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Program description
month program
first-time board exam pass rate (2021-2024)
find employment or continue their education within one year of graduation (2021-2024)
The Histology Technician Program at Mayo Clinic offers one of the best histology technician training options in the nation. Within just nine months, your training will walk you through the technique and artistry of how to embed, cut, stain, and prepare a tissue sample for review under a microscope.
Program highlights:
- A flexible program with an online curriculum blended with in-person lab training sessions and robust clinical rotations.
- Training experiences at one of the largest lab systems in the world, yet exposure to a variety of smaller, more specialized labs.
- A program that focuses on hands-on training where you’ll work with thousands of samples before you even graduate!
- Exceptional faculty and clinical instructors who are dedicated to your success.
Our training is focused on developing Mayo Clinic's future workforce — meaning that after graduation, if students are the right candidates and positions are available, most graduates go on to work at Mayo Clinic directly out of training. However, you can be confident you’ll be fully prepared for your first day on the job, wherever that may be.
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"I love working with the tissues"
5:56
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Our goal is to provide a robust learning experience in the field of histotechnology with a clinical portion that is second to none. We educate patient-focused individuals who have the potential to be future leaders in our profession. Our comprehensive program gives students opportunities to create high-quality histologic slides in a timely and professional manner. We even have a little bit of fun while we are doing it!
Michelle A. Nelsen, M.S., HT/HTL(ASCP)CM
Histology Technician Program Director
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Student stories
Choosing a career in histology has given me the ability to help patients behind the scenes, be part of a team, and develop my skills and creativity. The Histology Technician Program prepared me for my profession by providing me with in-depth information, encouraging critical thinking, and offering clinical rotations with different instructors who each gave insight into the field. The supportive environment created by the instructors and staff made me feel confident transitioning to an employee.
Jess Craft, HTL(ASCP)
Jess turned her desire to help patients behind the scenes into a career as an histotechnician in the Mayo Clinic Histology Lab in Scottsdale, AZ.
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Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ
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Jacksonville, FL
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Rochester, MN
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Behind the scenes: Histotechnologist
1:40
Explore what a histology technician does
Histology technicians are responsible for preparing microscope slides for a pathologist to review. Using a variety of techniques and equipment, they prepare thin slices of human, animal, or plant tissue to make abnormalities visible with a microscope. The identification and understanding of diseases such as cancer would not be possible without their role in health care.
Accreditation information
The Histology Technician Program is an accredited training program.
Program mission, vision, values, and goals
Mission statement
Our commitment is to develop bright, ambitious future leaders in the field of histotechnology, proven through outstanding academic achievement and highly proficient technical aptitude.
Vision
The Histology Technician Program offers an unparalleled educational experience by consistently providing a high-quality histology curriculum in a blended learning format.
Values and goals
We believe:
- A high-quality histologic product is a critical component to an accurate patient diagnosis
- A community of educators is necessary to provide a broad learning experience and address the individual needs of the learner
- Collaboration is important for successful growth and development of the student
- Everyone in our diverse learning environment has an equal voice and must be treated with dignity and mutual respect
- Every student has the capacity to succeed and demonstrate professional excellence
- Experiential learning is necessary to increase knowledge and clarify meaning
- Innovation and technology enhance the educational experience
Goals:
- Respect: To treat everyone with dignity and advance cultural awareness.
- Integrity: To adhere to the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and personal responsibility.
- Compassion: To deliver the best patient care by creating the highest quality histologic product on every patient sample.
- Healing: To inspire hope and nurture well-being of the whole person, respecting each person’s individual needs and values.
- Teamwork: To value the contributions of all and promote collaboration among medical professionals.
- Innovation: To further advance the field of histotechnology using creative reasoning and cutting-edge technology
- Excellence: To deliver the best patient outcomes through knowledge and technical aptitude and dedicating oneself to continuing education and ongoing skill development.
- Stewardship: To exemplify the histology technician’s professional role in the healthcare system and society.
Accreditation information
The Histology Technician Program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences
5600 N. River Road, Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018-5119
Phone: 773-714-8880
Email: info@naacls.org
For further details, see the accreditation information for Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.
Program outcomes
The following program outcome measures are tracked and monitored as part of continuous program assessment and accreditation:
| Class year | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Retention/attrition rate |
100% | 73% | 86% |
|
Graduation rate |
100% | 100% | 92% |
|
Employment/placement rate |
100% | 100% | 100% |
|
First-time certification exam pass rate |
100% | 100% | 100% |
*Rate established by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) as a quality measure of its accredited programs