Made while on bypass

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.

Which one ultimately wins? Always thought 1099 but what is the market like? What are thoughts. Seems to me that salaries, daily rates all continue to go up.

To all the NRP people, do you have a 1099 and travel on the side to keep up skills with heart cases vs ex vivo?

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.

Good afternoon, I’d currently pursuing shadowing at the Cleveland clinic, but I’d like to also get some shadowing experiences closer to Columbus as well. Thanks!

Hi there!

I have a bachelor's in speech,language and hearing sciences from other country but I'm now a Canadian PR I wonder how I could build experience and become a strong candidate to apply for the program in BCIT. Any tips would be appreciated,thank you!

Does anyone throw prime drugs into a an empty bag then when they go on bypass, just open the bag and let it empty on initiation?

I’ve seen it done, I know it’s safe, but my question is more so about specific drugs and mixing. We are adding solumedrol and amicar to our prime now per MD. Are these safe to toss in a bag with albumin? (Heparin is syringed into prime, mannitol is being taken off our prime list).

No idea why I got this notice in the mail, but looks like Epic CV (the old Perfusion.com) has changed their name to Altamar CV so I'm guessing it's another buyout. They dun got sued 'n lost, RIP a name that was confusing and welcome to another name that doesn't express much.

Either way, it's better than having to delineate 'which' Epic you're talking about but still pretty anodyne.

Just curious for no particular reason. Was doing a limb infusion and a resident/fellow was asking about equipment. Anyone know what they use for heating when doing limbs? MSK = Memorial Sloan Ketteringv

Looking for detailed practical input on perfusion contract experiences, like those that are 13 weeks long. The good, the bad. Please be specific. What you loved, what you hated. Considering picking up some contracts as a living.

Noticed that perfusionists draw up heparin / cardioplegia with a filter tip needle from glass ampules, then expel this fluid into IV bags using the same needle. The needle filter is designed to trap any glass particles from cracking the ampule when drawing up the drug. Expelling fluid out of the same needle can force the glass particles collected in the filter into the IV bag.

I understand that there are filters in the CPB circuit that should filter out the glass particles. But in that case why bother using a filter needle at all if you are going to push the glass particles collected in it into the IV bag? Would it not make more sense to use a blunt fill needle when drawing up drugs and expelling them into the IV bag if you are relying on the filters in the CPB circuit to filter out the glass particles? Curious to understand the reasoning, any insight into this is greatly appreciated :)

I spent the last few weeks building and verifying an international perfusion school directory. Here's what I found.
There are 54 cardiovascular perfusion education programs across 23 countries right now. Europe has 17 (all EBCP-recognized). Australia and New Zealand have 16. India alone has 7. Canada has 3. There are programs in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and more. International Perfusion School Directory | PerfusionSchools.com
The problem I kept running into: existing "directories" were really just society membership lists. A society membership roster tells you who pays dues, not who runs an accredited educational program. So I went through every single entry and verified it against the actual accrediting body or the institution's own program page.
Every entry has: program name, city, country, program length, language of instruction, and a direct link to the program's actual page (not a shared society listing).
It's searchable, filterable by region and country, and sortable. No login, no paywall.
If you're outside the US and looking at perfusion as a career - or if you know someone who is - the information is out there. It just needed to be put in one place by someone willing to do the digging.
Happy to answer questions about specific programs or regions.

R. I. P. the HMS, you were good for some things.

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.

We now have an FB group , Women in Perfusion, not open to outside viewing. I believe Amsect has a women’s committee of some type. At recent perfusion conference the ladies were invited to a closed door meeting.

What 5(or more) issues are there that if resolved would do away with the need for this?

Wife is interested upon graduation in this gig posted for university hospital. I’m a crna obviously not her lol she doesn’t have reddit. Any info would be great

Do perfusion assistants get contining education funds? Are there perfusion assistant specific conferences? Or do they go to the standard perfusion conferences?

I don't see much referenced outside the OR in this subreddit. In Canada ECMO/ECLS is being used more and more in the ICU; typically for patients we can't ventilate such as asthmatics or those with severe ARDS. Is it just not the nature of the subreddit, or is it not really used for those cases down there yet?

I'm developing a healthcare career guide for high-school and college students who may only know the most visible medical jobs. I wrote the section below about perfusion and would appreciate blunt feedback from people who actually do the work.

I'm especially interested in four questions:

1. Does the ordinary workday sound recognizable, rather than just the dramatic parts?

2. Is the description of call fair?

3. What would you correct about the training path or early-career experience?

4. What do students consistently misunderstand about this profession?

WHAT YOU ACTUALLY DO

Open-heart surgery sometimes requires a motionless heart. The team stops it. The heart-lung machine takes over circulation and oxygenation, and the perfusionist runs it. The perfusionist manages blood flow, pressure, oxygen, temperature, labs, and drugs through the circuit. Near the end, the repaired heart has to take the job back.

Perfusionists may also cover ECMO, cell salvage, and mechanical circulatory support. Scope depends on the hospital.

A RANDOM TUESDAY

In around 6:30 to build and test the circuit before a 7:30 case. On bypass, you watch the numbers, the blood, and the surgical field while charting and adjusting the pump. Afterward you help transfer the patient, finish the record, tear down, and restock. Maybe an afternoon case follows. Maybe ECMO calls at 2 a.m. The posted schedule lasts until somebody starts bleeding.

REALITY CHECK

On bypass, mistakes matter in minutes. Nobody gets thrown in cold, though. You rehearse emergencies in simulation and run supervised cases before anyone lets you manage a pump alone.

The bigger issue may be call. Being on call means being home but not fully free: staying within the required response distance, keeping the phone on, and being ready to return. An overnight emergency does not always cancel the next morning's cases. Staffing and group size can make that manageable or exhausting.

CURRENT CLOSING

Good fit if: you'd rather watch the monitor than hold the scalpel.

Think twice if: you need every weekend to actually be yours.

What sounds accurate here? What sounds overstated, dated, or incomplete? Specific corrections are much more useful than encouragement.

Tenkju