Activities	According to the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) "A cytotechnologist (CT) is a laboratory specialist who is responsible for examining human cell samples under the microscope for early signs of cancer and other diseases."
Outlook	Faster-than-average-job growth
Median Income	According to the American Society for Cytotechnology, the average hourly pay for cytotechnologists was $30.51 in 2007.
Work Context & Conditions	Cytotechnologists have an unlimited choice of practice settings: hospitals, for-profit laboratories, clinics, public health facilities, and industry.
Minimum Education Requirements	Bachelor's Degree Technical Certification Program, Post-undergraduate Education
Skills	Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Active Listening, Time Management, Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Operation Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Science
Abilities	Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension, Near Vision, Information Ordering, Inductive Reasoning

Job Category		Healthcare Practitioners & Technical
Job Description		According to the American Society for Clinical Pathology: "A Cytotechnologist (CT) is a laboratory specialist who is responsible for examining human cell samples under the microscope for early signs of cancer and other diseases. The cytotechnologist analyzes subtle cell changes both nuclear and cytoplasmic and compares these changes to normal cell findings for that body site. The cytotechnologist must be familiar with normal anatomy and histology for all the body systems and must be familiar with the disease processes that can affect these body sites. By comparing these facts with the clinical history provided for the patient, the cytotechnologist can judge the significance of the cell findings observed. The cytotechnologist can issue the final report for certain specimens that are normal; when abnormal cells are present, the cytotechnologist works with the pathologist to arrive at a final diagnosis. Cytotechnologists work independently with little supervision. They must be patient, precise, and have relatively good eyesight. Above all, the cytotechnologist must enjoy making decisions and taking responsibility, because their correct analysis of microscopic cellular changes can directly affect a patient’s course of treatment and may save the patient’s life by early detection of cancer. All cytotechnologists have certain common characteristics. They are problem solvers. They like challenge and responsibility. They are accurate and reliable, work well under pressure and are able to finish a task once started. They communicate well, both in writing and speaking. They set high standards for themselves and expect quality in the work they do. But, above all, they are deeply committed to their profession, and are truly fascinated by all that science has to offer. For someone who chooses a career as a cytotechnologist, the exploration never ends."
Working Conditions		According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), hours and other working conditions of clinical laboratory technologists and technicians vary with the size and type of employment setting. In large hospitals or in independent laboratories that operate continuously, personnel usually work the day, evening, or night shift and may work weekends and holidays. Laboratory personnel in small facilities may work on rotating shifts, rather than on a regular shift. In some facilities, laboratory personnel are on call several nights a week or on weekends, in case of an emergency. Laboratories are usually well lighted and clean; however, specimens, solutions, and reagents used in the laboratory sometimes produce fumes. Laboratory workers may spend a great deal of time on their feet.
Salary Range		According to the AMA, Health Care Careers Directory, 2009-2010, employment opportunities and salaries vary depending on geographic location, experience, and ability. percent earned more than $69,260.

Education Required		According to the American Society for Clinical Pathology, to prepare for a career as a cytotechnologist, you should have a solid foundation in high school sciences — biology, chemistry, math and computer science. You’ll also need a combination of formal education leading to a baccalaureate degree,and a clinical education in a cytotechnology (CT) program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Preparing for a career as a cytotechnologist is a good investment in your future. Unlike many other careers, your education in cytotechnology will prepare you directly for a job. While you’re going to school, you may be able to work part-time in a laboratory to earn extra money. And you could start working full-time the day after you graduate.
Recommended High School Courses		Computers and Electronics, Biology, Mathematics, Chemistry
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		Education and Training, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics, Mechanical
Certification and Licensing		According to the American Society for Clinical Pathology: " To be sure that laboratory workers are competent and able to perform high quality laboratory tests, the Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology gives a national certification exam. Students take this exam after meeting their academic and laboratory education requirements. Those who pass the exam for cytotechnology may use the initials CT(ASCP) after their name to show they are proficient in their field. A cytotechnologist with a baccalaureate degree and five years’ experience, or a master’s degree and four years’ experience, or a doctorate degree and three years’ experience can qualify to be a Specialist in Cytotechnology. These specialists are skilled in examining all types of body specimens including needle aspirates and fine needle aspirates. Senior cytotechnologists, supervisors or educators are generally Specialists in Cytotechnology."

Interest Area		Investigative Involves working with ideas and requires an extensive amount of thinking.
Work Values		Achievement Get a feeling of accomplishment. Working Conditions Good working conditions.
Skills		Monitoring Assess how well someone is doing when learning or doing something. Critical Thinking Use logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Operation and Control Control operations of equipment or systems. Quality Control Analysis Conduct tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance. Active Listening Listen to what other people are saying and ask questions as appropriate. Time Management Manage one's own time and the time of others. Troubleshooting Determine what is causing an operating error and deciding what to do about it. Equipment Maintenance Perform routine maintenance and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed. Active Learning Work with new material or information to grasp its implications. Complex Problem Solving Solving novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings. Operation Monitoring Watch gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. Reading Comprehension Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. Science Use scientific methods to solve problems.
Abilities		Oral Expression Able to convey information and ideas through speech in ways that others will understand. Deductive Reasoning Able to apply general rules to specific problems to come up with logical answers, including deciding whether an answer makes sense. Problem Sensitivity Able to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong. This doesn't involve solving the problem, just recognizing that there is a problem. Written Comprehension Able to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Near Vision Able to see details of objects at a close range (within a few feet of the observer). Information Ordering Able to correctly follow rules for arranging things or actions in a certain order, including numbers, words, pictures, procedures, and logical operations. Inductive Reasoning Able to combine separate pieces of information, or specific answers to problems, to form general rules or conclusions. This includes coming up with a logical explanation for why seemingly unrelated events occur together.

Related Jobs		Biologist, Microbiologist, Physician, Anesthesiologist, Technologist, Medical and Clinical Laboratory, Technician, Biological, Biologist
Job Outlook		According to the ASCP, "there are more jobs for cytotechnologists than educated people to fill those jobs. The future long-term employment looks bright. The need is great everywhere throughout the country. Cytotechnologists have an unlimited choice of practice settings. Hospitals, for-profit laboratories, clinics, public health facilities, and industry currently have positions open for qualified cytotechnologists. "
More Information		National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, American Society for Clinical Pathology, Board of Registry, American Society for Clinical Pathology, American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, American Society for Cytopathology, Amercian Society for Cytotechnology
References		American Society for Clinical Pathology on the Internet at http://www.ascp.org/careerlinks/LabCareers/cytotechnologist.aspx# http://www.ascp.org/careerlinks/pdf/theCytotechnologist.pdf Table 4 Top 3 Median Average Wages by Position & Geographic Region http://www.ascp.org/Certification/ForProgramDirectors/research/documents/wvac2005.pdf O*NET ONLINE, Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technologist, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/details/29-2011.00 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos096.htm