| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Allied Health |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Consultant Pathologist |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 1 to 5 years in a histopathology lab |
Histopathology Technician job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Histopathology Technician
Department: Allied Health
Reports to: Consultant Pathologist
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Histopathology Technician processes tissue specimens into slides the pathologist reads. They receive and accession specimens, process and embed tissue, cut sections on the microtome, stain slides, and keep specimen traceability. The role reports to the Consultant Pathologist or histopathology lab in-charge. A good histopathology technician produces thin, well stained, artefact free sections with zero specimen mix ups, keeps turnaround on track, and maintains the strict labelling and records that a diagnosis depends on.
Key responsibilities
- Receive, accession and label tissue specimens with strict patient identification.
- Grossing support and cassette labelling as directed by the pathologist.
- Process tissue through the automated processor and embed it in paraffin blocks.
- Cut thin sections on the microtome and mount them on labelled slides.
- Stain slides with routine and special stains to the standard protocol.
- Perform frozen sections during surgery when the pathologist requests them.
- Maintain traceability of every specimen, block and slide through the workflow.
- Archive blocks and slides and retrieve them for review or audit.
- Maintain the processor, microtome and stainer and record quality checks.
- Follow lab safety for formalin, xylene and other reagents.
Requirements
- DMLT or BSc in Medical Laboratory Technology
- Histopathology training under a pathologist
- Knowledge of lab safety and reagents
- 1 to 5 years in a histopathology lab
KRAs and KPIs for a Histopathology Technician
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Section quality | Well stained artefact free sections on at least 97 percent of slides each month |
| Specimen safety | Zero specimen or block mix-ups in the year through strict traceability |
| Turnaround | Routine histopathology slides ready within the agreed turnaround time |
| Frozen sections | Frozen sections delivered within the target minutes during surgery |
| Archiving | Blocks and slides archived and retrievable with no missing case |
| Equipment quality | Processor and stainer quality checks passing on every scheduled run |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Microtome, Tissue processor, Automated stainer, Embedding station, Microscope.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Histopathology Technician, Histopathology Lab In-Charge, Cytotechnologist
Interview questions for a Histopathology Technician
- How do you make sure a specimen is never mixed up from receipt to slide?
- What causes thick or torn sections on the microtome and how do you fix them?
- How do you carry out a frozen section quickly during surgery?
- Which special stain would you use for a particular tissue and why?
- What safety steps do you follow when working with formalin and xylene?
- Tell me about a quality problem in staining you diagnosed and corrected.
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What does a histopathology technician do?
A histopathology technician processes tissue specimens into slides the pathologist reads. They accession specimens, process and embed tissue, cut thin sections on the microtome, stain slides, and perform frozen sections during surgery. They keep strict traceability and labelling so every specimen is safe, since a patient's diagnosis depends on their work.
What is the difference between a histopathology technician and a lab technician?
A histopathology technician specialises in preparing tissue slides through processing, microtomy and staining. A general lab technician runs a wider range of tests across pathology such as blood, biochemistry and microbiology. Histopathology is a focused, skilled area that needs precise microtomy and staining as well as strict specimen traceability.
What qualifications do you need to be a histopathology technician?
Most histopathology technicians hold a DMLT or a BSc in medical laboratory technology and train in a histopathology lab under a pathologist. Employers look for skill in tissue processing, microtomy and staining, the discipline to keep specimens perfectly traceable, and careful handling of reagents such as formalin and xylene.