[Histonet] Histotech Training

Sun Jul 15 12:52:22 CDT 2012

Note: The exact wording under HT eligibility is:
". . . 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."

Very important to note the "One year full time experience".

There is another page that talks about full-time vs. part-time experience.
http://ascp.org/Board-of-Certification/GetCertified/Step-2/Verify-your-experience.html

"Full-time experience is defined as a minimum of thirty-five (35) hours per 
week. Individuals who have part-time experience may be permitted to utilize 
prorated part-time experience to meet the work experience requirements.

For example, if you are employed 20 hours per week for one year, your 
experience would be computed as 20 divided by 35 multiplied by 52 weeks, or 
the equivalent of 29.7 weeks of full time employment."

Therefore, to qualify to take the exam, your person would need to work a 
minimum of 35 hours/week for 52 weeks, to be equal to 1 year full time 
experience.

Your person, who is working 1.5 hours/day = 7.5 hours/week (1.5 x 5)

Therefore, his full time equivalent would be:
(7.5 divided by 35) multiplied by 52 weeks = 11.1 weeks of full time work

Therefore, your person will have to work 4.7 years, at 1.5 hours/day, to be 
equivalent to 1 year full time experience.

Now, that being said, some of his hours as a lab assistant MIGHT, just 
MIGHT, be allowed to be counted as histotechnology experience, for example, 
if he changes the solutions on the tissue processor, or runs the automated 
H&E or coverslipper. Some of these MIGHT be considered histotech 
responsibilities.

The problem is, ASCP won't say over the phone whether some of the experience 
will or will not count, and how much of it will (or will not) count. You can 
ask, but they usually say to apply and then a decision will be made. And if 
ASCP decides it doesn't count, and the person doesn't have enough hours for 
1 year full time, they are denied being allowed to take the exam, and they 
do NOT get their money back ($200 right now for HT).

So, I suggest having MORE THAN half of his hours being histotech job 
responsibilities only - embedding, sectioning, special stains, IHC stains, 
troubleshooting, making solutions, etc. And then LESS THAN half being the 
blurred areas where histotechs or lab assistants might do it, depending upon 
staffing (processors, coverslipper, etc.). So not all his lab assistant job 
responsibilities can be counted. That's still over 2.4 years of histotech 
responsibility (at 1.5 hours/day), PLUS the number of hours/weeks he has as 
lab assistant that MIGHT, just MIGHT qualify as histotech responsibilities.

But don't quote me. This is really gray, shaky ground. It's a lot easier 
when the person is working 20 hours/week as a histotech, and it takes 2 
years to qualify. Or 35-40 hours/week as a histotech and it takes 1 year to 
quality.

Also, frankly, in my opinion, working 1.5 hours/day, or 7.5 hours/week for 1 
year is NOT enough time for him to get the technical knowledge to be able to 
pass the exam. It's $200 to apply for the HT exam. Please give him enough 
time to learn all the material, so he doesn't have to take the exam again. 
And again. That's a lot of money to waste when not adequately prepared.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS

-----Original Message----- 
From: joelle weaver
Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2012 9:04 AM
To: wilson6848 <@t> yahoo.com ; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Histotech Training

Take a look at the ASCP BOC eligibility criteria at 
http://www.ascp.org/Board-of-Certification/GetCertifiedin a nutshell it is 
pretty much this at this time:  Candidates must have completed a NAACLS 
Histotechnician program in the last 5 years.     Or, Candidates must have 
acquired a minimum of 90 quarter hours or 60 semester hours in an accredited 
university or college, to include 12 semester hours of chemistry and 
biology, or possess an Associate degree from an accredited university or 
college with a combination of 18 quarter chemistry and of biology, plus a 1 
year experience in histopathology
Candidates must also have acquired experience within the past 10 years in 
any of the following areas; Fixation, Processing, Microtomy and 
Staining.They define "FT" employment and sliding scale for PT work in the 
materials.What is on the exam is outlined completely on the BOC page and in 
this guideline/outline- 
http://www.ascp.org/PDF/ExaminationContentGuidelinesHT.aspx

Joelle Weaver MAOM, HTL (ASCP) QIHC
> Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2012 16:11:32 -0700
> From: wilson6848 <@t> yahoo.com
> To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> Subject: [Histonet] Histotech Training
>
> Hi,
>     I have a question about the training requirement for the HT 
> Certification Test. My question is, will the ASCP allow a guy who works as 
> a lab assistant in the histology lab andintends to train as an histotech 
> for one and half hour a day for twelve months to sit for the test?
>
>   Thanks,
> Wilson
> _______________________________________________
> Histonet mailing list
> Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
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