Certificate
Certificate in Histotechnology
- Program Director: Clinical Assistant Professor D. Wood
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
To meet the health care needs in both urban and rural settings nationwide, the program functions as a cooperative effort between IUSM and qualifying histology laboratories around the United States. Laboratory training sites are located nationwide and change based on the student and/or laboratory's need. Courses are taught via distance education to employed and non-employed students. A limited number of clinical sites for the program are located within the Indianapolis area for local non-employed students.
Length of the Program Nine months of professional course work beginning in the fall semester. The course of study consists of eight courses (24 credit hours), including four didactic courses and four practicum courses.
Structure of the Program Students complete 12 credit hours in the fall and 12 credit hours in the spring terms. Lectures and related course material are presented utilizing distance education. Practicum course work is performed in the student's laboratory that has been identified as an affiliate site. All course work, whether lecture or lab, is completed at the student’s location, giving them the benefit of training in the environment they are/or will be working in.
Design of Professional Curriculum Students who are employed/non-employed at the laboratory that qualifies as a clinical affiliate site are accepted into the Histotechnology Program to begin the course of study in the fall semester. The curriculum consists of a balance of didactic and practicum courses delivered by distance learning to students. The program curriculum is delivered in a highly structured, sequential format that utilizes multiple methods of instruction to meet different learning styles.
Weekly lectures are recorded and are accompanied by related assignments that require approximately 3.5 hours per week for completion. The live 60-minute interactive video-conference review sessions are held bi-weekly using Zoom. The practicum course modules are designed to be accomplished in approximately 10 hours per week for the employed student, however, as part of on-the-job training, it is expected that students in the program receive full-time technical training at their place of employment. The non-employed students should expect to spend additional hours to gain the technical skills required. All course work, whether lecture or lab, are completed at the student’s location giving them the benefit of training in the environment they are/or will be working in. Assignments are submitted to the program for evaluation.
The Histotechnology Program is designed to
- Provide educational and clinical experiences in all areas of histologic technology to prepare students for beginning a career as a histologic technician.
- Provide medical communities nationwide with individuals qualified to effectively carry out the functions of the histotechnology discipline.
- Assist affiliate sites' histology trainers in meeting the student's needs in accomplishing the course work.
- Assist students in reaching their goals by providing academic, occupational, and personal guidance.
Program Facilities The Histotechnology Program office is located in Van Nuys Medical Science Building at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). "Classrooms" for delivery of video-conferences, as well as practical training sites, are located in histology laboratories throughout the United States that qualify as clinical affiliates where students are located.
Location of Clinicals Laboratory training sites are located nationwide and change based on the student and/or laboratories need for quality trained histotechnicians or histotechnologists.
Opportunity to Work The program is designed with the employed student in a histology lab in mind; full- or part-time employment is assumed.
Additional Costs of the Program In addition to tuition and course fees, students are required to purchase a textbook and student membership to the National Society. The program will supply the major reagents for special stains completed during the second semester. Clinical training laboratories may cover some expenses for laboratory supplies and mailing costs for submission of assignments to the program office. Additional training costs to student and/or laboratory are estimated at $250.00 per year.
Feasibility of Work for Students In addition to the didactic courses, students should plan on completing the minimum practicum hours: employed student- , non-employed student: should expect to spend additional hours to gain the technical skill required. This could be up to a total of 20 hours a week. The program is designed for students employed full-time in a histology laboratory.
Accreditation The Histotechnology Program (certificate level) at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis is fully accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Rosemont, Illinois; (312) 714-8880.
Updated: April 2023
