Cytotechnology Training in the United States: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Cytotechnology education in the United States is at a crossroads. Today's technology presents us with important and potentially profession-altering decisions. Will we continue to follow traditional models of cytology practice and educational policy, or, is it now time to reexamine our role as microscopists? We will soon have to decide whether Cytotechnologists will continue doing what they have been trained to do for over 50 years-to be cell morphologists and screeners, or whether they will evolve to become Cell Scientists, using all the diagnostic technologies available today and in the future.
To predict what cytotechnology eduation in the United States should be in the future, it's helpful to look at current models of program structure, student demographics, and practice opportunities.