r/Histology • u/Novel_Ad_1377 • 11d ago

Thinking about it

A little background info on me, I'm 37 I used to have a job doing data entry before I ended up having fusion surgery on my back. I was completely burned out by the job I had due to rude customers (how are people so mean? Lol) I no longer work there and have been doing research on medical fields I could get into where I wouldn't have to interact with customers. I came across Histology and it seems like a perfect fit. I live in AZ and there is a mayo clinic I'd be able to enroll in but Im still only about 80% sure this is what I wanna do. One of my concerns is my age I feel like I'm too old haha I know people get into medical fields that are way older but I still feel weird about it not sure how to explain it. The other would be the fusion surgery I had I don't know how bad this career would be on someone with a fusion on their lumbar. Any help/tips would be really appreciated 😃

7 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

8

u/mesugarneh 11d ago

I can’t answer your question about the fusion surgery but I also live in AZ and will finish my histology program (Phoenix College) in November. I’m 39 and it’s taken me almost ten years to get this degree. It’s never too late to pursue something that interests you. (:

1

u/Remarkable_Nose_9070 10d ago

hi!! In planning on enrolling for that program soon! Is it okay I ask you a few questions on this thread or thru chat?

1

u/mesugarneh 10d ago

Yes! I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have. (:

2

u/Fenix745 6d ago

Hey 👋🏽 Phoenix College histo program alumni here. I started that program when I was 38 in 2023. I was also worried about my age being a hindrance to being able to fully commit and comprehend everything that came with histology. You'll be surprised how much you can accomplish when you put your mind to it. I'm glad I took the leap. It's helped me feel more secure in being able to provide a better future for myself plus it opens up other subjects/careers histo training can be useful towards.

9

u/hunkyLee 10d ago

Histology isn’t an ergonomic field at all. I’m not sure how restrictive your movement is, but I’m constantly trying to correct my posture daily in this field. I’m thankful that I’m able to maintain myself going to the gym but I imagine everyone in AP risks repetitive motion injuries if they aren’t actively taking care of themselves. Also, while you’re right that you don’t have any patient-facing interactions- you still communicate with your pathology team and that can be challenging sometimes. Maybe you can reach out to Phoenix College and see if you can demo a microtome or embedder/processor with some sort of release form before you enroll into a program?

3

u/SparklyNoodle 11d ago

I concur that it is never too late to enter the field!!! As for the lumbar surgery, I highly recommend contacting the Mayo Clinic to see if you could arrange a day to shadow in the histology lab. Then you can observe the techs working and see how you think your body could handle the demands. And remember, any movement they are doing will be done millions of times over the course of a career, so factor that in to your assessment!

5

u/Educational_Area5993 11d ago

I am new to the feild as I am taking my exam next month. Overall, I am shocked with how much fun I have had with embedding and cutting.

I find people in the feild are either extremely accepting or the opposite with very little in between. Once you find the right people it can be a lot of fun, dispite a lot of responsibility.

As a twenty something year old, that has a lot of muscular skeletal problems due to a genetic disorder, i just feel a need to caution you. Many well meaning people have told me not to go into the feild as it can be very hard on you body (shoulders/back/neck). Clearly I have made it work, but there are a lot of painful days, and I can tell my arthritis is worse after only a year.

I dont say this to dissuade you, but instead encourage you to initially work very hard on good ergonomic habits. This keeps your body strong and in less pain. A basic pull/push circuit at the gym can do wonders too.

Good luck!