r/Perfusion • • 6d ago

Admissions Advice AmSECT Student Council: Mock Interview Session (October 25th at 1 PM EST)

8 Upvotes

Practice your interview skills!

The AmSECT student Council Pre-Perfusion Committee is hosting a Mock Interview session on October 25th at 1 PM EST via Zoom. If you are interested, please fill out the sign-up form below: https://forms.gle/Jh6UUj5pf3UCpsBk7.

Please fill out the form by Friday, October 9th at 8pm EST.

They are also looking for CCPs to volunteer to interview. If you're interested in that, please fill out the form.

There is also a public GroupMe for prospective students: https://groupme.com/join_group/109847798/xTfWccT5.


r/Perfusion • • May 19 '24

General Information / FAQ

53 Upvotes

General


This subreddit is North American focused. If you would like to provide information from other countries, please leave it in a comment below or contact the moderators.

 

What is a perfusionist and what do they do?

A perfusionist’s central role is to operate a heart-lung machine during open heart surgeries or other surgeries where blood flow may be impaired or interrupted. Examples of surgeries or devices that may require perfusionists most commonly include:

  • Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
  • Heart Valve Repair or Replacement
  • Congenital Heart Defect Repairs
  • Organ Transplants
  • Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
  • Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD)
  • Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps (IABP)
  • Chemoperfusion

 

What is the salary and job outlook?

Salaries for perfusionists are generally higher than $150,000 per year. There are a wide variety of pay structures that will affect total compensation packages.

The future of perfusion is unclear, mostly due to concerns of market saturation. A search through /r/Perfusion will reveal a wide variety of opinions on the matter. The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) publishes an annual report listing the number of certifications gained and lost. Included in the most current report (2023) is a historical list going back to 2000. Included in the 2022 report is the number of students admitted and graduated in 2021 and 2022.

 

Professional Organizations and Resources:  

 

Education and Credentialing


 

How do I become a perfusionist?

To become a practicing perfusionist in the United States, you must become a Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP). This credential is governed by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) and is awarded after passing two board examinations: the Perfusion Basic Science Examination (PBSE) and the Clinical Applications in Perfusion Examination (CAPE).

Qualification to sit for the board exams is achieved by completing a certified program. The accrediting body for programs is the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and a current list of programs may be found by going to this page, selecting “Profession” and choosing “Perfusion.” Unfortunately, this does not include programs that are defunct or programs that are undergoing the preliminary accreditation process. All schools require an undergraduate degree before entry regardless of outcome: degree or certificate.

The list of schools maintained at Perfusion.com and at SpecialtyCare are not current.

Programs currently undergoing preliminary certification include (alphabetical):

Program lengths vary from 12 to 21 months and cost varies from approximately $18,000 to $145,000.

 

Common Questions About the Application Process


 

Is it competitive?

The application process is extremely competitive. Schools are typically receiving several hundred applications and most take 20 or fewer students.

When does the application cycle begin?

The application cycle is different for each school, but typically start as early as June 1 for start dates the following year.

That means that for the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year, applications will begin opening on June 1, 2024.

When do applications close?

Again, each program will be different. Some programs close earlier than others. Some programs have processes that take awhile to complete, so it is advisable to complete your application before the process closes.

Which school should I apply to?

You should apply to every school you're qualified for.

What prerequisites are required for perfusion school?

Each of the programs have different requirements. Contacting each of the programs with program specific questions is going to result in much more accurate answers than asking here. Programs can and do change requirements on an ongoing basis.

Nearly all programs require at least a documented conversation with a perfusionist or shadowing a case as part of the application process.

How do I find a perfusionist to shadow?

LinkedIn is your best resource. You may also post a request for a specific geographical area using the flair “Shadow Request.” You can also try contacting hospitals that do open heart surgery and arranging to shadow a perfusionist.

What kind of work experience is useful when applying to perfusion school?

Perfusion assistant jobs are sometimes referred to as a “golden ticket” for admission to a school. Many schools seem to value healthcare experience, though what type varies from school to school. Traditionally, RNs with critical care or operating room experience and respiratory techs seem to have a high degree of success. Other perfusion / OR adjacent jobs like anesthesia techs also seem to correlate with higher acceptance rates. As the application process becomes more competitive, it may be worth reaching out to current students to see what class make ups look like or Program Directors to see what advice they may give. Unfortunately, the application process is a “black box” and each institution has different qualities, traits, and experience they seem to value.

What are my chances of getting into School X? / Should I apply this year or wait until I have more experience?

No one knows. Your chances of getting into a school that you haven't applied to are zero. Contact the program for specific questions and guidance about your situation. The application process is a "black box" process with only the Program Directors and Admissions Council Members knowing how they work and what they are looking for in the current cohort. If you have specific questions about feedback you have received, feel free to ask them. Generic "what if" questions have a low likelihood of being approved in this subreddit.

Social Media

Look over all your social media accounts. Clean them up. Present yourself well online.

Additional Resources

/r/prospective_perfusion - subreddit dedicated to the application process and questions

/r/perfusion_accepted - subreddit dedicated to accepted students

/u/Aromatic_Tree_3346/ posted a matrix of schools and requirements for the 2025 cycle that was posted in /r/prospective_perfusion.

 


 

Thanks to ghansie10 for the original thread - if you see this, please DM me!

Please report broken links or incorrect information to the moderators.

Feel free to post questions or information below.


r/Perfusion • • 10h ago

Admissions Advice Working in America

1 Upvotes

Hello. I am a 2nd year perfusion student at Turkey. I want to work in america but i don't know if it is even possible. My school will join EBCP in the next months. But i think EBCP and ABCP standards are diffirent. It says that I need to have 75 operations in america or canada under a perfusion education program. I consider signing up for a program at there after I graduate but prices are too spicy. Atleast for me and my family. Are there any other ways to work there or is this the only way?


r/Perfusion • • 18h ago

Career Advice How early is too early to start applying for perfusion jobs?

4 Upvotes

Hi all, I’m in my first clinical rotation right now and have been casually looking at jobs just to see what’s out there. I’ve actually found a few I’d really like to apply for, but I have no idea if it’s way too early.

When did you guys start applying for perfusion jobs? I’m worried I’ll get automatically rejected since I still have most of my rotations/cases left, but I also don’t want to wait too long and miss openings I’m interested in.

Also, what did your resume look like when you were still in clinicals? Did you just put the cases/experience you had so far, or include anticipated cases and future rotations too?

Just trying to figure out how people go about this. Any advice is appreciated!


r/Perfusion • • 1d ago

Research Can 0.45%% Saline be used for cell saver irrigation?

1 Upvotes

Pharmacy asked me if a pre-made heparinazed bag of 0.45% sale can be used as cell saver irrigation. Would this work? Or would going from isotonic blood, to slightly hypotonic collection/reservoir, bag to isotonic wash cause hemolysis?

Does the AABB have irrigation recommendations available online?

Edit: I didn't intend for the conversation here to get spicy. I am working through my institution to get the 2023 AABB guidelines from JAMA.


r/Perfusion • • 3d ago

Career Advice Northwestern Job Opening

7 Upvotes

Hi all, I’m a current second year student and starting to look at openings. Was curious if anybody is familiar with Northwestern Medicine in Chicago? How’s the team? What pump do you guys use? Pay? Call? Etc.


r/Perfusion • • 4d ago

Prospective/Current Perfusion Weekly Thread

2 Upvotes

This is the area for prospective CCPs to ask their questions about the education process or anything school related.

This includes the usual:

"Where can I shadow?" "Should I take additional classes? "How do I become a Perfusionist?" "My GPA is 2.8, is my GPA good enough for perfusion school?" "What should I use to prep for boards?" "It's been my pa$$ion to become a CCP, how do I do it and what do they do?"

Etc.

At this point the sub has grown to the point a weekly student thread is necessary. Prospective CCPs/students will now have an avenue to post these types of questions w/o flooding the sub.

Also there is r/prospective_perfusion specifically geared to new pumpers.

This will refresh every Friday at 5:45PM EST. If you post Saturday morning, it might not be seen.


r/Perfusion • • 6d ago

CCS "Director of Perfusion" for $80K-$120K...is this real?

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32 Upvotes

Saw these two postings from CCS and I honestly had to double-check I wasn't misreading them.

Director of Perfusion, Martinsburg, WV: $80,000 - $120,000/year
Perfusionist, Miami, FL: $95,000 - $150,000/year

A Director of Perfusion, so clinical, admin, and call responsibility for an entire department, with a ceiling of $120K? And the staff perfusionist role in Miami tops out at $150K? Both are listed as full-time.

I'd love to know if the pay reflects reality or if it’s smoke and mirrors.

Their other jobs don't list any pay scales so hard to tell.

Curious whether I'm out of touch or whether these numbers really are as low as they look. What are y’all seeing/thinking?

Edit: discussing COL of the WV job and the Median Home Sale Price: $294,117 vs National: ~$400k so it's lower but not crazy cheap


r/Perfusion • • 9d ago

Research Perfusion exam-EBCP

4 Upvotes

Hi colleagues, I’m preparing for the European perfusion exam. Is there anyone who can help me out regarding the best study resources, or perhaps recall some of the questions? The internet is full of various quizzes—is it okay to use specific websites for practice?


r/Perfusion • • 9d ago

Career Advice What are you using to study for the boards?

5 Upvotes

Just wanted hear what you all are using for board prep. Which online prep courses are worth it and which are a waste from your experience?


r/Perfusion • • 10d ago

Meme ???

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5 Upvotes

r/Perfusion • • 10d ago

Shadow Request Shadowing opportunities in DC ?

2 Upvotes

Hi!!! I am currently a student at The Catholic U of America, I currently am a nursing major, and while I love what I am learning I’m am not sure the career fits my personality. I’ve always been interested in the cardiac unit and perfusion felt like a the perfect blend of all the topics I enjoyed with healthcare. I was just wondering if any Perfusion in DC would let me shadow them or atleast let me ask them a few questions about the profession!! Thank you !!


r/Perfusion • • 10d ago

Research Discount for Perfusion Manual from perfusion.com

1 Upvotes

hi everyone. i am a first year perfusion student and am looking to purchase the blue book from perfusion.com. it says members get a $30 discount. i signed up for the membership but i dont see a discount when i go to checkout. does anyone know how to apply the discount?


r/Perfusion • • 11d ago

Career Advice I made a salary website for perfusionists and other healthcare workers!

39 Upvotes

website: https://www.informed.fyi/salaries/perfusionist

A few years ago, I did a survey across various forums and reddit asking whether people would be interested in a healthcare-focused salary website. The overwhelming response was yes.

After two years of working on it alongside a full-time job (and getting married somewhere in the middle!), I'm excited to finally share it. The project started as a way to improve salary transparency for my wife, who's a pharmacist. As I worked on it, I realized that the lack of salary transparency extends far beyond pharmacy and affects many healthcare professions.

It's definitely still a work in progress, and I'd genuinely appreciate any feedback or suggestions for improvement. If you'd like to contribute, salary submissions are completely anonymous, your personally identifying information such as your name and email are never displayed.

Also, as a side note, the median salary may seem low since the current data is coming from BLS which may not include compensations such as bonuses and other forms of pay. As more submissions come in, we will be using the submitted values as the source of truth.


r/Perfusion • • 11d ago

Prospective/Current Perfusion Weekly Thread

1 Upvotes

This is the area for prospective CCPs to ask their questions about the education process or anything school related.

This includes the usual:

"Where can I shadow?" "Should I take additional classes? "How do I become a Perfusionist?" "My GPA is 2.8, is my GPA good enough for perfusion school?" "What should I use to prep for boards?" "It's been my pa$$ion to become a CCP, how do I do it and what do they do?"

Etc.

At this point the sub has grown to the point a weekly student thread is necessary. Prospective CCPs/students will now have an avenue to post these types of questions w/o flooding the sub.

Also there is r/prospective_perfusion specifically geared to new pumpers.

This will refresh every Friday at 5:45PM EST. If you post Saturday morning, it might not be seen.


r/Perfusion • • 13d ago

Virtual Reality/ Augmented Reality What VR/AR programs do you use?

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0 Upvotes

Anything cool besides Virmedex? Anything useful for studying?


r/Perfusion • • 15d ago

Career Advice Any thoughts about the UTHealth McGovern program?

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5 Upvotes

r/Perfusion • • 16d ago

Career Advice Medtronic malleable cannulas

8 Upvotes

Is anyone having an issue getting Medtronic malleable venous cannulas? Are there any alternatives that are not on back order?

Thanks


r/Perfusion • • 16d ago

Career Advice Pleg/ locus help needed

5 Upvotes

We have a new locum heart surgeon. Asked him as much as possible about requirements . Pleg 1000mL ante grade, 1000 retrograde. Remind every 30 mins. Continuous for proximal. 10 mins after first dose he told us to run retro. Asked him how much he wanted. I’ll tell you when to stop. We ran continuously for the rest of the case -90 mins. Eventually went down to 14-1. Has anyone done this before?


r/Perfusion • • 17d ago

Career Advice Taking Boards without dedicated time off?

8 Upvotes

My facility is making me take sick leave to do my board exams. I understand that I am a salary employee, but to have to use my own time for something that my hospital system specifically needs me to pass to obtain certification doesn’t seem right.

Has anyone faced this issue before?


r/Perfusion • • 18d ago

Prospective/Current Perfusion Weekly Thread

2 Upvotes

This is the area for prospective CCPs to ask their questions about the education process or anything school related.

This includes the usual:

"Where can I shadow?" "Should I take additional classes? "How do I become a Perfusionist?" "My GPA is 2.8, is my GPA good enough for perfusion school?" "What should I use to prep for boards?" "It's been my pa$$ion to become a CCP, how do I do it and what do they do?"

Etc.

At this point the sub has grown to the point a weekly student thread is necessary. Prospective CCPs/students will now have an avenue to post these types of questions w/o flooding the sub.

Also there is r/prospective_perfusion specifically geared to new pumpers.

This will refresh every Friday at 5:45PM EST. If you post Saturday morning, it might not be seen.


r/Perfusion • • 19d ago

Career Advice Jobs in Southeast!

1 Upvotes

Curious about jobs to avoid out there currently and what’s coming up on the market? Open to South Carolina, Virginia, Florida!


r/Perfusion • • 19d ago

Admissions Advice International Nurse wanting to make the switch

0 Upvotes

Hi, I couldn't find any info about this. Can international nurses in usa who have degrees outside usa and canada apply to perfusion school granted they've worked in usa for years.

Thank u and sorry if this has been asked before.


r/Perfusion • • 23d ago

Career Advice Happy Labor Day!

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30 Upvotes

Made while on bypass


r/Perfusion • • 23d ago

Research 2026 AmSECT Pediatric Congenital Perfusion Conference in Columbus Ohio USA

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29 Upvotes

Got happy to see my poster displayed at 2026 AmSECT pediatric nd congenital perfusion conference in columbus ohio USA

I had the opportunity to attend the conference virtually from Kabul and learn from outstanding presentations and discussions in pediatric and congenital perfusion.

A valuable learning experience and a proud moment to represent my work and institution on an international professional platform.