Clinical cytology in Croatia has developed in a similar way as in the other European countries: clinicians have tried to microscopically diagnose  different diseases in their patients by a simple, safe and rapid method which could have been performed in their clinical departments.

         The technical part of this diagnostical method was introduced into practice very soon by laboratory technicians who firstly assisted in collecting the material for cytological examination and  stained smears. Working with a cytologist, they also learned to microscopically differ normal from pathologically changed cells, especially in the exfoliative material. As the number of cytologic laboratories, as well as the number of cytologic analyses   was gradually rising, the need for laboratory technicians was becoming bigger as well. Their individual education in that work   was no longer possible. It became obvious they should be educated systematically in a form of school.

         The first cytotechnicians´ course was carried out in 1968/1969 in the duration of six months for laboratory technicians with high-school degree. It consisted of theoretical and practical parts with the exam at the end. Between 1968 and 1977 there were seven courses similar to this one, with the 86 trained  cytotechnicians as their result. The greatest part of the teaching comprised gynecological cytology, but pulmonological, hematological and the others, both exudative and aspiratory cytology were also included in the programme.

         In order to recognize the course as a kind of education with the appropriate qualification and to include it into the existing schooling system, in 1981 the one-year programme for the training of cytotechnicians was introduced. Between 1981 and 1992 78 cytotechnicians were educated in that way.

From the following Tables, the programme for the six-month course can be  seen, as well as the  one for one-year cytotechnicians schooling, which was legally regulated as the additional year for high-school graduates (the fifth grade). After passing the exam, cytotechnicians acquired the certificate with the degree of cytotechnician - cyto-screener.

         The examiners were distinguished cytologists, lecturers in certain teaching areas, and the applicants had to analyse smears and answer questions from all cytology branches comprised in the teaching programme. Apart from the cytological, some other courses  needed for better understanding of cytology were included in the programme (as it can be seen in the following teaching programmes). From the very beginning of systematic education for cytotechnicians, the complete issue was in charge of the Croatian Society for Clinical Cytology. Besides a regular teaching programme, the permanent education for cytotechnicians was implemented  in the form of professional meetings and lectures.

         Until 1993/94, the course for cytotechnicians was conducted at the Post-Secondary Medical School with the enclosed programme. The introduction of a 2-year programme for cytotechnicians in the same  institution is being planned. The already mentioned course was implemented on the basis of the suggested programme for the post-secondary education in the form of learning from work (40% of the programme suggested for  the regular post-secondary level teaching).

         At the end of such a course, an adequate exam was held and the certificate obtained. Cytotechnicians have an option to acquire the degree of medical cytology engineer by  passing the differential exams and writing the graduation theses when the new programme is finally implemented in the Post-Secondary Medical School (related to changes in the relevant educational system).

TEACHING PROGRAMME

In the six month course for the training of medical staff to perform cytodiagnostic tasks (cytotechnicians), for the attendents who graduated from the High-school for Medical Technicians - laboratory section.