[Histonet] BS in Histotechnology

Wed Mar 25 11:09:16 CDT 2015

Tom, no we don't have a program here. In fact the only one on the west coast is in southern California (we did try to work with the SF city college to start a program but their funding fell through). Another local college is trying to start a course and I'm getting involved with that. For the time being we just try to find the best candidates we can.  I sent a much longer response to histonet, but generally histotechs are, as you well know,  a grab bag of various levels of training and knowledge. Only one in our lab has a BS degree in Histotechnology (from Ohio).  Nothing against histotechs at all, as I am an OJT histotech but formally -rained EM tech. People do the best they can with their limited exposure to the field. In my long experience in the several  labs I have worked in,  I have only seen a few that have risen to the level of a med tech. NSH meetings are a different story - mostly people who have taken the time and made the extraordinary effort to educate themselves to a high level. 

While working oversees my eyes were opened to what other techs in other countries do to educate and supply histotechs. The US is way, way at the low end of the scale in that regard. Most other countries have degreed or technical programs specifically for lab techs of all kinds. In most countries Histotechnology is a specialty of Medical Technology and only done after a full med tech degree is earned - another year of school for the specialization. I really can't look at the situation in the US and say it is ok after seeing what goes on elsewhere. 

Tim

-----Original Message-----
From: Podawiltz, Thomas [mailto:tpodawiltz <@t> lrgh.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2015 3:19 AM
To: Morken, Timothy; Jennifer MacDonald; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] BS in Histotechnology

Tim for a Pathology Manager you seem to have a low opinion of the education and training of the Histo Techs that work for you. Is your training program accredited with one of the Histology schools or is your staff left to rend for themselves? 

By the way, the lab that I work at basis the starting salaries on your degree first, then specialty so MT, HT/HTL with BS degrees earn the same.  

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: Morken, Timothy [mailto:Timothy.Morken <@t> ucsf.edu] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 12:42 PM
To: Podawiltz, Thomas; Jennifer MacDonald; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] BS in Histotechnology

Tom, no, Histo does start lower than med techs, but consider that a med tech has specialty training from the time they decide to go that route while most histotechs have general biology degrees and nothing but on the job training. Even with a certification a Histotech is not at the same level as a med  tech simply due to the unstructured nature of their self-education and training.  In 30+ years I have met only a handful of people who got any sort of degrees in Histotechnology, so waiting for those people to come along is not going to  work for hiring. Most of our staff got their certification while working here and did it on their own. Only one has a degree in Histotechnology, and a BS at that!.

 A starting salary here is $36/hr and it is a $3 to $4 increase per level. The lab staff is unionized, and we compete with many large service labs (ie Kaiser) and many, many large biotech companies for the same pool of techs. Plus, it is expensive to live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

We only recently (a few years ago) started this requirement in order to get our staff to a higher level. We still have staff without BA/BS degrees. The degree just needs to meet the requirements for certification so does not need to be a specialty degree.

Tim

-----Original Message-----
From: Podawiltz, Thomas [mailto:tpodawiltz <@t> lrgh.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 9:06 AM
To: Morken, Timothy; Jennifer MacDonald; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] BS in Histotechnology

So just out of curiosity is the pay on the same level as that of a Med Tech with a BS? 
Does the BA/BS have to be in Histotechnology or is the BA/BS followed by one of the on-line certificate programs?  

Tom 

Tom Podawiltz HT (ASCP)
AP  Section Head 
LRGHealthcare

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Morken, Timothy
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 11:47 AM
To: Jennifer MacDonald; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] BS in Histotechnology

Jennifer, we require a BA/BS degree for all Histotechnologist positions. However, in our 4 step categories Level 1 does not require certification, just the degree and the requirement that they get the certification within a year. Advancement to level 2 to 4 requires an HT or HTL certification (Level 1 = entry level bench tech, Level 2 is bench tech, level 3 is senior tech, level 4 is Lead tech). Supervisor requires and HTL.

Considering that we already require a BA/BS degree for all levels, the fact a person has a HT or HTL is not going to matter much for levels 1 thru 4, only for supervisor level.

Tim Morken
Pathology Site Manager, Parnassus
Supervisor, Electron Microscopy/Neuromuscular Special Studies Department of Pathology UC San Francisco Medical Center

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Jennifer MacDonald
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 7:52 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] BS in Histotechnology

In what areas would a facility hire an HTL over an HT?  Is there a need for more HTL programs?  4 Thank you, _______________________________________________
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