About the Cytology Program

Overview

The Cleveland Clinic School of Health Professions: Cytology Program is located at Cleveland Clinic's main campus in Cleveland, Ohio. It is adjacent to public transportation to the downtown area as well as to both the east and west slides of the city. Cleveland has a rich cultural heritage and affords the interested student opportunities to visit museums and attend theater productions and concerts in area. Cleveland Clinic also hosts many medical, community and cultural events at the various Cleveland Clinic hospitals throughout the greater Cleveland area.

Cleveland Clinic is accredited by The Joint Commission and has an established reputation as a premier facility in the care of patients and the training of health professionals.

Cleveland Clinic is recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care.

From Cleveland Clinic’s earliest days, education has been an integral element of our vision, emblazoned on the walls of the original Cleveland Clinic building: “Care of the sick, investigation of their problems, and further education of those who serve.” Embodying that vision, the Education Institute has been a vital component of Cleveland Clinic since its founding in 1921. Today, our vision remains unchanged — teaching those who serve — but our scope has widened greatly to encompass the entire Cleveland Clinic community of more than 50,000 staff and employees. The Cleveland Clinic School of Health Professions: Cytology Program is welcoming students who embrace these ideals to engage in our one-year, hands-on education program.

The Education Institute oversees many of the training and education programs Cleveland Clinic offers to a global audience of healthcare professionals, including physicians, medical students, residents, fellows, health science students, allied health professionals and more. Each year, the Education Institute records more than 6 million exposures to its various programs and activities by healthcare professionals as well as consumers from around the world.

What is a Cytologist?

Cytology is an allied health laboratory specialty designed to aid in the diagnosis of cancer and its precursors using individual cell morphology.

A cytologist (CT) is a laboratory specialist who is responsible for preparing and examining human cell samples under the microscope for early signs of cancer and other diseases. The cytologist meticulously reviews and analyzes subtle cell changes, both nuclear and cytoplasmic, and compares these changes to known normal cell findings from given body sites. By adding these microscopic observations to the clinical history provided, the cytologist can judge the significance of the cell changes. Cytologists, working with cytopathologists, aid clinicians in determining a patient’s diagnosis. Many times a cytology sample may help facilitate early detection of cancer or assess the extent of spread of a known malignancy.

The cytologist must be familiar with normal anatomy and histology for all the body systems that may be the sources of cytologic material and must learn the appearance of certain disease processes that affect these body sites. The cell changes that indicate these processes must be studied and the cells recognized in a background of normal material.

Cytologists aid in the management of patients with known malignancies by assisting with fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies, minimally invasive procedures that can, in addition to initial diagnosis, help track the spread of disease. When used in conjunction with radiologic and ultrasound techniques, FNA can target small, difficult to reach areas of the body.

As healthcare professionals, cytologists are responsible for providing accurate, timely, and secure diagnoses for each patient. Through certification, and with continuing education, the competent cytologist is a well-respected and vital member of the pathology laboratory.

Many types of laboratories employ cytologists including community and military hospitals, large teaching institutions and laboratories in the private sector. Upward mobility to supervisory and administrative levels is possible with years of service and additional education or certification. Academic institutions and universities also employ cytologists with the right credentials to teach Cytology. Additional opportunities for cytologists are available in the area of molecular diagnostics, where the need for trained morphologists blends well with the skills learned in cytology.

Additional information about cytology can be found at the following sites:

• American Society of Cytopathology
• American Society for Cytology
• Considering a career in Cytology? Watch this video from the American Society for Cytology to learn more.

Program Description

The Cleveland Clinic School of Health Professions: Cytology Program is a one year post baccalaureate certificate training program consisting of didactic and practical instruction in the basics of cytologic diagnosis.  Preparation of cytologic slides and the microscopic detection and diagnosis of the cells seen are only a portion of the responsibility of the cytologists. The didactic instruction will include anatomy, histology, correlation of cellular findings to other clinical information, adjunct testing and laboratory management as they relate to cytology.  Classes will begin early in July and end the last week of June the following year.  Students must successfully complete the entire course of study in order to obtain a certificate of completion and be eligible to take the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), Board of Certification Cytology examination.

The early weeks of the course are devoted to the study of the Pap Test. This test was developed by Dr. George Papanicolaou to aid in the detection of cancer of the uterine cervix and its precursors.  During this time, students will learn the appearance of normal and abnormal cells, changes associated with inflammation and injury of tissue, and the basic cytologic criteria of malignancy.  They will gain valuable experience in the microscopic screening of cytologic preparations, a skill necessary to be successful technologists.  They will also learn the basics of slide handling and staining using both manual and automated methods. Cleveland Clinic uses state-of-the-art equipment for preparation, staining and reviewing cytologic samples.

Throughout the remainder of the program, students will study each body system; the source of cytologic material. These include, but are not limited to, the respiratory, gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems. In addition, students will learn the anatomical locations used for fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy, as well as the diagnostic criteria for each of these locations.

Aspects of laboratory operations and management are included in the curriculum to help students understand the role of the cytology department in context with other diagnostic areas of the hospital laboratory. Maintaining patient confidentiality, professionalism and teamwork are essential characteristics of cytologists.

All cytology programs are expected to “prepare competent entry-level cytologists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behaviors) learning domains” (American Society for Cytopathology, Programs Review Committee). The Cytology Program with its state of the art laboratory facilities and dedicated, experienced faculty is prepared to not only meet this goal, but to bring to the cytology community new technologists who are equipped to meet the changing nature of the cytology healthcare profession.

Accreditation

Accreditation of the School of Cytology is obtained through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 9355 113^th Street N., #7709, Seminole, FL 33775-7709 (phone 727.210.2350).

Program Goals

The primary goal of the Cytology Program is to provide the students the skills and knowledge necessary succeed as cytologists. The training is designed to provide students with entry level skills to effectively function as a cytologist in performing gynecologic, non-gynecologic and fine needle aspiration cytopathology. It is the responsibility of the faculty to assist students in the acquisition of basic screening and detection skills and to guide them through a curriculum that will give them the scientific knowledge necessary to perform with integrity and accuracy. The curriculum contains elements that address all aspects of the profession including ethics, professionalism, decision making, team work, and management in addition to the cytologic skills necessary to make accurate diagnoses from a wide variety of specimens.  To this end it is also a goal of this program to prepare students to pass the national American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification Cytology examination. 

The Cleveland Clinic School of Health Professions: Cytology Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). This accreditation assures that students will be eligible for the American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Certification exam upon successful completion of the program.

The students will also complete training and be certified to screen not only conventional pap tests but ThinPrep^TM and SurePath^TM pap tests. They will also be certified to operate the equipment supporting these two methods of slide preparation.  Experience with state-of-the-art technologies will make Cytology Program graduates marketable locally and nationally.

An additional goal of the program is to introduce students to various companion technologies, such as flow cytometry and molecular diagnostics. As morphologists, cytologists with a background in molecular diagnostics will have enhanced skills that will provide them with more opportunities within a competitive job market. 

Note: The Cytology Program has been approved by the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Health Professions Education and their Health Professions Education Council. Their mission is to ensure all Cleveland Clinic Health Professions programs educate students to excel in academic achievement and become providers of the best care to patients.

Outcomes & Measures