Curriculum
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time spent in clinical settings
time spent in labs
time spent in classroom
Student experiences
Classroom learning
Most of the classroom curriculum is delivered asynchronously online and is completed as homework. Instruction includes text, videos, images, simulation, interactions, and other online applications. Students must complete the online units of instruction, quizzes, and pre-lab work independently prior to coming to class.
Synchronous classroom sessions complement the online education. These sessions provide students with the opportunity to collaborate with their peers, review material with program faculty, and confirm their understanding of the curriculum. Students connect via virtual classroom for these sessions.
Laboratory sessions
Laboratory sessions are administered in the traditional face-to-face format. Students apply the online material during hands-on, instructor-facilitated sessions. These activities occur on campus.
Hands-on clinical rotations
Throughout the nine-month program, clinical experience with patient material is provided in the form of demonstrations, investigation, and hands-on clinical rotations. Students practice various histologic techniques under the supervision of program faculty and laboratory clinical instructors. These activities also occur on campus.
Facilities and faculty
Facilities
Mayo Clinic's histology technician training facilities were designed specifically for the program and are in close proximity to the histology-based laboratories. The facilities provide an excellent training environment, and each area has state-of-the-art equipment.
Faculty
Teaching faculty
The Histology Technician Program is coordinated and taught by the clinical, scientific, and technical staff of Mayo Clinic. Faculty members are chosen for their commitment to teaching, as well as clinical practice and research. Many have published and lectured extensively and are highly regarded in their fields.
Students have direct access to these individuals throughout their training. This gives students the opportunity to learn directly from some of today's best histology practitioners.
Current teaching faculty includes:
Michelle A. Nelsen, M.S., HTL(ASCP)CM
Michelle Nelsen graduated from St. Cloud State University in 1998 with a B.S. in Biomedical Science. She began her career in the field of histotechnology in 1999. She was certified as a Histology Technician (HT) in 2000 and a Histotechnologist (HTL) in 2004. In 2012, Ms. Nelsen completed her master’s degree in education specializing in postsecondary and adult education from Capella University. She has academic rank within Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science as an Assistant Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.
Ms. Nelsen has been with the MCSHS Histology Technician Program as a faculty member since its inception in 2006 and was named Program Director in 2010. She is currently responsible for oversight of the program/students and instruction of a large portion of the curriculum. Her other responsibilities include providing continuing education to allied health staff within the division of Anatomic Pathology, resident training, and mentoring clinical lab staff. Ms. Nelsen is active in the Minnesota Society for Histotechnology (MSH) as a past treasurer and board member of the society. She currently serves as a member of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification Board of Governors and as a slide grader for NSH/CAP HistoQIP quality assurance program. Ms. Nelsen was a previous member of the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) Review Committee for Accredited Programs (RCAP), and a previous consultant for the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Histotechnology Examination committee.
Kelly Klein, M.S., HTL(ASCP)CM
Kelly Klein graduated from Upper Iowa University in 2001 with a B.S. in Sports Science. In 2010, she graduated from the MCSHS Histology Technician Program, obtained her HTL certification, and gained employment as a histology technician within the histology lab at Mayo Clinic. In 2019, Ms. Klein completed her master's degree in higher education, integrative studies from Capella University. She also has academic rank within Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science as an Instructor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.
In 2015, Ms. Klein joined the Histology Technician Program as a core faculty member. Previously she was a clinical instructor for the Histology Technician program in gross cutting and frozen sectioning, as well as a mentor for students and a trainer for new employees within the histology lab. In 2019, she was named Associate Program Director. Her primary responsibilities within the program are to serve as a resource for students to prepare for exams and strengthen their understanding of the curriculum, work with students in the student laboratory to help them develop a strong foundation of technical skills and assist the program director in overall program management.
Tien Tran, HT(ASCP)CM
Tien Tran graduated from Michigan State University in 2000 with a B.S. in Inter-Discipline Health Care Administration. She holds academic rank within Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science as an Instructor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. Ms. Tran began her career in health care as a Trainer Coordinator for Ingham Community Mental Health in Lansing, Michigan. There she was responsible for developing and implementing personal goals for people with mental disabilities as well as teaching and training staff on new procedures. In 2007, she completed the Mayo Clinic - University of North Dakota Histotechnology Program and became a certified Histology Technician (HT). Soon after that she began training new employees and students within the histology laboratory at Mayo Clinic as a clinical instructor.
In 2010, Ms. Tran was hired as an Education Specialist I within the division of anatomic pathology and became a core faculty member of the MCSHS Histology Technician Program. Her responsibilities within the Histology Technician Program focus on teaching the technical aspects of histology and monitoring student skill set development throughout the program. She also supports the division of Anatomic Pathology in developing, implementing, and facilitating continuing education for allied health staff, residents, fellow, and consultants, and organizing orientation training sessions for new residents and employees.
Naomi Hensman
Naomi Hensman graduated from Carthage College in Kenosha, WI with a B.A. in Math. She holds academic rank within Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science as an Instructor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. Ms. Hensman began her career at Mayo Clinic as a Pathology Reporting Specialist in Anatomic Pathology. This is where she discovered the exciting, amazing, and evolving world of microscope tissue examination.
Ms. Hensman began her current role as Education Specialist and became a core faculty member of the MCSHS Histology Technician Program in 2022. Her responsibilities within the Histology Technician Program focus on teaching the Professional Development I and II courses. The content in these courses focus on the RICH TIES values of Mayo Clinic to help students grow good professional habits, develop better self-awareness to recognize their strengths, and discuss topics that encourage optimal interactions with colleagues and leadership. She also supports the division of Anatomic Pathology in developing, implementing, and facilitating continuing education for allied health staff, residents, fellow, and consultants, and organizing orientation training sessions for new residents and employees.
Clinical instructors
Each of our clinical laboratories on all three campuses has dedicated clinical instructors who participate in the education of the students. They are board-certified histology technicians and technologists with a wealth of experience in the field of histotechnology.
Hours
Program hours vary depending on what portion of the curriculum is being taught. In most cases, the learning schedule includes eight-hour days, Monday through Friday. The eight-hour days include time spent on campus developing technical skills in the laboratory, virtual classroom sessions collaborating with student colleagues and faculty, and independent online learning modules in Brightspace. Time management is critical to ensure all learning expectations are met. It is highly recommended that students live within a 30-45 minute drive time to campus for ease of transition between on-campus laboratory instruction and virtual classroom sessions.
At the Rochester, Minnesota, campus, students must be available from 4:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for classroom, laboratory, and clinical instruction. At the Scottsdale, Arizona campus, students must be available from 3 a.m. to 4 p.m. At the Jacksonville, Florida campus, students must be available from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students are not on campus 12 hours a day, but they must be available during these hours for a variety of learning opportunities.
Outside work
Students may hold outside employment during the program if it does not conflict with their program responsibilities. It is highly recommended that students work no more than 20 hours a week.
. At Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, students who choose to work as a HistoTech Assistant, may work more than 20 hours a week if they remain in good standing within the program.
Students who choose to be a salary-earning employee at Mayo Clinic beyond the regularly scheduled academic hours of the Histology Technician program have a distinct delineation between program activities and employment. During academic hours, students are not used in place of employees to provide preparation, clerical, or histologic work, other than that which is required by the educational program to learn the necessary skills of an entry level histology technician. Students are not paid during their academic hours. Service work outside of academic hours is noncompulsory.
Course sequence
Semester 1
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Histological Techniques I This course introduces the fundamental safety practices and instrumentation used in the routine histology laboratory and provides knowledge and skills in the histological techniques of tissue collection, accessioning, grossing, decalcification, and fixation. This course focuses on quality and recognizing errors within completed materials. Curriculum is delivered through online learning modules and hands-on experiential learning opportunities within the laboratory setting. |
4 |
|
Histological Techniques II This course introduces the knowledge and skills in the histological techniques of processing, embedding, microtomy, frozen sectioning with a cryostat, nuclear and cytoplasmic staining, laboratory math and digital pathology. The course focuses on quality and recognizing errors within completed materials. Curriculum is delivered through online learning modules and hands-on experiential learning opportunities within the laboratory setting. |
5 |
|
Microanatomy I This course provides a comprehensive analysis of the microscopic structure of human anatomy. It focuses on the basic function and microscopic arrangement of healthy human cells, tissues, and organs. Topics include epithelium, connective tissue and muscle, bone and cartilage, integumentary, female and male reproductive, the GI tract and accessory organs (liver, pancreas, and gallbladder), circulatory, nervous, immune, respiratory and urinary systems. Curriculum is delivered through online learning modules and interactive virtual microscope sessions. |
2 |
|
Professional Development I This interprofessional course is designed to introduce essential skills and principles necessary for professional excellence in the healthcare setting. The curriculum integrates theoretical knowledge with practical applications to prepare students for effective communication, teamwork, and ethical practice. Students will gain foundational skills to develop their professional persona and excel as allied health professionals committed to delivering high-quality patient care. Curriculum is delivered through online learning modules and interactive classroom opportunities. Arizona and Florida students participate through our virtual classroom. |
1 |
Semester 2
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Histochemical Staining This course introduces the fundamental practices of histochemical staining. It provides knowledge and skills in the staining techniques of carbohydrates and amyloid, connective tissue and muscle, nerve, microorganisms, and pigments, minerals, and cytoplasmic granules. Curriculum is delivered through online learning modules and hands-on experiential learning opportunities within the laboratory setting. |
3 |
|
Histology Clinical Rotation This course provides the opportunity to strengthen technical skills and develop entry-level competency in the areas of small biopsy grossing, embedding, frozen sectioning, and microtomy. Technical skills and troubleshooting ability are expanded upon, and emphasis is placed on quality, productivity, teamwork, and professionalism in the workplace. Curriculum is delivered through online learning modules and hands-on experiential learning opportunities within the laboratory setting. |
4 |
|
Microanatomy II This course reviews the basic function and microscopic arrangement of healthy human cells, tissues, and organs. It then expands upon this knowledge by exploring the pathology of related disease states and the impact of routine histology procedures on the microscopic quality of patient samples. Curriculum is delivered through online learning modules and interactive virtual microscope sessions. |
2 |
|
Professional Development II This interprofessional course is a continuation of Professional Development I. Students will explore a wide range of topics designed to further cultivate professionalism in the healthcare setting, enhance critical thinking, grow as a leader, and prepare them for success in their chosen allied health career. Throughout the course, students will engage in interactive activities and discussions to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios. Curriculum is delivered through online learning modules and interactive classroom sessions. Arizona and Florida students participate through our virtual classroom. |
1 |
|
Histology Enrichment This course introduces the fundamental theory and practices of special studies in histotechnology, to include immunohistochemistry, enzyme histochemistry, cytology preparation and electron microscopy. It also serves as a review course in preparation for the national ASCP board of certification exam. Curriculum is delivered through online learning modules and hands-on experiential learning opportunities within the laboratory setting. |
2 |
Grading and evaluation
Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences uses these evaluative tools: online quizzes and examinations, online self-assessment exercises, lab and clinical activities, investigative projects and assignments, competency assessment and demonstration of skills, faculty reviews and affective behavior evaluation.
Mayo's system of evaluation provides students and faculty with a comprehensive look at individual performance. This allows faculty and administrative staff to direct students who are experiencing academic difficulty to the appropriate support resources, including tutoring programs and counseling opportunities. A competency-based evaluation system is used to assess clinical performance.
Competency-based evaluation system
Program competencies
Professional knowledge (cognitive): Demonstrate an understanding of the foundational principles of histotechnology; Describe the principles of electron microscopy, enzyme histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and cytology preparation; Identify tissue structures and related pathologic diseases; Analyze tissue structures for quality based on histological technique and staining method; Demonstrate proficiency in the critical reading and assessment of literature; Discuss the need for continued professional growth and development.
Professional skills (psychomotor): Demonstrate the ability to operate the tools and instrumentation in histotechnology; Demonstrate entry-level competency in all routine histological procedures; Demonstrate efficiency and timely completion of assigned responsibilities; Practice the principles of safety as a histology technician within the laboratory setting; Perform quality control measures to improve histologic results; Troubleshoot errors in histotechnology through systematic reasoning and problem resolution; Establish effective working relationships with other health care professionals.
Professional attitudes, behaviors, and cultural competencies (affective): Practice professional and ethical conduct in the laboratory setting; Foster a culture of inclusivity, diversity, equity, and mutual respect; Apply interpersonal communication skills sufficient to meet the needs of the patients and members of the healthcare team; Engage in a service initiative to promote the civic responsibility of healthcare workers in society.
Graduation and certification
Upon completion of the Histology Technician Program, graduates receive a certificate of completion from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences and are eligible to take the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification examination to become a nationally certified histology technician or histotechnologist. Issuing of the certificate is not contingent upon passing the board of certification exam.
An option also exists in Minnesota to gain an Associate of Science Histology Technician degree through a partnership with Rochester Community and Technical College.
Criteria for program completion including probation, suspension, and dismissal and other program policies can be found in the program’s student handbook and within the Brightspace D2L learning management platform. A copy of the handbook is available upon request from the program director.