[Histonet] ASCP Route 2 HT Certification

Fri May 6 14:19:15 CDT 2011

I'll try to explain what I know, based on working with my students in my 
NAACLS HT and HTL programs. So I do NOT speak for ASCP BOC (Board of 
Certification). Don't say "Well, Peggy said so." Doesn't help with my 
students and ASCP, so won't help with anyone else. (HISTONETTERS: If not 
interested in ASCP BOC, click DELETE now.)

Answers to your Questions:
1. APPLICATION FEE: According to step #3 in the on-line procedure
http://www.ascp.org/FunctionalNavigation/certification/GetCertified.aspx

And on page 3 of the handbook
http://www.ascp.org/pdf/BOR-PDFs/procedures/Examination-Procedures.aspx

And on the PDF application form:
http://www.ascp.org/pdf/BOR-PDFs/procedures/General-application-form.aspx

The application free is non-refundable.  (I'll explain why at the bottom of 
this, if you are interested.)

2. BIO/CHEM COURSES: ASCP will look for BIO or CHEM to see if an applicant 
took the right courses. But they will also look at the TITLE of the course, 
knowing there are other majors. Example: MLS = medical laboratory science. 
AH = Allied health. RT = radiation therapy. And so on - all of which have 
biology and chemistry courses that would be acceptable.

3. IDENTICAL COURSES: I don't know how "close" the courses have to be, 
before ASCP BOC won't count them. I would say, if you took a class at 
college A, then transferred to college B, and college B used that class from 
college A to say it was the same as one of their (college B) course, so you 
didn't have to take or pay for the college B course, then I would say that 
this one course was equal to only 1 course. even though it showed up as two 
different courses (after all, only one course was attended, exam taken, paid 
for, etc.). If you took one course at A and one course at B, and both show 
up as separate courses, then my feeling is that they are two different 
courses.

(A little off to the side, the requirements for HT are 12 semester hours of 
biology and chemistry combined. That's 1 bio and 2 chem courses (4 credits 
each), or 2 bio and 1 chem course (4 credits each). NOT 12 credits of bio 
AND 12 credits of chem. That seems to be a common mistake.)

5. GRADE: I see nothing in the ASCP BOC HT requirements of a minimum grade 
point.

4. CHECKING BEFORE APPLYING: Now, as to whether there is any way to check 
before applying and sending in the fee - not really.

I appreciate that you are trying to find out if you qualify, before you send 
in the application, fees and transcript. So the following is not directed 
towards you, personally. You had some good questions, like, do grades count 
(since the website doesn't say anything about it).

The following is about why, in general, ASCP can't answer individual 
questions of applicants.

Realize that thousands of people apply to the ASCP BOC for all the 
disciplines, each year. (In 2010, over 12,500 people took the various 
certification exams.) It is up to the applicant to decide, based on the 
criteria on-line and in the booklet and application form, if they meet all 
the criteria to take the exam. ASCP will NOT issue a decision over the phone 
or by email, before the person applies. If there is a little confusion (such 
as the 12 credit hours of bio/chem and what does that mean?), they will 
explain. But they will NOT talk about each person's transcript, work 
experience, etc. over the phone. They don't have the time. And until they 
see the transcript, they only have the person's word over the phone as to 
what the transcript says. And then there is the "but ASCP said over the 
phone", when maybe they did or didn't say, or there was a misunderstanding 
on one or both sides. How do you prove what was verbally said?

I run a NAACLS HT and HTL program, hospital based, I get lots of people 
calling up, wanting to know if they qualify. Yet my webpage states very 
clearly what the criteria is (degree, required courses, GPA, etc.), but lots 
of people call up, wanting "exceptions". I will not talk about whether their 
classes meet the criteria or not. If they want this type of information, 
then they have to submit the application material, pay our programs' $40 
application fee, and then I will look over their transcript(s) and will be 
willing to talk with them afterwards. Most of the time, the people who are 
calling know that do NOT meet the criteria, but want me spend 30 minutes or 
more on the phone with them, trying to talk me into reducing my requirements 
(not needing a degree, only having half the required courses, not having a 
3.0 GPA, etc.). They already know they don't meet the criteria. But they 
want an exception. By my telling them that they have to submit all the 
required documentation first, with the application fee, before I will decide 
if they qualify or not, I have reduced the non-qualified people from 
applying. In the past, over half the applicants who applied to my programs 
were not qualified. But I would have to take the time to talk with them on 
the phone, look through and analyze their applications/transcripts, and then 
write letters of rejection. All of which takes a lot of my time. Once I 
instituted the non-refundable $40 application fee, and not talking about 
transcripts over the phone, the number of non-qualified who applied fell 
significantly. From over 50% to about 10%.

With that said, I will talk with someone when they don't understand a 
requirement on our webpage (e.g., what is a "higher level" biology course?), 
and I will direct people to the webpage if they haven't been there first. 
Once they've been to the webpage, if they have more questions, I'll try to 
answer them (as long as it isn't about their transcript). If someone is 
really fishing for what they can do with their degree, I will be glad to 
talk with them about what a histotech is, the advantages/disadvantages of 
being a histotech, or going through my program, etc. If they are still 
interested, then it is up to them to go to the webpage, and to figure out if 
they qualify for the program. I've never kept track, but I still probably 
talk with about 10 times the number of people, compared with how many people 
actually apply to my program. But I don't spend 30 minutes with each 
anymore. I direct them to the criteria on the website, then talk with the 
ones who call me back. And if they don't want to take the time to read the 
criteria on my website, well, why would I want them as a student or a 
histotech?

That's my program, with about 15-25 applicants, and 200+ phone calls per 
year. Now, imagine ASCP BOC and their volume. In 2010, over 12,500 people 
took the various certification exams. Can you imagine how many people try 
calling, to find out if ASCP will make an exception? Or will analyze their 
transcript over the phone? How many people call who will NOT take the exams? 
Can you see why ASCP BOC can't help all the people calling, trying to decide 
if they qualify or not? The sheer numbers are overwhelming!

So, ASCP BOC is NOT trying to be "unhelpful". They will help to clear up a 
requirement. But they cannot individually talk with every person about their 
specific transcript or specific qualification question. There are just too 
many people wanting exceptions, or who don't want to take the time to read 
the requirements, or need their hand held during the process. There are just 
too many people calling every day. Therefore, they handle it by saying - 
read the criteria, apply, and submit the non-refundable application fee, 
thus having the applicant be responsible for deciding up front that they 
meet the criteria.

Unfortunately, because of this, when someone is trying to understand one 
little area, and needs some help, they get caught in the "12,500+" applicant 
numbers, and maybe end up not getting the help they need.

So, Eric, my suggestion: really read the requirements, really look at your 
transcripts, really look at your experience (since you are going through 
Route 2).  And email Histonet again, with some more of your questions.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
Schools of Histotechnology
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Eric Velazquez" <ervelazquez <@t> gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2011 5:36 PM
To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Subject: [Histonet] ASCP Route 2 HT Certification

> Hi,
>
> I was hoping someone could help me with the following questions:
>
> 1) What happens to the money if I were to submit my transcript and my fees
> for the exam and end up not qualifying? Do I lose my money or is it 
> credited
> for when I do qualify?
> 2) How do I determine what classes are considered BIO and Chem? Does the
> prefix for the course ID have to contain BIO or Chem?
> 3) Can the courses taken be similar? Example: School A: I took Chem10: 
> Intro
> to Chemistry & School B: Chm:3 Chemistry basics. If these classes are
> interchangeable between schools do they still count or does it have to be 
> a
> more difficult chemistry course for it to qualify?
> 4)Is there anyway to check if you do qualify before paying exam fees?
> 5)Do you have to pass the class with a C or higher? I took a BIO class 
> years
> ago and received a D, but I was given the credited hours for the course.
>
>
> Route 2 for HT certification for ASCP
> At least 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of academic credit from a
> regionally accredited college/university, with a combination of 12 
> semester
> hours (18 quarter hours) of biology and chemistry, or an associate degree
> from a regionally accredited college/university, with a combination of 12
> semester hours (18 quarter hours) of biology and chemistry, AND one year
> full time acceptable experience in a histopathology (clinical, veterinary,
> industry or research) laboratory in the U.S., Canada or an accredited
> laboratory* within the last ten years.
>
> Thanks,
> Eric
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