A Day in the Life of a Histologist
There are four workers in Histology:
The first are medically qualified histopathologists who carry out the microscopical examination and diagnosis of the tissue samples. They are also involved in the work of mortuaries and provide a post-mortem service for HM Coroner and their Health Authority. They often have advanced roles involving management, medical research, consultancy, media and education.The second group of staff are biomedical scientists. This group of staff carry out the scientific processes and techniques to produce the material that the histopathologist examines when making the diagnosis. This involves preparing tissue for processing into paraffin embedded blocks and then cutting the sections for staining. The recent development of advanced roles in specimen dissection has seen many biomedical scientists taking on some of the roles traditionally carried out by the histopathologist within the specimen dissection room.This staff group also carry out the staining techniques to demonstrate the tissue components, infective agents etc and also carry out Immunological staining of tumours and tissues to identify specific proteins within the tissues which once identified can aid in the diagnosis of the disease condition.In more recent times, with the advent of molecular biology techniques, biomedical scientists also carry out molecular techniques to identify specific proteins, hormone receptors, viruses and enzymes in tissues, which enhance both the diagnosis and the treatment of the patient. The demonstration of the Her2 receptor site is especially important in determining which breast cancer patients are suitable for Herceptin therapy.The third group of staff are associate practitioners and medical laboratory assistants. This group of staff provide a variety of support activities to both the histopathologists and biomedical scientists and in some cases perform advanced roles in some areas traditionally covered by biomedical scientists.The fourth group are mortuary or anatomical pathology technicians. This group of staff is responsible for providing support to histopathologists during post mortems and organise the mortuary services. They also liase with the Coroner’s Officers and undertakers with regard to burials and cremations of the deceased, ensuring that the deceased and the relatives of deceased receive a respectful bereavement service.Together with cytology, histology forms the pathology discipline of cellular pathology.
How do you become a Histologist?
What It Takes
Histotechnicians have certain common characteristics that are problem solvers. They like challenge and responsibility and are accurate, reliable, work well under pressure and are able to finish a task once started. They communicate well, both in writing and speaking. They set high standards for themselves and expect quality in the work they do. But, above all, they are deeply committed to their profession, and are truly fascinated by all that science has to offer. The exploration never ends.
To be a histotechnician, you need a solid foundation in high school sciences — biology, chemistry, math and computer science. You’ll need clinical education in a histotechnician (HT) program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) or an associate degree from a community college and training at a hospital. A license requirement to practice as a histologist differs from state to state. There is not a national license requirement. Preparing for a career as a histotechnician is a good investment in your future. Unlike many other careers, your education as a histotechnician will prepare you directly for a job. While you’re going to school, you may be able to work part-time in a laboratory to earn extra money. And you could start working full-time the day after you graduate.
Certification
To be sure that laboratory workers are competent and able to perform high quality laboratory tests, the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (BOC) gives two national certification exams for histology, the histotechnician (HT) and histotechnologist (HTL). The histotechnologist performs more complex techniques such as enzyme histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. A histotechnologist can teach, be a supervisor in a laboratory or be the director of a school for histotechnology
Salary:
The American Society for Clinical Pathology in 2010 collected data that shows that the average income for histology technicians throughout the U.S. was $22.68 per hour, or $47,174 per year. Supervisors averaged $29.48 per hour, or $61,318 per year.
Salary:
The American Society for Clinical Pathology in 2010 collected data that shows that the average income for histology technicians throughout the U.S. was $22.68 per hour, or $47,174 per year. Supervisors averaged $29.48 per hour, or $61,318 per year.
