Also called: Clinical Perfusionist, CCP
Runs the heart-lung machine that keeps patients alive while their heart is stopped during surgery.
During open-heart surgery, takes over the patient's circulation: pumping and oxygenating their blood, controlling body temperature, and adjusting drugs, all while the surgeon works on a still heart. Also runs ECMO life support in ICUs.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's in science plus a 1-2 year master's or certificate perfusion program and board certification.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Biology, Perfusion Science, Biomedical Engineering.
Growing faster than average. Strong demand; only a few hundred graduate each year.
Low risk for 10 years. Heart-lung machines add automated alarms and data logging; running circulation during surgery and ECMO stays skilled human work.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, Anatomy & physiology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-2099.
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