Histotechnician

Histotechnicians prepare tissues by sectioning, staining, and other

methods to produce specimens like those in the photographs in this
chapter. Most histotechnicians work in hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic
laboratories, preparing specimens to be examined by a pathologist or
cytotechnologist for evidence of disease. A career in this field requires
knowledge of biology and chemistry. Good manual dexterity and hand–
eye coordination are needed for work with delicate and tiny specimens
and sophisticated laboratory equipment. A histotechnician often must
work quickly (but carefully), because a surgical team may be waiting in
an operating room for biopsy results that depend on the skills of the
histotechnician and pathologist team. Histotechnicians are also highly
valued team members in industrial research, veterinary medicine, and
forensics laboratories.
To become a histotechnicians requires at least an associate degree and
training in a hospital or histotechnician program. With a bachelor’s
degree and further training, one can become a histotechnologist, with
responsibility for more advanced techniques and more potential for
administrative authority.