Terry - I’m so sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing this . It is important for students to know the gravity of the profession they are pursuing. You are correct that a perfusionists job is a matter of life and death. We make decisions and take actions that can hurt or help our patients in a matter of seconds . With proper training a perfusion student will become competent and confident. But perfusionists are human and humans make mistakes, so we should also design systems and processes that will help prevent, protect and mitigate human error. Cardiac surgery is risky. Many patients are very sick and you need to be a little brave and very skilled to choose to work with those patients and try to improve their quality of life. Your message to these students is well stated. Thank you. With my condolences, Bruce

@@PerfusionEDU Thank you for your response, as I said, my family and I were obviously heartbroken for the loss, my Dad was having a pulmonary valve replacement(2nd time) and a bypass of an artery which was blocked. We understood all of those professionals operating on my Dad were trying to help him. We take comfort that my Dad died peacefully, because so many around the world die horrid deaths of pain and suffering. Your video was an excellent instruction on your profession.

sorry for your loss...but if the aorta dissected...its the fault of the surgeon not the perfusionist

@hawk2010222 Thank you for your comment, I was told that when they were bringing my Dad off of bypass, the surgeon said something to the perfusionists, apparently caused a strong force of blood causing the problem. I am not sure what goes into it or what happened, it really doesnt matter, the end result was death.

@@terrybrown2556There’s nothing a perfusionist can do to cause the aortic dissection the surgeon lied to you putting the blame on the perfusionist. CABG surgery is risky sorry for you loss

Glad it was helpful!

Glad you enjoyed it!

It's my pleasure

Thanks Jorge! Great to here from you

Juan - great to hear from you! Can't wait to work with you and your great group again! Thanks for reaching out!

Glad it was helpful!

Glad it was helpful!

I’m just replying to this because I have the same question and I want to know more about it, even though I’m still a senior in high school I would like to go into clinical perfusion in my future and I feel like it won’t be a dying career. A relative had simply just told me “heart surgery isn’t going away anytime soon, and as technology progresses I feel like the demand will just go up” but I am still thinking.

This is a question that has been asked for over 30 years. It is a reasonable question as perfusion is a highly technology driven profession and one could imagine that it could ultimately be displaced by more advanced technologies. When I was applying to perfusion school in the mid-1980s, and during the advent of interventional cardiology, I was told back then by some that "perfusion is a dying profession". That was 35 years ago and we have certainly seen technology changes that have impacted the profession ... Off-pump CABGs, drug eluting stents, TAVRs ... at the same time the need for perfusionists has grown as the population ages and even now we are in a bit of a perfusionist shortage as the profession matures and people within the profession are retiring at greater rates. In summary, I think there is plenty of legs left in the profession. i would not hesitate to apply if I were in your position.

I’ve talked to several perfusionists and they all believe the opposite. They told me that it’s an expanding career and that the job market currently is very under saturated.

@@botanicalitus4194 so which mean : the job won’t die? Thanks

Good luck!!

www.upstate.edu/chp/programs/cp/cp_reqs.php

Jeremy - Thanks for reaching out. A GPA of 3.4 will be competitive. Right in the middle of the pack. Personally, I'd see more value in gaining knowledge of the career. Get to know the perfusionists at your hospital and learn everything you can and let that knowledge and your passion come through in the interview. Best of Luck!

Our program and others do accept international students. Here is a link to the list of prerequisites that you would need prior to application: www.upstate.edu/chp/programs/cp/pre_reqs.php

Yes, you can apply to an American or Canadian educational program in perfusion and if you are admitted and graduate then you would be eligible to take the ABCP Exam and you would have the credentials to work in the USA (though you may still have VISA issues to work out with your future employer)

@@PerfusionEDU thank u sir

Sonas where are u do bachelor's degree.

Iam also bsc perfusion technology 2nd year

Medical school, then Medical College, then after 6 years, specialization in this kind of things.

In the USA the educational path to become a clinical perfusionist is generally 2 years of school after your BS degree. Here is a link to our educational program. www.upstate.edu/chp/programs/cp/index.php

@@PerfusionEDU Thanks for clarification

This profession is good for anyone who loves the work and can perform well in this stressful environment. The ratio of males to females in this profession is only slightly skewed to males. there are plenty of female CCP that would be happy to talk to you about their experience - if you like.

Unfortunately most Perfusionists that train outside of the USA and Canada do not qualify for the ABCP examination which is the requirement for employment in the USA

That is interesting. Where did you train? In the USA all accredited programs are required to provide a clinical experience. If you have had the academic training but lack the clinical training, I think you wold be a competitive candidate to an accredited program in Clinical Perfusion.

Yes. All accredited programs in the USA include clinical experience within the curriculum. You will get your first clinical experience during your training.

Perfusion is generally a graduate level curriculum; either a MS degree or a PBC (Post Baccalaureate Certificate). There are very few BS programs left in the USA

www.upstate.edu/chp/programs/cp/cp_reqs.php

In the USA about 1/2 of the accredited educational programs end in a Masters Degree.These programs prepare the entry level clinician with graduate level education. There are also a few programs. for working perfusionists that would like to continue their education and get a MS degree after they have completed a BS in perfusion.

@@PerfusionEDU I appreciate it , well I am from Pakistan and here there is no proper education system for Perfusionist. Well applied for MS course in physiology for higher studies but they refuse to admit my admission and mark me as I am ineligible for any of these subjects.

@@Smashingpumpkin22 That is exciting. It is a great career - but its not for everyone. She should try to observe a perfusionist at work. Most schools USA have an expectation that the applicants have observed prior to admission. Good Luck to your daughter! I hope to see her in the applicant pool in 4 years. :-)

You can come to india. Here you can do masters in perfusion and phd also. Many university's are there for u . I am also doing this .

@@anisacp2094 India aa jaao idar aap masters kr skte ho... Pr pta nhi India mein education visa milta hai paksitan national ko ki nhi...

Grosso.

@@belle3055 grosso? Não, doido,20 anos na CEC,creio quê posso dar uma opinião, vc permite? Ou 20 anos é pouca experiência?

you can find my email address on the faculty page of our department web site: www.upstate.edu/chp/programs/cp/index.php