Cytogenetic Technologist

Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC is hiring a full-time Cytogenetic Technologist or Specialty Cytogenetic Technologist to support the UPMC Cytogenetic Laboratory (UCL)! This role will follow a daylight schedule (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Tuesday through Saturday, with rotating weekend and holiday responsibilities.


The UCL is a state-of-the-art facility where you will have the opportunity to make an impact on life-changing medicine. Using both traditional cytogenetic techniques as well as molecular cytogenetics by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and genome-wide array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), the UCL performs chromosome studies on a wide variety of specimens, giving our patients the best opportunity to get the answers they need.


Applicants will be placed into the appropriate job title and salary based on their individual experience and education. The Specialty Cytogenetic Tech salary starts at $31.56/hr.

• Initiate cultures using sterile techniques following procedures to ensure optimal growth of samples.
• Participate in the organization and direction of ancillary work performed by support and service personnel and volunteers.
• Monitor growth of subcultures and determine when cultures are ready for harvest.
• Follow mandatory reporting procedures for any incident or serious event that did affect or potentially could have affected the clinical care of any patient.
• Adjust harvesting procedures daily based on environmental conditions and appearance of other recent harvests.
• Choose correct culture media and places in appropriate incubator.
• Place slides on microscope and determine and record the location of appropriate cells for analysis.
• Participate in a rotating weekend and holiday standby on-call schedule and carry a pager.
• Prepare karyograms for each case on the imaging system and analyze them for the presence of chromosomal defects.
• Perform specimen harvesting, slide making, and/or banding as needed when on-call.
• Determine number of cultures to be set up based on size of sample and clinical diagnosis.
• Determine when subcultures should be performed on non-primary cultures.
• Change media in cultures according to established schedules.
• Harvest primary and subcultures when ready.
• Perform techniques necessary to acquire preliminary cytogenetic diagnosis on STAT newborns.
• Clean and maintain supplies and equipment.
• Perform subcultures when necessary and determines number of subcultures to be initiated from original cultures based on amount of cell growth present.
• Perform appropriate banding and staining procedures to ensure optimal visibility of chromosome structure.
• Count the number of chromosomes and analyze the structure of each chromosome to determine if a genetic defect is present.
• Monitor temperature and carbon dioxide levels in incubators to ensure growth of cultures.
• Prepare slides from harvested cells.
• Image capture appropriate number of cells on each case on the department's computerized imaging system.
• Retrieve and set up specimens as required.
• Maintain records of culture initiation, growth, manipulation, and harvests on all specimens.
• Retrieve samples to process for analysis.
• Assist with the teaching and training of students and various hospital professionals.
• Monitor growth of specimens and determine when primary cultures should be harvested.

• Bachelor's degree in Medical Technology, Biology or Chemistry required.
• 1 year job or college lab experience required.
• Analytical ability to perform advanced genetic tests, interpret and analyze test results noting abnormalities and discrepancies including determination of causality and troubleshoot and maintain instruments.
• Ability to prepare cultures using sterile techniques, and to prepare and analyze slides and karyotypes
  
  
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• Interpersonal ability to interact with hospital staff, students and outside laboratories.
• Interpersonal ability to appropriately answer telephone inquiries from physicians, nurses, patients and other outside laboratories concerning specimens.

• Bachelor degree in Medical Technology, Biology or Chemistry.
• Minimum of three years clinical cytogenetics lab experience to (a) acquire a professional level of knowledge in cytogenetics, (b) acquire expertise in the operation of equipment and the performance of clinical diagnostic testing procedures.
• Must be certified as a Technologist in Cytogenetics by examination through the Board of Certification of the American Society for Clinical Pathologists [CG(ASCP)] .
• Must maintain certification through continuing education credits
  
  
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• Successful demonstration of the completion of the competencies required by the department/unit.
• This individual must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care and/or interact appropriately to the ages of the patients served by his/her assigned unit as specified below.
• They must also demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs and to provide the care needs as described in the department's policy and procedures.
• The analytical ability to (a) perform advanced genetic tests, (b) interpret and analyze test results noting abnormalities and discrepancies including determination of causality and (c) troubleshoot and maintain instruments.Ability necessary to prepare cultures using sterile techniques, and to prepare and analyze slides and karyotypes.
• The interpersonal ability to interact with hospital staff, students and outside laboratories.
• Interpersonal ability to appropriately answer telephone inquiries from physicians, nurses, patients and other outside laboratories concerning specimens.

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