Selection of material for training cytotechnologists.

Out of 450 specially selected cases (gynecological and non-gynecological material) presented to 30 students during their educational program lasting 12 months, 20 cases caused the most problems. These 20 cases, in effect "selected by the students", were again presented as "unknowns" at the end of the course. The mean percentage of error improved from 64 per cent to 26 per cent. Furthermore, we gave the ten gynecological "unknowns" to ten cytotechnologists with at least five years' experience and their diagnoses were compared with those of the students at the end of the course. The majority of the diagnoses were similar with the exception of two cases: in one case the experienced cytotechnologists overlooked the scarce adenocarcinoma cells more often. In the other case follicular cervicitis was correctly diagnosed by the trained cytotechnologists but frequently misinterpreted by the students.