The Histotechnician (HT) plays a critical role in preparing body tissues for microscopic examination by the pathologist.  They are involved with the detection and diagnosis of cancer and other pathological conditions, as well as following the treatment and progress of disease. Histotechs must work quickly with precision and accuracy since the patient may be in surgery, awaiting the pathologist’s report to determine if their biopsy is cancerous or not.

Histotechnicians use specialized and sophisticated equipment to freeze and slice tissues, fix to slides for staining, and deliver to the pathologist who will form a diagnosis that will determine the extent of infiltration of the disease and suggest treatment.
 
The continued growth of the laboratory science profession is producing an increased demand for educated and motivated laboratory professionals.  Today, there are more jobs for histotechnicians than educated people to fill those jobs. The future long-term employment looks bright. The need is great throughout the country.  Harcum HT graduates qualify to take the Board of Certification exam sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP).
  
HT Online
The Histotechnician Program offers an online curriculum to suit the needs of the working student, students who have obligations that prevent them from participating in a traditional classroom schedule, and students at a distance from the college. All of the required HT specific courses in the program are available online, as well as a majority of the required general education courses. The Histotechnician program includes a 3-6 hour/week practicum lab each fall and spring semester where students experience “hands-on” learning of specialized procedures under the supervision of a certified histologist. The practicum labs are offered Monday-Friday from 8am-4pm. Students work with the Histotechnician Program Clinical Coordinator to determine a schedule. Harcum courses required in the HT curriculum, that are not currently offered online include:

BIO  103 Anatomy and Physiology 1
BIO  104 Anatomy and Physiology 2
BIO  205  Microbiology
CHE 111 General Chemistry 1
      
These courses can be taken at any accredited college/university convenient to the student and transferred into the Histotechnician Program, provided a minimum grade of “C” is earned. A maximum of 30 credits can be transferred to Harcum from another accredited College or University.

Application Requirements

• Completed Harcum College Application
• Official high school transcript
• Letter of Recommendation
• Official college transcript(s), if applicable
• Completion of high school Biology (with lab), Chemistry, Algebra I, and Algebra II with a grade of C or higher
• Personal essay
• All accepted students must provide proof of specific medical and legal clearances (or of application in progress). Process for submission of these documents will be mailed to students with their admissions packet. All forms are managed electronically via Certified Background (see tuition page for additional fees).
• Competency in the spoken English language. TOEFL scores are required for students for whom English is a second language
• August 1 is the deadline for submitting all application requirements
  

Essential Functions

Essential Functions represent the essential non-academic requirements of the program that students must master to participate successfully in the program and become employable. The following is a list of the technical abilities and skills applicants for admission into Histotechnician courses must possess:

• Manual Dexterity: ability to use hand(s) or prosthetic devices with coordination
• Fine Motor: ability to manipulate small objects with fingertip or adaptive devices
• Vision: ability to distinguish red, yellow, and blue colors; distinguish clear from cloudy and distinguish objects through a microscope
• Hearing: ability to adapt with assistive devices (i.e., phone receivers, hearing aid, etc.)
• Speech: ability to effectively communicate verbally in English
• Writing: ability to communicate effectively in the written form in English
• Reading : ability to read, understand, and follow directions printed in English