Q: What's a typical workday like for you?

A: A typical workday for me consists of the following: working under the direction of a pathologist, examining pap smears and other body fluids under a microscope for cellular abnormalities; assisting radiologists in the collection of fine-needle aspiration biopsies; following scientific laboratory standards and practices while maintaining absolute integrity in the performance and reporting of results; collecting, analyzing and maintaining records and statistics required by the medical center; and conducting quality control on selected high-risk patients.

Q: How does your role fit into the bigger healthcare picture?

A: I make daily decisions and take responsibility for correct analysis of microscopic cellular changes that directly affect the patients' course of treatment. Early detection of cervical cancer and other diseases may save a patient's life.

Q: Who do you interact with during the course of the day?

A: I interact with doctors, radiologists, nurses, laboratory staff, pathologists and patients.

Q: Why did you become a cytotechnologist?

A: I had a strong interest in healthcare laboratory sciences and cancer. Looking through a microscope at cellular specimens fascinated me. I like working independently with little supervision and I enjoy working meticulously with fine details. Analyzing patient history, current data and a microscopic cellular sample to construct a preliminary diagnosis was appealing to me. I wanted to be in a hospital setting. It's usually is a 9-to-5 job, Monday through Friday.

Q: What do you like about your work?

A: I find the work very interesting and challenging. It is a highly technical field that requires responsible decision making and efficient problem solving. The field is continually evolving.