Air Force
MEDICAL

AFSC

4T0X2

Histopathology

Performs tissue processing and slide preparation to support disease diagnosis. Operates and maintains lab instruments, follows strict lab protocols, and assists pathologists, including during autopsies, ensuring accurate, timely diagnostic information.

Description

Providing first-rate medical care often requires specialized examination to occur behind the scenes. Responsible for preparing tissue for examination, Histopathology specialists help with essential diagnosis of the diseased samples. These technicians work in hospital labs performing various duties that range from maintaining laboratory instruments to assisting pathologists to perform autopsies in pursuit of the medical answers needed to treat patients.

Core Skills

  • laboratory information systems usage
  • sample tracking and chain of custody
  • quality control and quality assurance
  • laboratory equipment maintenance
  • data entry and verification
  • standard operating procedure compliance
  • documentation and recordkeeping
  • biosafety and hazard handling
  • root cause analysis for lab issues
  • workflow optimization
  • collaboration with clinicians and pathologists

Common Certs

  • American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Histotechnician (HT) or Histotechnologist (HTL) Certification
  • Basic Life Support (BLS)
  • HIPAA Compliance Training
  • Joint Commission Standards Training