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. Perfusionists also control the temperature of patients during surgery.  Their duties include:

Ø  Operating heart-lung machines

Ø  Administering some types of anesthesia

Ø  Administering some types of medication

 Salary: There average salary is about $50,000

Educational: A high school diploma with a good background in biology and chemistry is required to be accepted in perfusionist training programs.  Admissions 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. Course length varies, but for the school to be recognized by the American Academy of Cardiac Perfusionists the curriculum must include the supervised performance of 150 procedures to include 20 pediatric and infant cases.

Reflection: I don't think i would like to be one of these because i don't find it interesting.