Tammy,
I can not agree with you more.  I spent 20 years in the Air Force.  The last
10 were dedicated to completing my BS degree.  At that point I made a career
decision, to complete my degree and look forward to civilian life, or study
for promotions in the Air Force.  I chose to complete my degree.  Could have
I still been hire in my current position?  Maybe, maybe not.  But that piece
of paper at least got me an interview.  The rest was up to me.  Now, I'm
working with a community college to institute a degree program (a
certificate program starts this fall).  One of the qualifications to become
the program director is ASCP registry and a BS degree.  I have the option to
stay here or go into academics.  Having the degree just gave me more
opportunities to choose.  Besides, the trend now is to have degreed people
in supervisory positions.  Not to step on anyone's toes, but I have seen MTs
supervise a Histology lab and it doesn't work.  I was determined not to have
an MT supervise me in a Histology lab.  After all, would you want me to
supervise Blood Bank?

Joe Nocito, B.S., HT(ASCP)QIHC
Histology Supervisor
Christus Santa Rosa Hospitals
San Antonio, Texas 


> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Barnhart, Tammy [SMTP:tbarnhart@primecare.org]
> Sent:	Thursday, May 06, 1999 11:09 AM
> To:	histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
> Subject:	Educational Requirements
> 
> I have been reading, with great interest, the conversations about
> educational requirements for the HT certification and felt I needed to put
> in my two cents worth.
> 
> 
>   This may not be very popular, but here goes.  We all know Histology is
> changing.  IHC, FISH, flow cyto and new techniques for processing and
> staining are happening at breakneck speed.  The old days of processing,
> embedding, cutting and staining only are over.  We still need people who
> do
> these things and do them well (and I believe they cannot be taught, only
> learned through experience).  But to trouble shoot and keep current with
> even these most fundamental areas, a tech must have at a basic
> understanding
> of the chemistry of processing and staining.  And to be effective in
> performing the more complicated areas of Histology, an overall
> understanding
> of biochemistry, cellular biology and physical chemistry is needed.  I
> don't
> believe that just being able to "do" a job is good enough.  You have got
> to
> "understand" the job to be a professional.  A MedTech goes to school for
> three years to learn the theory behind the tests and then does one year of
> perfoming the test.  Theory is important and this is why MedTechs are
> professionals whereas a non degreed HT is not.  If Histology is to ever be
> considered a true profession than the educational requirements must be
> upgraded and I for one wish to thank the NSH for their work in getting the
> increased educational requirements added to the BOR qualifications.  The
> opportunity to earn a degree is out there for everyone, it just depends on
> how bad you want it.
> 
>  The Hospital and group I work for have very strict guidelines about job
> classifications and pay scales.  To be classified as a "professional"
> employee, you must have a degree and appropriate
> certification/registration,
> ect.  Period.  No exceptions.  HTs are now classified as "Technical"
> employees.  They may not be salaried, therefore, cannot be in a
> supervisory
> position.  HTLs who are grandfathered may not supervise, they lack the
> degree. HTLs with degrees (very rare) can supervise and are considered
> professionals.  I know this does not seem fair, but it's the way things
> are
> and we won't be changing it soon.  Anyway, I'll quit preaching and
> apologize
> to all I have offended.  Be nice.
> 
> Tammy Barnhart, BS,HTL(ASCP)
> Anatomic Pathology Supervisor
> Pathology Consultants/St. Alexius Medical Center
> Bismarck, ND
> tbarnhart@primecare.org
>