Buy Histotechnologist (HTL) License Online
Clinical laboratory science offers many career paths for those interested in biology or chemistry. Histology, the study of tissue in living organisms, is one field that provides employment opportunities as a histotechnologist or histotechnician. Getting a histotech certification can help give you a competitive advantage over other potential candidates. In this article, we explain what a histotech certification is and the list steps for how to get one.Related: What Does a Clinical Laboratory Technologist Do?
Key takeaways:
- A histotech certification by the American Society for Clinical Pathology optimizes employment opportunities in the field of histology, requiring one to choose between histotechnician or histotechnologist job roles based on education and training requirements.
- Completing necessary education and clinical lab experience requirements, though different for histotechnician or histotechnologist roles, is critical to successfully obtaining a histotech certification.
- Maintenance of the HT and HTL certifications requires pursuing continuous learning experiences in histology every three years to signify ongoing competency in the field.
What is a histotech certification?
A histotech certification refers to one of two official histology credentialling programs offered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP): Histotechnician (HT) and Histotechnologist (HTL). Histotechnicians and histotechnologists prepare and examine tissue samples in a clinical laboratory setting. You can get certification in either or both roles by passing an examination the ASCP administers. Before taking the exam, however, you’re required to meet the minimum requirements in education and lab experience.You’re typically expected to complete your qualifying experience within five years of your test date. The education requirements are different for HT and HTL credentials, but both certifications require laboratory experience in the following areas:
- Fixation
- Embedding/microtomy
- Processing
- Staining
- Laboratory operations