I also agree. Having trained in Colorado Springs in the early 70's ( back
when dinosaurs ruled the earth it seems!) I then came back to Canada to
live. I tried to send slides that were of the required tests and all were
checked by the pathologists there for proper staining and processing. Each
time the answer was sorry failed because of broken slides, hard to believe
because we sent slides around the world and never had one broken from this
particular Canadian Institution, but I digress. 
	I feel that the standard should be that the person can perform "end
product" work. As you put it so well, the need to produce a high quality
section from a well processed block and to stain that section so that there
is no problem with making a diagnosis should be the examining boards final
seal of approval, along with the pathologists at that site making the final
judgment. 
	This is a quiet voice of someone who has written both the American
and the Canadian exams. I am a subject in AP here in Canada and have been so
for over 25 yrs, and having taught at the bench level for over 10 years.
These are just one persons opinion on how some of our goals should be
reached and considered.
Pierre Renault Tech 3
Foothills Hospital 11th Floor
Calgary Laboratory Services
*403-670-4855
pager  303-8327  *peter.renault@cls.ab.ca


-----Original Message-----
From: Coskran, Timothy M [mailto:timothy_m_coskran@groton.pfizer.com]
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2001 6:50 AM
To: Histonet (E-mail)
Subject: size requirements


The message below details a problem that I don't think should exist for
people taking the HT or HTL exams.  Why is it that some individuals
preparing for the exam are tested not only for their histology skills but
for their ability to locate a particular piece of tissue?  Locating could
come down to how many desperate phone calls or emails they can send looking
for tissue, because even though they may have piece of thyroid or a piece of
cervix its not the "correct size".  I don't understand why there is a size
requirement.  I've worked in a small hospital setting and a research
setting.  Being able to come across all the required tissues with the needed
size requirements can be tough.  That shouldn't be the tough part of the
practical.  The challenge should be obtaining quality sections with quality
stains.  Why would it be wrong for someone working with murine tissue to
take 3 mouse kidneys and put them into one block and perform a PAS.   I
would also think that some of the more challenging aspects of histology have
everything to do with size, that is small dimensions.  Being able to
sections liver, prostate, FNA's, and sectioning cell blocks, require a great
deal of skill and patience.  I think the BOR should get rid of the size
requirements and/or do more to help out the people who are trying to get
certified.  Provide blocks.  I understand you that the BOR wants to test an
applicants ability to fix and process a piece of tissue.  However, how may
techs that join a new lab and want to take the HT are  involved in coming up
with the lab's tissue processing schedule.  This has most likely been
established and the blocks that they would submit are, in most cases, going
to follow a processing schedule that the applicant did not establish.

an occasional 2 cents

Tim Coskran HT, HTL
Pfizer

I know this is a long shot but the tech in the lab I work in is currently 
doing her HT practical and needs thyroid that isn't autolysed.  We work in a

small hospital, not many thyroidectomies or posts, and everything we've come

up with isn't suitable.  We tried a neighboring hospital with no luck.  She 
needs a 1.0x1.0 piece of thyroid asap as her slides have to be sent in next 
Friday, March 16.  We're in MA and would be happy to pay shipping, etc.  If 
anyone can help, please respond off net and we can figure out logistics. 
I realize I'm asking the impossible!
Thanks.
Nancy