[Histonet] interview

[Goins, Tresa]

After a tour and review of the work-day expectations, the candidate completes a simple math test (basically dilutions and percentage calculations) and then is asked to observe and repeat the processes of sectioning and coverslipping.  Look for signs of disinterest (no questions - the wall of silence) and a lack of the manual dexterity required to make a good slide (if you are fearful every time their hands approach the microtome, that's not a good sign - routine can be learned but spatial awareness not so much).   

My cohort was hired with zero experience and not certified and she's fabulous!



Tresa Goins
Histopathology Section Supervisor
Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Lab





-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Lee & Peggy Wenk
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2013 6:22 PM
To: Gale Limron; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] interview

(Quoted material taken from various ASCP BOC (Board of Certification)
webpages.)

FIRST: make certain they meet the ASCP HT criteria. If it they are truly doing the OJT route:
Route 2: 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 (must include credit hours in both), or an associate degree from a regionally accredited college/university, with a combination of 12 semester hours (18 quarter
hours) of biology and chemistry(must include credit hours in both), 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.
*Laboratory accredited by a CMS approved accreditation organization (i.e., AABB, CAP, COLA, DNV, The Joint Commission, etc.). NOTE: FOR U.S. 
CERTIFICATION THE JOINT COMMISSION INTERNATIONAL (JCI) IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

SECOND: you also say they are willing to do an online training. If that is through a NAACLS-accredited HT program, then the ASCP HT criteria is:
Route 1: Successful completion of a NAACLS accredited Histotechnician program within the last 5 years prior to the date of application for examination;

So, you need to contact each of the NAACLS programs that offer on-line programs (there's 4-6 of them), and find out what their requirements are. 
High school graduates, some college, so many college credits, what type  and number of biology, chemistry and math requirements, etc.

Then you need to make it very clear who is paying (them, the lab, some of
both) the thousands of dollars of tuition, buying the books, how much time you will give them each week to work on homework projects (collecting tissue, doing stains, you monitoring them taking exams, etc.). I would have them sign a contract about being a trainee and earning less money than the minimum starting wage until they pass the ASCP HT exam, and then they get a raise to the minimum. And in the contract, if your lab it helping to pay for the tuition or book, that they agree to stay at least, say, 2 years after passing the HT exam, or else they have to pay the lab back some of the money the lab spent on training them (prorated, to amount of time they stayed past the time they passed the ASCP exam).

THIRD: If this is a true OJT, notice the "one year full time acceptable experience". You say this is a part-time position, so 1 year of part time does not equal one year full time. This following is from the ASCP BOC webpage.
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.

My concern is your requirement of them taking and passing the ASCP HT exam in 2 years. It might take 2 years for them to earn enough working hours to equal 1 year full time experience. I would suggest that you tell them they must take and pass the HT ASCP exam within 1 year of becoming eligible. If they fail, they can take the exam again in the next quarter (4x/year). If they haven't passed it after 4 attempts, odd are they are not going to pass it. Or if they bother trying again every 3 months, well, that says something about their character also.

FOURTH: for your interview questions
- open questions. No yes/no.
- "tell me about a time you . . . " are great questions. Anyone can make up something that sounds good if they are asked "what would you do if . . .". 
But asking them to talk about a time when they had to handle a situation gives you an insight into what they did, why, and what they learned from it. 
And you can keep asking Why or What factors contributed or What would you do differently or What did you learn from this or Tell more more about that time, etc. Don't take "oh, that never happened to me". Oh, yes, all of these have. There are no right answers - it's about what THEY did or how THEY handled a situation. And you can tell them this, to reassure them. What you don't tell them are there are some "wrong" answers - at least ones that you don't want, such as someone saying that everyone they have ever worked with is an idiot, or all their bosses have been incompetent.

Some good ideas for questions: Tell me about a time at work (or, at school if they are recently out of school without a lot of work experience) that you . . .
- were part of a team (role, contribution, etc.)
- dealt with conflict with a coworker or supervisor
- worked someplace when the team had a problem working together, or getting the work done effectively/efficiently.
- dealt with an angry customer
- changed procedures to better serve a customer
- you went out of your way to show compassion to someone else
- of all the places you have worked at, describe the one you stayed at the longest (why? and why left?)
- what factors are influencing you to change your career
- how would you rate your attendance record compared with others - give examples of why
- during slow times at work, what do you do during that time?
- during a busy time at work, how do you maintain a high energy level
- when you had to work with someone who was very "different" than you.
- worst example of discrimination you've seen in a workplace (co-worker or
supervisor)
- you had working with a diverse work team
- had to deal with a difficult change
- the supervisor made changes that you didn't agree with
- you had to manage several tasks at the same time - how do you stay organized? What did you do in situations when there just wasn't enough time?
- when you initiated change at work (what type? how get others on board? 
biggest challenge?)
- when you had to deal with a lot of stress in a situation.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
Program Director
Schools of Histotechnology
Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073

-----Original Message-----
From: Gale Limron
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2013 1:02 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] interview

Hello,
I just found out today I will be doing 2nd interviews for 3 candidates for a part time Histology position at our hospital on Friday of this week. These candidates are not histotechs but are willing to do online training and take ASCP board exam within 24 months. I would appreciate some help with what questions to ask. I did not attend the 1st interviews but these were done by our lab manager who does not know a lot about what we do I histology.............
Thank you!

Gale Limron CT,HT (ASCP)
Histology Supervisor
Union Hospital
659 Boulevard
Dover, Ohio 44622
330-343-3311 ext 2562



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