As a Histopathology Apprentice in the Air Force you will be responsible for processing and preparing tissue specimens for laboratory diagnosis. You will be directly responsible for using a microscope and Lab equipment to examine tissue for certain reactions.
To qualify the specialty of Histopathy as merely being a lab rat would be a simplification. The specialist who works in the Histopathology field deals with a wide variety of chemicals, tissues, and specimen samples to help the doctors and pathologists in finding out necessary medical information.
If you have ever wanted to work in forensics, or to learn and examine different human tissues for analysis, this might be the job for you. Working closely with a pathologist doing post mortem exams and autopsies may not be your cup of tea, but if this is something that you would enjoy then this is a field wide open for advancement.
After boot camp and initial Air Force Training, you will attend a specialized advanced training school to prepare you for this interesting and challenging field of work. You will learn examination and specimen collection techniques, as well as a variety of automated and manual procedures for
diagnosing and examining specimens. The Histopathology apprentice is responsible for preparing all specimens for analysis, and for working to document different tests and procedures. You will keep records for all cytological, surgical, and autopsy procedures, and be responsible for cataloging these tests for future reference.
You will work and be trained on a variety of different lab equipment and procedures. After you are done with your career in the Air Force, there are a wide variety of jobs in the Civilian sector that you will be qualified to perform, jobs in a hospital, morgue, or funeral parlor, as well as different jobs in various medical testing facilities will be open to you. After you are trained and have spent time as a Histopathology Apprentice, you can achieve different professional credentials and licenses.
After graduation from your advanced training school, and after you have worked and gained the work experience necessary, you can take an examination for the national registry and become a Histopathology Technician, registered and licensed through the American Clinical Pathology Society.
If you decide to pursue your career in this area further, you can continue through school and eventually perhaps become a full fledged pathologist. People with Histopathologic training are in demand both inside the military, and in the civilian world, and can be put to work assisting in autopsies and post mortem exams.
