Barry,
I have to agree with you.  I have seen none registered techs perform better
than some registered techs.  I have also seen some pretty incompetent techs
with degrees. But look at the way technology has changed the Histo lab.
I've come back from the Texas state meeting and have the dubious task of
trying to start F.I.S.H. (an area I am not experienced in).  I feel that we
as a group need some standardized education requirements.  I must admit, it
wasn't until I started taking college courses that I really knew what I was
doing.  The sciences and math I think made me understand what I was really
doing. Now, because I have chemistry, biology and anatomy and physiology
knowledge, I can better troubleshoot problems when they arise.
All other lab disciplines have a degree requirement.  Many hospitals have
put a MT in charge of a Histology lab.  I don't want to step on anyone's
toes, but if the degree requirements do not change, we all might be in a
position where being a supervisor will be non-existent.

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Barry Rittman [SMTP:brittman@mail.db.uth.tmc.edu]
> Sent:	Friday, April 30, 1999 9:00 AM
> To:	histonet@Pathology.swmed.edu
> Subject:	Re: Associate Degree for HT
> 
> 
> Linda,
> 		I agree with you but ....
> 
> Experience in a lab can be valuable or less than valuable depending on the
> lab, the supervisor and the type of work. Some labs are so specialized
> that
> 20 or more years experience may in reality be one years experience
> repeated
> 20 times or in another lab it may be a really valuable training wher the
> histotech is able to continually expand their knowledge and skills. If it
> takes say 1-2 years to be able to cut thick EM sections that are excellent
> how much more skilled will be this individual be after 5 years, 10 years
> etc.?
> Histotechs have diverse experiences depending on the lab. There are a few
> attempts to standardize training standardization, one being the ASCP and
> the other the CEU courses offered by NSH and state organizations.
> The requirement for an associate degree is another attempt at
> standardization and I would support it. True it it might not necessarily
> make you personally a better technician but for many it would. The best
> benefit of this requirement is that it offers a better degree of
> standardization than we currently possess and our histotech organizations
> will have more political power with the state legislatures. Hopefully this
> will result in some improvement in both salaries and working conditions.
> Barry
> 
> At 12:46 AM 4/30/99 EDT, you wrote:
> >That's absurd.  What makes an Associate Degree so important?  I've been
> doing 
> >histology for 20 years without that piece of paper...and a darned good
> job, 
> >too.  
> >
> >What makes people think that a 2 year degree, a 4 year degree or even an 
> >master's degree can make a skilled employee and a solid worker?  We've
> taken 
> >the ASCP test and have proven ourselves.  That should be good enough.
> Who's 
> >great idea was it to diminish that by requiring a random number of
> college 
> >credits?
> >
> >Linda Gephart
> >All Saints Hospital
> >Fort Worth, TX
> >
> >