Perfusionist

Duties and Responsibilities: Clinical perfusionists operate circulation equipment during medical situations when it is necessary to temporarily and artificially replace the patient’s circulatory or respiratory functions. This occurs during heart surgery and similar operations. Perfusionists also control the temperature of patients during surgery. Their duties include:

·        Operations heart-lung machines

·        Administrating some types of anesthesia

·        Administrating some types of medication

Salary: $50,000

Educational Requirements: A high school diploma with a strong background in biology and chemistry is required to be accepted in perfusionist training programs. Administration preference is given to students with college science work or experience in respiratory therapy and medical terminology.

Perfusionist training programs are given at academic health centers and medical schools and universities. They emphasize hands-on, practical training. Course length varies, but for school to be recognized by the American Academy of cardiac perfusionists, the curriculum must include the supervised performance of 150 producers to include 20 pediatric and infant cases.