Pap is short for Papanicolaou. Each smear contains about 250,000 cells. Careful screening requires at least 5 minutes per slide so only 350 smears weekly or 12,000 yearly can be screened by each technologist.
Difficult smears take longer.
This is a skilled procedure. Training takes 1-2 years after a baccalaureate degree. Pap smears have contributed greatly to the prevention of invasive cancers. However, patients forget to get an annual check or refuse follow-up diagnostic tests, most often. Physicians may not do a pelvic examination or fail to follow-up abnormalities.