Histology Specialist II

Histology Specialist II - $10k Sign-On Bonus

Join Our Team!

• Full-time | M-F | 11:00 AM - 7:30 PM

Why Join Us?

• Rare opportunity to be part of a highly specialized histology team at Mass General.

• Learn new and exciting techniques.

• Serve the patients in your community.

Job Overview

• Reports to: Laboratory Supervisor

• Role: Perform routine lab functions to produce histologic preparations for examination.

Key Responsibilities

• Tissue Processing: Fix, dehydrate, clear, and impregnate tissues with paraffin wax.

• Specimen Embedding: Ensure proper orientation and produce 4-micron sections.

• Slide Preparation: Float sections, collect on glass slides, dry, and stain with routine and special stains.

• Quality Control: Examine slides with a microscope, ensure blocks and slides are correct, assemble and distribute slides.

• Technique Modification: Adapt techniques and apparatus to meet quality standards.

• Rapid Frozen Section Diagnosis: Prepare specimens using liquid nitrogen and a cryostat microtome, and stain frozen sections.

• Solution Preparation: Share responsibility for preparing solutions and reagents.

• Record Keeping: Maintain accurate records of blocks and slides, and use LIS system for daily operations.

• Off-Hours Coverage: Responsible for pager coverage on a rotating basis.

Skills and Abilities

• Correctly and accurately embed a wide variety of tissues.

• Follow national cutting standards: 50 blocks per hour embedding, 30 slides per hour cutting.

• Perform high-quality manual H&E stains and certain special stains.

• Follow established technical, safety, and clerical procedures.

• Possess manual dexterity and motor coordination.

• Attentive to detail and precise in performing technical tasks.

• Fundamental knowledge of histo-technique and laboratory instrumentation.

• Prepare percent, molar, and normal solutions and stains.

Qualifications

• Education:

• Minimum of a high school degree or graduate of an NCCALS-approved school of Histotechnology.

• Experience:

• 5 years of clinical experience, OR

• 4-5 years of histology experience in a research setting, OR

• Histology Specialist A.

• Certifications:

• HT, HTL (ASCP) certified or eligible.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Technical Proficiency:

• Embed a wide variety of tissues accurately.

• Meet cutting standards: 50 blocks per hour embedding and 30 slides per hour cutting.

• Cut artifact-free four micrometer sections.

• Staining Techniques:

• Perform high-quality manual H&E stains.

• Execute special stains like AFB, Alcian blue, Brown-Hopps, Congo red, Elastic, Iron, LHE, Mucicarmine, PAS, GMS, Thiazine, and Trichrome.

• Procedural Compliance:

• Follow established technical, safety, and clerical procedures.

• Possess manual dexterity and motor coordination.

• Attention to Detail:

• Perform tasks with precision.

• Have knowledge of basic histo-techniques including fixation, decalcification, processing, embedding, microtomy, routine and special stains, and frozen sections.

• Laboratory Instrumentation:

• Understand instruments like pH meters, balances, hydrometers, microtomes, cryostats, coverslippers, and tissue processors.

• Solution Preparation:

• Prepare percent, molar, and normal solutions and stains.