Cytotechnologists in Germany

Abstract

Around 1965 the annual screening program for cervical cytology was established. Very soon qualified technicians had to be trained. A proposed advanced training program for medical technicians was not successful. Between 1967 and 1975 eight schools for cytotechnologists were founded, first on a 1-year training program, but soon it was extended to a 2-year training course. Besides histology and pathology, the training now included all aspects of clinical and diagnostic cytology, genetics, hematology, bacteriology, cytochemistry, and so on. However, there are no federal regulations in Germany to train cytotechnologists. State regulations only exist in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, and Lower Saxony. Cytotechnologists of the five new eastern states are medical technicians who were trained for cytology in service after a previous 3-year training period as medical technicians. After passing an examination, they are qualified medical technicians in cytology.