re:certification in clinical flow cytometry
Mr. James Freeman; (Marcia.Woda@BANYAN.UMMED.EDU)
Fri, 1 Sep 95 8:55:01 EDT
More than a year ago I received the packet of information detailing the
process for applying for certification to perform clinical flow cytometry. I
put it away in the bottom of a pile somewhere. Very recently I saw the
published list of those receiving this certification and it seemed very short
to me. Perhaps there are a lot of other people out there with backgrounds
similar to my own.
I began to learn flow more than 15 years ago. I started the hard way on old
Facs I's and II's steering beams through small holes, replacing fuses and
proteus wheels in power supplies so lasers would run, tracking down leaks in
tubing to obtain stable dropoffs for sorts, clearing clogs in nozzles and
holders, and aligning mirrored quartz flow cells. Then when we became
proficient at flow cytometry in the research setting, the daring and wise
hematopathologists who foresaw the powerful tool flow would be in the
clinical lab came to us with their stained samples for us to count their T
and B cells. This was about 10 years ago. For the last 5 years we have
readily and graciously incorporated the QC standards and protocols and the
many samples generated for proficiency testing into our daily routine even
though we had been recording and plotting the channels where bead standards
have fallen for years. Today we frantically rush to keep familiar with all
aspects of computer technology from selecting hardware platforms, TCP/IP
protocols, networking products, and getting on the world wide web. All so we
are not left behind the big research labs and can deal with the huge amount
of data flow cytometry produces.
I have never stained a clinical specimen for flow. I can tell though when a
sample has been incorrectly stained or fixed by it's flow characteristics. I
appreciate the knowledge and skills of the people preparing specimens for
flow and realise they have many other complicated duties and skills not
related to flow. I have read the product insert from a bottle of Ortho
Permeafix and successfully found carcinoma cells in whole blood samples
though.
I feel that I am a very good flow cytometrist with excellent knowledge in the
theory and practice of all aspects of flow cytometry. I doubt if I would
have the time to gather all these specimens to practice processing and
staining for flow cytometry. I doubt if I could pass this certification
process as it is currently designed. Am I the only dinosaur left??
CD ROM Vol 2 was produced by staff at the Purdue University Cytometry Laboratories
and distributed free of charge as an educational service to the cytometry community.
If you have any comments please direct them to Dr. J. Paul Robinson, Professor & Director, PUCL,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. Phone:(317) 494-0757; FAX (317) 494-0517; Web http://www.cyto.purdue.edu
EMAIL robinson@flowcyt.cyto.purdue.edu
