Perfusionist

Perfusionist

Duties and Responsibilities:

        Clinical perfusionist operate circulation equipment during any medical situation when it is needed to temporarily and artificially replace a patients circulatory of respiratory functions. It occurs mostly during hear surgery and other similar operations. They also control the temperature of a patient during surgery. Their duties include:

·       Operating heart-lung machines

·       Administrating a type of anesthesia

·       Administrating some type of medication

Average Salary: $50,000

Educational Requirements:

                 High school diploma with a strong background in biology and chemistry is required to be accepted into a training program for a perfusionist. Admissions preference is given to students with college science work or for those with experience in respiratory therapy and medical terminology. Perfusionist training programs are given at academic health centers, medical schools, and universities. They emphasize on hands-on training. The course length varies, but for the school to be recognized by the American Academy of Cardiac Perfusionist, the curriculum must include  a witnessed performance of 150 procedures to include 20 pediatric and infant cases.

Reflection: No I wouldn’t want to become this because it seems rather difficult and something that is also not in my interest.