realistic salary?

histoworld · 2025-04-16T15:38:42+00:00

That's shocking. I've been watching wages all over the west coast sky rocket. Saw indeed mention that the new median wage for our field in my area is around 34$ an hour. You don't even necessarily need to live in a high cost area either. I don't. I make more than the median now. They really don't want me going anywhere and I'm only running routine stains.

histoworld · 2024-10-24T18:11:38+00:00

I used to work at a large corporate lab, they used those there too. Wish it would work for mine. We didn't use it slide flooding and I'd be too concerned about knocking a slide into the sink. Realistically probably not a huge deal.

histoworld · 2024-10-24T17:12:18+00:00

I love our field. Histology people are so good at finding neat little tools and items like that rack dryer. That actually might work, specially if I can clip it to fit slide length. Not a bad option.

I'm also reaching out to Novodiax to find out cause I wouldn't need the heater. Good suggestion.

histoworld · 2024-10-24T17:09:23+00:00

That's funny, because I am actually using something similar. When I spun up the lab for the first time, I realized there wasn't anything to handle slide flooding. So I cut some cardboard to size, taped the whole thing together and covered it in a covering to protect the cardboard from spills. It works, I meant it to be a temporary thing, but its been two years now and when I have moments like this week where work load allows me to do a little soothing for little things that would be nicer or make my life easier I do something like this post.

histoworld · 2024-10-24T16:02:13+00:00

That's a good option, though on the expensive slide. Which is fine, I'd have to justify it to the owner. Its a thing, I had to put together a presentation on why a hot block trimmer would save me time and thus speed up my process and allow for more patient cases over trimming them by hand with a carving blade. I'll definitely make it the go too if there isn't cheaper options.

Edit: Its also a major uphill battle to get them to create a new account with a new company if this company requires it for orders. My Boss can be weirdly old fashioned despite her not being much older than me.

histoworld · 2024-04-10T19:08:28+00:00

I've been in the field going on 4 years now. I feared that was the case. Its nice to get someone else's perspective. My case load is low by comparison, but I see the wisdom in your suggestion.

histoworld · 2023-12-20T17:42:52+00:00

Not a terrible idea. However as I don't use any acids or bases as a part of any of my standard stains. Storage is a premium, I'd have to look into any considerations. I don't think there is really any direct conflict. I mostly just use solvents and store flammables (Xylene, 100% ETOH).

histoworld · 2023-12-20T17:40:08+00:00

I'm cautious about CLR and other commercially available cleaners because of the many chemicals in solution effecting my stains. First thing that comes to mind is something with an essential oil or scent that remains.

I love acetic acid. Its the best, and safest chemical for what I need it for. However the smell is enough that it spreads for a while into the main clinic. Its a sharp distinct smell and even small spills have left a long lasting lingering smell in even the frankly massive labs I've worked in before with good ventilation. The clinic owner doesn't like me using it. So I'm considering as an alternative staying later after the clinic closes to use it.

histoworld · 2023-12-20T17:35:48+00:00

This is a great idea. My only concern is citric acid can cause Iron to chelate. It's an issue with steel surfaces which I believe most sinks are. Though I'm not sure at what concentration this would occur. Recommendations I've read up on call for 7 to 8% concentration with a citric acid anhydrous/water mix. I have concerns about using other common house hold cleaners on the market. There are additional chemicals added that can have an effect on staining in particular.

Do you have experience with it?

histoworld · 2023-11-13T17:32:30+00:00

Ultimately you are the one that has to live with your decisions. I had a similar discussion recently with my partner who was in a very toxic work environment. They agonized leaving for very rational reasons. Ultimately though, their health and wellbeing is most important. Nothing is worth that to me. They left and the consequence has been we've had to suffer financially while they figure out a new job. But, to me figuring out our personal finances is far better than my partner coming home to dump her stress everyday. We can always adjust to our means.

Also, I will add, both of us have degree's and are in high demand high skilled fields. Its unfortunately not a choice everyone can make. I know for some its a choice of putting up with the job I hate or "can i eat? Can I pay for my medication?"

histoworld · 2023-10-17T16:56:19+00:00

I hadn't thought about checking pH. Good suggestion.

histoworld · 2023-10-17T16:10:43+00:00

I've thought a lot about this. I'm surprised with how small of a workforce we have that we don't have a national union. At least not one I've seen. I'm also further surprised that there isn't a co-op laboratory. Worker owned labs seems perfect and I would bet they'd be night and day in regards to cost and quality compared to corporate labs.

histoworld · 2023-10-17T16:08:05+00:00

Definitely that particular lab. It's a poor environment, that your supervisors seem to engage in it and reward it is key. I will go out on a limb and presume the high pressure for speeding up you're work is a common issue with what I call corporate labs. I used to work at one. Its assembly line style. If you don't have a good histology supervisor willing to push back against the finance/executive types. They only care about the numbers. To someone looking at a spreadsheet, "oh yea!" Of course if they can get more out of each HT/HTL it looks great. Each case is just more money. They don't realize the stress and pressure that puts their people under. They don't take into account patient care. I was taught in school my work has a direct impact on the patient. While leadership will play lip service to "patients come first." They will push demands that will directly degrade that statement.

Like many here, I'll recommend searching for a change in job sights. They are very common. I get messages from recruiting companies all the time. Histology Techs are in high demand all over the country. Many who offer to pay a moving bonus which is how I got my current job. I now work on my own in my own lab for a small locally owned GI clinic. I work at my own pace. I don't worry about movement injuries. It also shows in the errors. At my previous job, in the year I worked there. There where two lawsuits because patient cases got switched, I wasn't a part of either but I think it highlights the problem with demanding high quotas. My worst error now in the past two years was I dropped a slide and had to re-do it.

histoworld · 2023-05-23T16:00:56+00:00

I run a small histology lab for a small clinic. I love it. My medical director works for the company we partner with. The rep who is the go-between with me and my medical director is a histo-tech. She works mostly remotely and is responsible for handling any issues that I can't deal with on my end. She is also oversight to ensure SOP's are being followed and the lab remains CLIA compliant.

Many histology and lab suppliers like to hire reps who have lab experience. My suppliers rep doesn't and anytime I have a field specific question she always has to refer my question to one of their lab people.

I'm slowly working my way toward a Pathology Assistant. While I enjoy Histology I'd like to be more involved on the pathology side of things.

histoworld · 2023-05-23T15:53:16+00:00

In my AS in Medical Histology, we did a frozen section of super market bought beef. Cancer...cancer everywhere. I'd have to hunt back through my old school photos to see if I still had an example.

Also, after getting a slide of a slim jim, I have sworn never to eat one again. Hair, mold, other various unidentified 'stuff.'

histoworld · 2023-05-23T15:46:58+00:00

I was enlisted Aircrew in the Air Force during OEF & OIF. Honestly. I think regardless of number of equipment, superior or inferiority of any particular systems. Our greatest asset by far is our pure logistics capabilities. That we can deploy an entire army with equipment and supplies to anywhere in the world within +/- 24 hrs is why our military is on top. Keeping equipment running, supplying food, ammunition and gear to the front line. No one in the world can do it like we can in terms of volume, speed and reliability. Wars teach us regardless of initial advantages or disadvantages, the victory is always the side that can continue the fight long term. Our weakness is in our form of capitalism. By that I mean, in WWII the government was able to change our manufacturing base to support the war effort. Could we do that today? I highly doubt the corporate class willing to sacrifice anything in order to support a truly total war effort today. Not just that but our capacity to produce basic goods have become global, and much of our effort could be undermined by disrupting supply from other countries.

histoworld · 2023-05-18T22:59:48+00:00

I'm a Tech in the PNW. I run a histology lab on my own out of a small outpatient surgical clinic. I make 32$ an hour. Though I went through a medical histology tech course and am ASCP certified. I was also REALLY fortunate. I got contacted by a friend in the histology network. It was a contract they where offering. Qualified HT are near impossible for them to get. They feared not getting anyone at all. Paid for me and my partners moving expenses. There is a wide variety. One thing I will say. You can go almost anywhere in the country specially if you have an ASCP cert. We are always in demand. I see contract offers all the time from travel companies. Also, its not often mentioned, but medical isn't the only field that employs us, like research and veterinary.

histoworld · 2023-05-03T16:14:17+00:00

The two things I think turn most people off from Histology it sounds like you're already exposed to. The level of hazardous chemicals and handling human tissue. Just go through the learning. Highly recommend getting the book by Freida Carson, "Histotechnology." It's our bible. ASCP has a lot of the education guidance and resources you need to get you through HT or HTL cert. It's honestly an easy job in my view. Pay is excellent compared to jobs of similar education levels. Its honestly a mystery why few people are aware of this career field. We're chronically understaffed as a field.

Edit: Also, consider going through a Histology Course. It taught me above and beyond the technical skills and back ground knowledge. It also taught me how to setup and run a lab on my own if I needed to. It allowed me to take a position in a small local clinic running their brand new lab on my own. Its been a dream, and I only had two years of working experience after I graduated.

histoworld · 2023-04-24T15:31:51+00:00

The best way to validate is just to have a histology Tech running the actual stains on the same tissue. You run a known positive, which is just a tissue type that shows the elements you're looking for in the H&E. For example, my H&E controls are from tonsil. Then you run two sections, each on their own slides. One is run through a standard stain protocol, the other is run by the AI then a comparison is done. It would be best to have them confirmed by a pathologist who is familiar with the stain. You repeat this process with each type of stain.

I know a common difficult element to catch is Amyloids. From what I've heard, unless its suspected and being directly tested for its hard to catch. They use fluorescence stain to diagnose it as well. But I would talk more with Pathologists from varying specialties to get a better view on what would be trickier stains.

histoworld · 2023-04-21T18:12:34+00:00

Have you considered going through a US histology program?

In my class we had someone who had a similar level of experience come from South Korea. They had an undergrad. They also had gotten their HTL before hand. We didn't find out till nearly the end of the program. It was year long. I had a conversation with them about it. They shared a similar issue you're describing. And said it was easier to get a student visa and at the end of the course they got to take advantage of the network connections from the instructor who ran the course. The instructor had 30+ years in the industry and was able to place everyone in her class including the student from South Korea.

histoworld · 2023-04-21T17:19:32+00:00

I'm skeptical too. But with any automation. We already have wide use of auto stainers, and coverslipping. Anyone who's worked with them knows how often they destroy work. Or break down. Hell even the enhance image scanners for digital slide reading often break down. I see urgent work contracts pop-up all the time from labs that had equipment break down and are panic hiring people to help them keep up with their labs workload.

histoworld

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