Cardiovascular Perfusion, MS

Jeremy Engel, DHSc, MHS, CCP; Program Director

Purpose

The Master of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion Program is an allied health science program that educates and prepares students in the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct cardiopulmonary bypass and associated cardiovascular procedures including cardiac life support. Perfusionists work under the supervision of the cardiac surgeon and in accordance with the cardiac anesthesiologist. Students who graduate from this program will be eligible to sit for the two-part national certification examination through the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP). Successful completion of the ABCP examinations awards the certification and title of Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP).

Mission

Our mission is to prepare students to become a proficient entry level cardiovascular perfusionist through the dissemination of evidence-based knowledge, scholarly activities, and diverse clinical experiences. Additionally, it is the mission of this program to elicit independent systematic thought processes through new scientific discovery and historical knowledge. Graduates form this program will be able to effectively integrate perfusion theory to clinical practice.

Application Deadline

The application cycle begins September 15th each year. To be considered for admission, the completed application and all admission requirements must be submitted by February1st the subsequent year. The application review and interview processes are conducted in February with final decisions completed in March.

Admission Requirements

1. Apply through ClearApply.us.com
2. Completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree at a regionally accredited institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Must submit all official transcripts to the unified perfusion application system.
3. Successful completion of the following prerequisites, or equivalent courses, with a GPA of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in each course. Prerequisites should be completed within ten years of application. You can be enrolled in a prerequisite course(s) while applying with admissions contingent on successful completion of the prerequisite course(s).
   • General Biology with labs (8 credits)
   • Microbiology with lab (4 credits)
   • College Math such as algebra, calculus, or statistics (3 credits)
   • Physics with lab (4 credits)
   • General Chemistry with labs (8 credits)
   • Anatomy & Physiology with labs (8 credits)
   • Biochemistry or Organic Chem (3 credits)
4. Shadow a perfusionist required. Clinical patient care experience recommended.
   • Shadowing form found on NKU Cardiovascular Perfusion webpage
5. Three professional letters of recommendation
6. Letter of intent explaining why you wish to pursue a career as a cardiovascular perfusionist
7. CV or resume
8. Once all requirements are met within the application deadline, qualified applicants may be invited for an interview with the director and staff prior to final decision.

 

Additional Program Requirements

Upon admittance to the program, immunizations and document tracking are conducted through PreCheck. Before the start of the first semester, students are required to have the following proof of immunizations and health screening. Register for immunization tracking at https://candidate.precheck.com/StudentCheck.

• Measles, Mumps, Rubella MMR- Two doses or positive surface antibody titers.
• Tuberculosis (TB) (PPD)- TB documentation or PPD test within 12 months and a negative result or TB blood draw test within 12 months with negative result.
• Influenza Vaccine - Only required seasonally (October 1^st - March 31^st)
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (T-DaP)- Vaccine within 10 years or TD/ T-DaP booster within 10 years
• Varicella (chickenpox)- Two dose vaccine or positive surface antibody titer
• Hepatitis B- Two, three, or four doses or positive surface antibody titer
• Health Insurance (before start of clinical rotation; second semester)
• Medical Examination (before start of clinical rotation; second semester)

 

Program Retention and Graduation Requirements

1. Maintain an overall 3.0 GPA
2. Completion of all coursework with a B average or better
3. Successful completion and display of competent clinical skills and knowledge of at least 75 adult CPB procedures and 5 ECMO or VAD procedures
4. Successful completion and display of competent clinicals skill and knowledge or observation of at least 10 pediatric CPB procedures
5. Successful completion of the Capstone Research
6. All course work and clinicals are non-repeatable

 

Accreditation

 

Northern Kentucky University’s cardiovascular perfusion program is accredited by the Committee of Accreditation of Allied Health and Education Programs (CAAHEP) through the Accreditation Committee-Perfusion Education (AC-PE).

AC-PE

10940 S Parker Rd. Suite 455

Parker, Colorado 80134

Phone #: 303-495-8989

Email: office@ac-pe.org

• https://ac-pe.org/
• https://www.caahep.org/