Histotechnician (A.A.S.)

Overview

SUNY Cobleskill has the only accredited degree-granting Histotechnician program in New York State. The demand for trained histotechnicians exceeds the supply, with employment opportunities in hospital, county, state, federal, private research and industrial laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, medical and veterinary schools, among others. Histotechnicians are trained in the preparation and staining of tissues for microscopic examination and disease diagnosis by a pathologist. The tissue may be obtained from an operating room, clinic, doctor's office, emergency room, or a postmortem examination. Histotechnicians may also assist the pathologist in the preparation of frozen tissue sections, which are used to provide rapid diagnosis with the patient is still undergoing surgery.

Histotechnology is a blend of both science and art. It is possible to appreciate the beauty of a perfectly and stained tissue section without any prior knowledge of histotechnology. But it is impossible to troubleshoot or correct a poorly prepared or stained slide without knowledge of all of the steps involved. Students receive the academic and clinical training necessary for entry level competence both on campus and at an affiliate site during the clinical rotation.

The SUNY Cobleskill Histotechnician program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018, 773-714-8880). It is also registered as a New York State Licensure Qualifying program. Graduates are eligible for national certification by the American Society for Clinical Pathology and for New York State Licensure.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION