[Histonet] We are Brainstorming on Promoting the Field of Histology and We Need Your Help!

[Joe W. Walker, Jr.]

Perhaps it isn't the field itself but more about the facility where histotechs are employed.  In my lab the pay scale is pretty comparable between med techs, histotechs and cytotechs.  We have various levels for each position that recognize additional job tasks that each level performs.  It also takes strong laboratory leaders to push HR departments for market analyses to ensure pay is competitive.  

To me, the issue is even broader than histology.  It is the whole laboratory medicine discipline.  We are still the "red-headed, step child" of the medical world even though 85% of medical decisions are made based on the work we perform each day.  I've been in the profession for 20 years and have seen some improvement but it is tough to compete with the draw that nursing and MD programs have on high school and early college students to those admiral professions.  In my opinion, the best way is to involve high school science students with the clinical laboratory as part of experiencing and applying theory to a real world setting.  We have seen some local success with this approach as our demand for lab technologists continues as our more seasoned technologists retire now that the economy is mostly better.  As to pathologists, from the last numbers I saw for pathology residencies, there were lots of positions not filled 1 year ago, which is a trend I've seen for the last 5 or so years.  It is a demanding training program to be sure and I've been very lucky to participate in the training of residents.  I have concerns that the US will experience what our UK colleagues experienced in the 90's.

My two cents, 

Joe W. Walker, Jr. MS, SCT(ASCP) 
Anatomical Pathology Manager
joewalker at rrmc.org, www.rrmc.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Richmond via Histonet <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu> 
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2018 1:34 PM
To: Histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] We are Brainstorming on Promoting the Field of Histology and We Need Your Help!

Pam Barker issues one more of her frequent appeals for histotechnologists.
I can't remember when I last heard of a histotechnologist looking for a job.

>From the perspective of a retired pathologist in his 80th year: we'll get enough good people in histotechnology when we start paying histotechnologists what we pay medical technologists and other health care workers with similar levels of responsibility.

Nobody understands just what it is that histotechnologists - and pathologists - do. We have to change that.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Maryville TN
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