small veterinary lab and sat for the exam. When I relocated and got work in a full service human hospital, it was culture shock.  It took me a year or so to get to where I need to be.  That is why I got into education, it not only ensures that newbies get what they need, but it makes sure that I really know my stuff.  Hats off to my trainers (Cheryl, Del, Hal and Mae), the really to the time to ensure that I could do my job! The phrase that I hate the most is "where I trained...", I used it and now I know how annoying it can be.  
Thank goodness there are people who are willing and able to take the time to train newbies.  Without them I wouldn't be where I am today. 
There are good things to be said for those of us who have OJT, and for those who completed a formal program.  OJT people usually are more disciplined because they have to do it on there own. Those who have completed a program have the advantage of receiving theory for what they do.  OJT people usually troubleshoot very well, and those in a program have the advantage of varied experience, before being hired.  
I did the practical and they took off for lint from the gauze on my slides, (go figure). Redid it and passed, without my chemistry background it would have been hard to pass the written though.  Studying on my own took a lot of discipline.


Toysha N. Mayer, MBA, HT (ASCP)
Education Coordinator
Program in Histotechnology
School of Health Professions
MD Anderson Cancer Center
(713) 563-3481
tnmayer <@t> mdanderson.org





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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:46:04 -0700 (PDT)
From: Candice Smoots <candice_camille <@t> yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical -
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If my memory severs me correctly.....? is not "required" that a canidate must also have lab experience inorder to take the exam wheather it be from a histotech program or on the job training. So anyone who becomes HT/HTL certified should not only know basic theory but should also have atleast basic experience in micotomy, staining, fixation etc. I thought that this was the case for any of the routes that it takes to become certified.
?
What I have found is that a person can start out in a specialty lab and work thier way up ?and get the work experience that is required to sit for the exam however because they only have experience in THAT lab, they are in a disadvantage because they do not have routine experience.
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For example, I know a person who started out in? a research lab and was trained and worked thier way up in about 3 years. They studied and sat for the exam because they had the required work experience and passed. They are now certified. However, whenn they got employed at a hospital that mostly did routines, they did have to be trained a little to undertsand rouine histology. They had never done basic trichromes?and they were?slow at sectioning because speed was not as important where they were from.?But the basic theory and micotmy, he had.
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I say all this to say...... Just because a person has the credientials does not mean that they have all the experience even though they are certified. So sometimes it may take a little training but i admit that it shouldnt take much as if they are a beginner... as they are certified. Thats just my opinion.

I remain yours truely, 

Candice Camille 

From: Jennifer MacDonald <JMacDonald <@t> mtsac.edu>
To: Rene J Buesa <rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com>
Cc: "histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu" <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>; Matthew Lunetta <MLunetta <@t> luhcares.org>; JoyceWeems <JWeems <@t> sjha.org>; histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Shirley A. Powell <POWELL_SA <@t> mercer.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 10:21 AM
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical - To stick a Pin

Graduating students in histotech programs DO clinical rotations.? They 
have hands-on experience.? They are not just learning the theory from 
books. 




Rene J Buesa <rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com> 
Sent by: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
08/31/2011 07:54 AM