[Histonet] Re: Color Blindness Testing

Tue Mar 13 15:18:16 CDT 2012

Almost exact same situation with me Tom. Navy refused my application for
Nuclear Engineering and made me a Medical Technologist instead. It
struck me as funny the first time I had to identify an eosiniphil. Then
I went to histolgy. Apparently the Navy didn't want me around things
that could endanger a lot of people at once...... Just one at a time. 

William (Bill) O'Donnell, HT (ASCP) QIHC 
Senior Histologist
Good Samaritan Hospital
10 East 31st Street
Kearney, NE 68847 

SERENITY is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.

Cultivate it in PRAYER!

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Tom
McNemar
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 12:22 PM
To: 'Bob Richmond'; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Re: Color Blindness Testing

I've been watching this thread with great interest....  I have been in
Histology for 30+ years now and am myself colorblind (at least according
to the Unites States Navy).  I do see color even though I could not pass
the old card test (failed it 3 times).  My problem is with shades of
color.  I cannot distinguish real light shades or real dark shades.

I started my laboratory life about 32 years ago on an aircraft carrier
and was trained to read diffs, ph strips, etc. by a senior lab tech who
was... you guessed it, color blind!

The point of all of this is that you can do histology even if you cannot
pass the test for colorblindness.  For myself, if I know what a color is
supposed to be and what that color looks like to me, I generally do not
have any problems at all. As mentioned below, I too have trouble with
acid fast stains.  I cannot judge the stain quality of the acid fast
stain and don't even bother to look at them.

I was very nearly fired after only a short time in my present position
when the Medical Director found out that I was colorblind.  He couldn't
see how I could possibly do histology.  I convinced him to give me a
chance and 28 years later I am still here.

Tom McNemar, HT(ASCP)
Histology Co-ordinator
Licking Memorial Health Systems
(740) 348-4163
(740) 348-4166
tmcnemar <@t> lmhealth.org
www.LMHealth.org

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Bob
Richmond
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 11:59 AM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Re: Color Blindness Testing

Laurie asks: >>Does  anyone  know of any (free) online testing for color
blindness? Does  anyone have an alternate method that they have used to
satisfy CAP requirements?<<

Here are some online Ishihara plates quickly found through Wikipedia:

http://offsetpressman.blogspot.com/2009/10/color-blindness-test-for-prin
ters.html

There are many others. Two reservations: Color monitors don't reproduce
colors with sufficient accuracy. And an online test may not satisfy
bureaucrats. You'd have to ask.

I have normal color vision, but I've been interested in color blindness
among pathologists for about 50 years. I know of only one major problem,
finding red acid-fast bacilli in a blue-background stain. This problem
should be solved by banning light-microscopic acid-fast stains,
something the CAP should have done years ago.

I don't like the implication of color-blindness testing in the absence
of a significant problem. Can somebody lose their job, or not get hired
in the first place, because of color-blindness?

It may be Good Management, but it's not good medicine or good social
policy.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN

_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

This e-mail, including attachments, is intended for the sole use of the
individual and/or entity to whom it is addressed, and contains
information from Licking Memorial Health Systems which is confidential
or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, nor authorized to
receive for the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure,
copying, distribution or use of the contents of this e-mail and
attachments is prohibited. If you have received this in error, please
advise the sender by reply e-mail and delete the message immediately.
You may also contact the LMH Process Improvement Center at 740-348-4641.
E-mail transmissions cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as
information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive
late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not
accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this
message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. Thank you.

_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

This electronic mail and any attached documents are intended solely for the named addressee(s) and contain confidential information. If you are not an addressee, or responsible for delivering this email to an addressee, you have received this email in error and are notified that reading, copying, or disclosing this email is prohibited. If you received this email in error, immediately reply to the sender and delete the message completely from your computer system.