I'm glad you found it funny! I tried to walk the line between sarcasm and empathy for the docs on the frontlines doing the actual work that supports my caseload. I did practice for a few years and know how tough it is!
For in house pathology...the number of "cocci" on the slide is directly proportional to the last time someone changed the Diff Qwik.
And for God's sake...why on earth does everything have to be done on oil immersion?!! I hate that setting so much because by the time I get to the slide after the techs it is a gloppy mess. Plus it gets all over everything
Amen to both comments!! I often get "drive-by" text consults to "confirm bacteria" and I have to politely tell them.....that's stain precipitate 😐
And yes, oiled up slides can be really tough to deal with in the lab; we *can* overstain DQ with Wright-Giemsa if they're understained, but slides with any significant amount of oil on them need to be removed with toxic solvents that can take hours. I usually recommend people DO send in their pre-stained slides, but alongside multiple unstained ones.
Also, pro-tip: Lots of people over-rely on their 100x objective because they think their 40x objective is "broken" (when I ask this question at CE conferences, more than half the people in the audience raise their hands). In reality, virtually all 40x objectives, certainly at the price point for low-cost in-house equipment, are designed to REQUIRE a coverslip for proper focus! You can test this for yourself by throwing a coverslip on top of a dry slide without any oil, it should instantly improve the focus 50% or more. Even if you ultimately do go to 100x oil, it can be a good way to "scout" the slide and figure out the best areas to look 👍
1. The Retirement Curve of Inverse Proportionality.
The number of requests for special rush problem resolutions a pathologist receives from his Chief is inversely proportional to the days remaining to that Chief Pathologist's looming retirement.
I came up with that one after a last minute binge of desk clearing on my retirement- different field but same principle!
#4 made me laugh!
Great post, Eric!
I'm glad you found it funny! I tried to walk the line between sarcasm and empathy for the docs on the frontlines doing the actual work that supports my caseload. I did practice for a few years and know how tough it is!
I laughed out loud.
For in house pathology...the number of "cocci" on the slide is directly proportional to the last time someone changed the Diff Qwik.
And for God's sake...why on earth does everything have to be done on oil immersion?!! I hate that setting so much because by the time I get to the slide after the techs it is a gloppy mess. Plus it gets all over everything
Amen to both comments!! I often get "drive-by" text consults to "confirm bacteria" and I have to politely tell them.....that's stain precipitate 😐
And yes, oiled up slides can be really tough to deal with in the lab; we *can* overstain DQ with Wright-Giemsa if they're understained, but slides with any significant amount of oil on them need to be removed with toxic solvents that can take hours. I usually recommend people DO send in their pre-stained slides, but alongside multiple unstained ones.
Also, pro-tip: Lots of people over-rely on their 100x objective because they think their 40x objective is "broken" (when I ask this question at CE conferences, more than half the people in the audience raise their hands). In reality, virtually all 40x objectives, certainly at the price point for low-cost in-house equipment, are designed to REQUIRE a coverslip for proper focus! You can test this for yourself by throwing a coverslip on top of a dry slide without any oil, it should instantly improve the focus 50% or more. Even if you ultimately do go to 100x oil, it can be a good way to "scout" the slide and figure out the best areas to look 👍
Great, great, great. Great! Restacking this gem to Notes!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed!
I think I can offer another Law to your list
1. The Retirement Curve of Inverse Proportionality.
The number of requests for special rush problem resolutions a pathologist receives from his Chief is inversely proportional to the days remaining to that Chief Pathologist's looming retirement.
I came up with that one after a last minute binge of desk clearing on my retirement- different field but same principle!
Ha, I like that one! It reminds me of another aphorism I've heard frequently repeated:
"Pathologists don't retire, they die or go blind" 😂
I have actually thought of a handful of others, perhaps I need to write a PART TWO of my LAWS!!
Please, please more Laws!