Histotechnologist

The School of Histotechnologists prepares students for an exciting career in histology. A histotechnologist combines technical skills with scientific knowledge to perform a variety of tissue related procedures in various laboratories. A scientist in histotechnology prepares and stains tissue for the routine and special identification of bacteria, fungus, cancer, and tissue structure abnormalities for diagnosis by a pathologist. Scientists in histotechnology also prepare and perform testing on tissue by means of immunohistochemistry, molecular pathology, or electron microscopy.

Individuals interested in a career as a scientist in histotechnology must have a keen interest in science and mathematics. These professionals also must also have patience, precision, fine manual dexterity and the ability to work with minimal supervision. Patient contact is limited.

To prepare for a career in histotechnology, a student must have a strong background in sciences such as biology, chemistry and math. The career of scientist in histotechnologist requires the combination of a bachelor's degree plus clinical education in an accredited histotechnologist program or a bachelor's degree and on-the-job training. Corewell Health has one of only ten accredited histotechnology programs in the United States.

Students who elect to enter an accredited histotechnology program may do so by two routes.

The first route is the "3+1" format. Students take three years of appropriate prerequisite courses at an affiliated college or university. During the fourth year, they complete their professional education in an affiliated clinical internship that is usually located in a hospital. In this route, students are granted a bachelor of science degree from the college or university upon successful completion of the clinical internship.

The second route of entry into an accredited histotechnologist program is the "4+1" route. Students in this route complete their bachelor's degree at a college or university offering the appropriate prerequisite courses and then seek admission into a histotechnologist clinical internship.

An alternate for students who have a bachelor's degree with at least 20 credit hours of biology and/or chemistry involves one year of on-the-job training to meet the requirements to sit for the certification examination.

In today's economic conditions, most employers prefer to hire students who have graduated from an accredited program for histotechnologists because it is too expensive and time consuming to train a student on-the-job.

•  To prepare scientist in histotechnology and histologic technician students to display proficiency in anatomic laboratory techniques in accordance with the essentials provided by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), through an educational program of merit and thoroughness, with emphasis on histotechnology techniques for the histologic technician, and with emphasis for the scientist in histotechnology students on techniques in histotechnology, immunohistochemistry, muscle enzyme histochemistry, electron microscopy, and molecular pathology
• To provide clinical experiences for scientist in histotechnology and histologic technician students to become competent members of the health care team and to recognize their responsibility and importance in that role
• To maintain an educational program of merit and thoroughness that reflects the quality of health care expected at Corewell and to provide qualified personnel and a positive environment and learning resources to meet the needs of these expectations
• To provide educational activities which allow students to enhance their skills and knowledge of laboratory operations and information technologies (and for the scientist in histotechnology students, laboratory management)
• To promote professional continuing education in histotechnology by encouraging all students/graduates to seek those opportunities that will enable each one development into proficient, contributing laboratory professionals
• To provide educational activities to allow our histologic technician students to train other laboratory personnel in technical skills, and to provide our scientist in histotechnology students to enhance their skills and knowledge in planning, delivering, and evaluating effective instruction to other healthcare provide

Jamie Pert, BS, HTL(ASCP), MB, QIHCcm
Program director
Phone: 248.898.9079
Email: Jamie.Pert@corewellhealth.org

For more information on accredited histotechnologist programs, contact:
Executive director

National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences
5600 N. River Rd. Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018-5119
Phone: 773.714.8880
Fax: 773.714.8886
Email: info@naacls.org

Alexandria Nelson
Clinical instructor
Phone: 248.898.9079
Email: Alexandria.Nelson@corewellhealth.org