Histology Technicians
Prepare histological slides from tissue sections for microscopic examination and diagnosis by pathologists. May assist with research studies.
What you’d do
- Cut sections of body tissues for microscopic examination, using microtomes.
- Embed tissue specimens into paraffin wax blocks, or infiltrate tissue specimens with wax.
- Mount tissue specimens on glass slides.
- Stain tissue specimens with dyes or other chemicals to make cell details visible under microscopes.
- Freeze tissue specimens.
- Operate computerized laboratory equipment to dehydrate, decalcify, or microincinerate tissue samples.
- Archive diagnostic material, such as histologic slides and blocks.
- Maintain laboratory equipment, such as microscopes, mass spectrometers, microtomes, immunostainers, tissue processors, embedding centers, and water baths.
Skills that matter
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Complex Problem Solving
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
How to get there
Medium preparation: usually vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree
Also called
- Histologic Technician (HT)
- Histologist
- Histology Technician (HT)
- Histotechnician
- Clinical Histology Technician (Clinical Histology Tech)
- Histology Consultant
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