Quickly prepare slides from surgical patients to determine if all the tumor cells have been removed.
Save a child's life by detecting a serious infection in his blood samples and informing the doctors.
Examine a patient's biopsy under a microscope to determine whether he or she has colon cancer.
Evaluate spinal fluid samples from college students to determine if meningitis is making them sick.
Overview
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When a patient gets sick, his or her doctor will take sample cells from the affected part of his or her body and send them to a lab for testing to figure out what is wrong. This is where the cytotechnologist steps in. The cytotechnologist will take the sample cells, make slides from them, and examine the slides under a microscope. Cytotechnologists are trained to detect abnormalities in cells that come from all body sites in order to to make a diagnosis of cancer or other diseases. These professionals help pathologists and doctors diagnose diseases early, thus saving lives.
Cytotechnologist
Kelly is a cytotechnologist, and in this video, she describes her first experience looking at a sample slide and how she gets "lost" in a slide.
Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Cytotechnologist?
Critical Thinking:?Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening:?Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension:?Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Learning:?Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making:?Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
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