Program Description

The Histologic Technician is not only the eyes of the pathologist but also the artist of the laboratory. Like the artist we have a canvas. The Histologic Technician’s canvas is a plain glass slide to which color and design will be added. Our medium is not oil, clay or stone but the entire human, animal and plant bodies. Our Palette includes colors with names such as Hematoxylin, Eosin, and Alcian Blue pH 2.5, Acid Fast Green, Nuclear Fast Red, Carbol Fuchsin and others. Our tools are not paintbrushes, chisels or drying ovens but have names such as Tissue Grossing, Tissue Processing Tissue Embedding, Microtome and Microscopes. Like the artist who has a goal or purpose for his/her work our goal or purpose is to prepare quality slides for the Pathologists in order to aid in diagnosis and treatment of medical problems in conjunction with surgical and clinical findings.

Histologic Technicians have an unlimited choice of practice settings. Hospitals, university research laboratories, private laboratories, public health facilities, industrial research, veterinary pathology laboratories, marine biology and forensic pathology laboratories, currently have positions open for qualified histologic technicians.

As part of your twenty-four month associate in science degree program, you will gain the knowledge of tissue and cellular structure. You will develop skills in preparing, fixing processing, embedding, sectioning, and staining tissue, including brain, kidney, bone and muscle tissue. Actual surgical specimens are used in the laboratory settings. As part of the program a supervised internship at an affiliated hospital, research or private laboratories is required.

Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the Histologic Technology Program at the Medical Center Campus, you must meet these criteria.

• You hold, or will hold at the time of enrollment in the Histologic Technology Program, a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma (GED).

• You have applied to and been fully accepted by Miami Dade College. (For application information, see the Miami Dade College Catalog, available from admissions and registrations offices on any campus.)

• You have passing scores on the Computerized Placement Test (CPT), or, if you have taken the test but have not passed, then you have satisfactorily completed the developmental courses prescribed by MDC as a result of your scores. The CPT can be scheduled through Testing Services at any MDC campus. For exceptions to this requirement, see the MDC Catalog.

• You have earned a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.0 on a scale of 4.0 for any college-level courses you have taken. 

To apply to the Histologic Technology Program at the Medical Center Campus, complete the following steps.

• If you have not been enrolled at Miami Dade College during the past 12 months, complete an Application for Admission or Readmission to College Credit Courses. Choose the Medical Center Campus as the “preferred” campus.

• Make an appointment to take the Computerized Placement Test (CPT) through Testing Services, Room 1303, Medical Center Campus, 305-237-4275, or through the testing center at any of the other MDC campuses. You should register at least one month in advance of taking the test, and you should take the test before the date that program application materials are due.

• If you have previously attended any other college or university, arrange for that institution to sent official transcripts to the Registrar at the Medical Center Campus by the due date for program application materials.

• Complete the prerequisite courses .

• Submit an Application for Program Selection to the New Student Center at the Medical Center Campus.

Where Do I Send My Application Materials?

You may send your MDC application to any admissions office located on any of the six campuses of Miami Dade College. Applications for admission may also be filled out on line at http://www.mdc.edu .
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site

You must also send the following:

• Application fee (check or money order – no cash)

• Official high school transcript and official college transcripts (if available) to the Registrar.

Send your Application for Program Selection, professional documentation, and an unofficial copy of your college transcript to the Histologic Technology Program at the address below:

Miami Dade College
Medical Center Campus
New Student Center
950 NW 20th Street
Miami , FL 33127

Selection Criteria

Priority for program admission will be given to:

• Those applicants who have completed the greatest number of natural science and general education curriculum courses with a grade of C or higher.

• Those applicants with the highest overall grade point average.

ADA Standards

In keeping with its missions and goals, and in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Medical Center Campus promotes an environment of respect and support for persons with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodations. The definition of individuals with disabilities are those who currently have, have a record of having, or are regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. Major life activities include caring for one self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing and working.

Individuals applying for admissions, progression to clinical courses, and graduation from a program in Nursing and Allied Health Technologies must be able to meet the physical and emotional requirements of the academic program. In addition, students admitted to the programs in Nursing and Allied Health Technologies must possess the following qualities.

• The emotional maturity and stability to approach highly stressful human situations in a calm and rational manner

• The ability to make clinical judgment using critical thinking

• The ability to adhere to ethical standards of conduct as well as applicable state and federal laws

• The ability to provide effective written, oral, nonverbal communication with patients and their families, colleagues, health care providers, and the public

An individual who poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or themselves may be denied admissions, progression or graduation. The College’s determination that a person poses a direct threat will be based on an individual assessment that relies on current medical evidence or on the best available evidence to access the nature, duration, and severity of the risk and the probability that the potential injury will actually occur.

Also individuals in the Histologic Technology Program must be able to follow these guidelines:

Strength:
The histologic technology student must be able to safely lift a 30 to 35 pound weight. This lifting must be done with or without reasonable accommodations.

Vision:
The student must be able to read charts and graphs, read instrument scales, discriminate colors, read microscopic materials, and record results.

Speech and Hearing:
The student must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively in order to elicit Information. The student must also be able to assess non-verbal communication and be able to adequately transmit information to all members of the health care team.

Fine Motor Functions and Manual dexterity:
Due to the complexity of the work done in histology, students must have excellent manual dexterity and hand eye coordination. These skills are necessary to carry out the following:

• Diagnostic procedures such as tissue grossing and identification.
• Manipulation of tools and chemicals: such as working with forceps and small brushes and removing chemicals from specified equipment.
• Working with high precision instruments: such as Microtomes, Embedding Centers, and Microscopes.
• Identifying tissue structures through specialized staining procedures.
• Determining whether a staining procedure is done correctly with or without the aid of a microscope.

Psychological Stability:
The student must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of the applicant’s intellectual abilities. The student must also be able to recognize emergency situations and take appropriate actions. The student must be able to follow oral and written instructions correctly

Respiratory Stability:
Students in the Histologic Technology Program will be exposed to a variety of chemicals and their fumes during the course of the program; therefore students with respiratory ailments are advised to speak to their physician before entering the program. A list of chemicals that you will be exposed to will be provided during orientation.

Curriculum

The Histologic Technology Program Curriculum

Only 20 students are admitted into the Histologic Technology Program in August of each year. A total of 76 credits are required in order to receive an Associate in Science degree. The required general education courses are an important part of the curriculum. Although students may take general admission courses and the natural courses concurrent with program courses, we strongly recommend that you take all of these courses, especially those in the natural sciences, before admission into the program. Your success at the courses you take before applying to the program will improve your chances of being admitted, although taking these courses in advance does not guarantee admission. Please be sure to see the Miami Dade College Catalog to learn which courses have pre and co requisites.

Course content is sequential and students should plan to enroll in all Histologic Technology courses in the order and during the terms indicated in the following curriculum outline.

Program Course Curriculum:

Most of the Natural Science and General Education Core Courses may be taken in conjunction with program courses, but it is suggested that the student take these courses before the 6th and 7th semester. Also, students should be aware that many of the Natural Science and General Education courses can be taken online.

Approximate Costs

As of August 2006, the cost of tuition is $68.94 per credit for in-state students and $228.76 per credit for out-of-state students. Here are estimates for total tuition, based on 76 credits at these per-credit rates. In-state students: $5,239.44

Out-of-state students: $17,385.76. Tuition is due at the beginning of each term and can be determined by multiplying the number of credits by the cost per credit hour. Additionally, over the course of the program, students should expect to pay approximately $400 for books, $150 for nametags, uniforms and footwear, and $15.50 annually for malpractice insurance. Most laboratory courses have an additional fee of $75.00 and $150. All costs are subject to change.

Financial Aid

All students at the Medical Center Campus should apply for financial aid, which includes the Federal Pell Grant, federal Supplemental Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, and Federal Work Study and Federal Subsidized loans. The Campus also offers emergency short-term loans and a variety of scholarships.

Application can be made in the Financial Aid Office (Room 1201) on the Medical Center Campus. Those who apply before April 1st for the following academic year are given priority. Only courses in which students have registered before the 100 percent refund date qualify for financial aid. For additional information, call the Financial Aid personnel at 305-237-4160

Job Links

http://www.histologyjobs.com/

Program Links:

NSH
ASCP
FSH
Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel

Accreditation

The Histologic Technology Program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). Questions on accreditation may be answered at the following address:

National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences
8410 W, Bryn Mawr Avenue
Chicago, Il 60631

Graduates of the program may be eligible to sit for either or both of the following categories of national certification examinations of the American Society for Clinical Pathology:

Histologic Technician Certification Examination
Histologic Technologist Certification Examination
SPECIAL NOTE TO STUDENTS WITH BACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHER

Students who have obtained a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and have completed 16 credits of biology and chemistry courses are eligible to sit for national certification exam for histotechnologist, after completing this program.

Further information regarding program accreditation can be obtained at http://www.naacls.org.
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site

Licensure

Histotechnicians and histotechnologists, who wish to practice in the state of Florida, must apply for licensure with the Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel. They may make contact with the board at:

Florida Department of Health
Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel
Division of Medical quality Assurance
P.O. Box 6330
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3255
(850) 245-4444
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site

Mission and Goals

The mission of Miami Dade College is to provide accessible, affordable, high-quality education by keeping learner's needs at the center of decision-making in partnership with its dynamic, multicultural community.

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The mission of Medical Center Campus is to provide students with affordable, accessible, quality education in health care careers. Faculty and staff strive to respond to the changing needs of students, health care providers, and health care consumers in the community at large through collaboration with health care and business communities. The Campus provides an environment that is conductive to learning by recognizing and responding to the diverse learning styles, cultures, and resources of its students.

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Important Phone Numbers

New Student Center		305-237-4141
Advisement Services		305-237-4238
Financial Aid		305-237-4160
Student Life		305-237-4213
Testing Services		305-237-4275

Faculty and Staff

	Caridad Ivis Gutierrez, B.S. HTL (ASCP) Assistant Professor/Program Coordinator Histologic Technology Program Office: 2239 Phone: 305-237-4231 Email: caridad.gutierrez@mdc.edu
	Warren Shim, B.S., MT (AMT) Laboratory Manager Office: 1234 Phone: 305-237-4009 Email: warren.shim@mdc.edu

Visit the Medical Center Campus on the Web at www.mdc.edu/medical/
Note:  You have to be connected to the Internet to access this web site
 

The mission of the Medical Center Campus is to provide students with affordable, accessible, quality education in health care careers. Faculty and staff strive to respond to the changing needs of students, health care providers, and health care consumers in the community at large through collaboration with health care and business communities. The Campus provides an environment that is conducive to learning by recognizing and responding to the diverse learning styles, cultures, and resources of its students.