Agree! You do have to "translate" histo terminology for researchers and those not part of the "industry". So glad to hear that you and others have had a good experience transitioning. I think it is a personal or personality preference. I learned that research is not my preference as a primary job ( ok for part time). I am too practical, and bottom line driven- being more of "business" and "process" person. And personally, I don't like dealing with the academic politics or inflated egos. Research is either for you, or not, and I don't think you can know until you test it for yourself.
Joelle Weaver MAOM, HTL (ASCP) QIHC > From: [email protected] > Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2014 09:59:04 -0700 > CC: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Histonet] Clinical histology to Research histology > > Cassie, > It is so much better! > > Basically you are doing the same thing but in my instance I get a pretty wide > variety of projects (different species) and pretty often need to address each > one differently. > I have many different processing schedules programmed into my processor - > like whole brain, sliced brain, large bone, chick embryo, mouse embryo - > different stages, etc. You might have processing schedules using solutions > like cedarwood oil or butanol and have to use an old style dip n'dunk > processor because the solutions aren't compatible with the newer models. But > I even have a routine schedule much like a clinical lab overnite program. The > knowledge you have gained in the clinical lab will be a valuable resource as > will reference texts and always HISTONET. > > You may be doing work on insects and plants - always a challenge but so much > fun and a real learning experience. Different sets of special stains are > asked for like Ruthenium Red/Toluidine Blue or Picrosirius Red. I do a lot of > Oil Red O and Luxol Fast Blue stains but hardly any GMS and AFB and PAS > stains. > > The investigators can be just like the pathologists in their demands but > there are some who don't know what the hell they are doing and you will want > to meet with them before the actual tissue hits the lab to discuss what they > want to have done. You may need to tailor what you do to what they need. They > might show up with a paper and want you to do the same protocols as what is > written up except they don't have details so you will have to do a bit of > research - or a lot of research. I enjoy this because I can make the time to > do it. > > You may have to do a lot of explaining on what you do because most people > don't understand what you do. Terminology - most people don't speak > histotech. With every batch of new students or personnel you will repeat this. > > Turn around time is better - you fit the work into your schedule. You are not > so frenzied. The hours in most cases are better. > > Frozen sections - don't be surprised if you are cutting 100 micron sections > or sections from tissue not embedded in OCT and you have to put them on tiny > coverslips or do serial frozens on a whole organ and put 20-30 or more on one > slide. > > There are lots of challenges, in some cases the pay is not as good. 8-( > Depending on where you work though the benefits can sometimes outweigh the > low pay - or come close. > BUT all in all I found it to be so much better than clinical and I actually > feel more appreciated here than I did in the clinical labs where I worked > (except for Thomason Hospital in El Paso where I was treated very well). > > > Andrea Grantham, HT (ASCP) > Senior Research Specialist > University of Arizona > Cellular and Molecular Medicine > Histology Service Laboratory > P.O.Box 245044 > Tucson, AZ 85724 > > [email protected] > Tel: 520.626.4415 Fax: 520.626.2097 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Histonet mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
